Sudeepa Nepal

We talk about the rights of laborers and their freedom from poverty, and most importantly, we are strong on abolishing child labor. Meanwhile, we see children loitering around town in micro buses and tempos working as conductors and vehicle assistants.

A lot has been said and written about abolishment of child labor in the country. It occupies vast regions, from classrooms to the cabinet and from government offices to non-governmental organisations. However, the new Rugmark logo is not leaving its mark. Rules and regulations concerning child rights are only on paper, they can never become a daily part of our lives. 

As a student, I fear the tremulous life they live. Over the years, I have wondered when these kids will go to school. If we think morally, the basic right is not fulfilled here. Forget about going to school, they are taking cigarettes in their mouths when they are expected to take milk and chocolate. Why aren’t we concerned? We can spend a lot of money voting for our favorite contestants in various reality shows, but why aren’t we concerned about these little kids who are eager to study?

Last Sunday, I happened to talk to one of these children. I asked a little boy about his work. He said that he had to wake up by four in the morning and work till 10 at night. He also said that he was an orphan. Moreover, when I asked him why he was doing this work, his answers made me go down on my knees. Without the job, he and his 18-monthold younger sister had no means to live. Both slept on the micro bus. His daily routine was to leave his younger sister in a tea shop near the micro bus stand at Narayansthan and head off to different locations in search of passengers. His income, a mere Rs 125 per day, was just enough to feed his family of two. How can the government react to the hundreds of such problems where an eightyear- old is fighting to be a bread earner?

Of all the adversities, poverty is the main reason behind child labor. The government is inactive. It has not taken measures to eradicate child labor. Being one of the poorest economies, it cannot do a lot to minimise the abject poverty in the country. For this reason, the government should plan an alternative to provide basic educational facilities to these children. Alternatives such as night school could bring us closer to our goal of eliminating illiteracy by 2020. Considering the economy of the country, even profound thinkers would agree that elimination of child labor impossible. That is why night school for children working on public vehicles is a must if we consider them humans. That is the least we can do for them. So we all need to come together to solve this problem.

Published on: 23 June 2011 | The Kathmandu Post