Child Labor: A Tale of Agony and Shame in India

Bhuwan Ribhu from Bachpan Bachao Andolan was quoted by the Washington Post saying, “The trafficking of young children, especially girls, under the garb of placement agencies is the biggest organized crime in India today. And the worst part is, it is right there in the open, in our homes, and yet invisible.”

She also added that “Almost all of the domestic maids are either minors, or started work as maids before they were 18.”

There are numerous middle-class Indians who believe that they help poor families by giving their children work, but as per municipal law in New Delhi, which enacted some of the most stringent child labor laws, the people who do so should be jailed. Employing people below the age of 18 in a hazardous job has been a non-bailable offense since 2009. According to a senior official at Home Affairs Ministry, as many as 4 million children work in domestic service across the nation.

Also Read: Indian Manufactured Items Blacklisted in U.S. for Child Labour