'Give children education, not work'

Kodagu District and Sessions Judge R K G M M Mahaswamiji has said that children should be imparted education and not be made to work.

Speaking at the World Day Against Child Labour programme, organised jointly by the district administration, district legal services authority, Zilla Panchayat, Police Department here on Sunday, he said that it is an offence to employ children who are below 14 years old. “All of us should strive to eradicate the menace of child labour system,” he added.

Training to police

Superintendent of Police P Rajendra Prasad said that there is a need to create awareness on the need to eradicate child labour system, adding that the police are given special training to take children found in bus stand and railway stations to safer areas.

First Additional District and Sessions Judge D Pavanesh said it is the responsibility of the parents to educate their children. There is a need to check atrocities against children, he advised.

Fewer cases

Deputy Commissioner Dr Richard Vincent D’Souza concurred that employing children is an offence and attracts punishment. “The financial conditions of the families have improved after the government implemented the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which guarantees 100 days of employment. The cases of child labour in Karnataka have come down to 50 per cent. The mid-day meal schemes in schools have been successful in reducing the child labour system,” he explained.

Advocate K M Kunhi Abdulla delivered a talk on ‘Eradication of Child Labour System and Ways to Check Atrocities on Children’ and senior labour inspector M M Yathnatti delivered a talk on laws related to construction labourers.

Chikkamagaluru

“The officials cannot single-handedly eradicate the child labour system in the society. The citizens should join hands with the officials in eradicating the menace,” advised Principal District and Sessions Judge Prabhavathi M Hiremath.

Speaking at the World Day Against Child Labour programme organised by the district legal services authority and other organisations here on Sunday, she said that, in spite of passing several laws to eradicate child labour system, no district or state could boldly announce that it is free from child labour system. Additional Deputy Commissioner M L Vaishali presided over the programme.