I. “CHILD IS MEANT TO LEARN, NOT EARN” –
RESEARCH PROJECT ON ERADICATION OF CHILD LABOUR IN SHACKS – MANDREM LEGAL AID
CELL – RESOLUTION PASSED BY GRAM SABHA
With the motto of
‘STOP CHILD LABOUR’, the members of Mandrem Free Legal Aid Cell
comprising of Chhaya Mhamal, Janhavi Parsekar , Maria, Fernandes, Leesha Kharbe
and Brian Rodrigues undertook a
research project on Eradication of child Labour In the shacks in Mandrem. Dr.
B.S.Patil, who is also the faculty in charge of the Cell guided the students in
this project.
Significance
of the study: Child labour
has been an international concern because it damages, spoils and destroys the
future of children. The problem of child labour is a serious matter not only in
India but also in other developing countries. Various legislations governing
prohibition of child labour says that any child below the age of 14 years
cannot be employed either in a factory or office or a restaurant. Child labour
is the practice of having children engaged in economic activity on part or full
time basis. The practice deprives the children of their childhood, and is
harmful to their physical and mental development. It refers to work that is
mentally, physically, socially and morally dangerous and is harmful to children
to work whose schedule interferes with their ability to attend regular school
or work that affects in any way their ability to focus on school or experience
healthy childhood.
Aim: To facilitate the Gram Sabha in passing a
resolution that child labour is prohibited and convincing the owners of the
shacks to put up a banner outside their shacks which read, “NO CHILD EMPLOYED
HERE.” And carry on further inspection of the shacks to check compliance
Purpose
served: (1) The tourists would know
that there is no child employed in the shacks. (2) In case there is a child
labour employed, the tourists as well as the customer can question the shack
owner regarding the same.
Drafting
the Resolution: The team approached
the Panchayat Secretary, Mr. Francis Fernandes and sought information on the
date of Gram Sabha, wherein he informed
it to be on 8th November 2015 . The students explained to him about the project
wherein he guided them to draft an application about the problem and to submit
it in the Panchayat taking inward on it. So, the team drafted an application
addressed to the panchayat to pass a resolution in Gram Sabha for affixing
banners on topic stop child labour in shacks, restaurants, shops and in all
ward of Mandrem village.Accordingly, they went to the panchayat and submitted
the application to the secretary and the panchayat clerk registered the problem
to be taken in the gram sabha and gave an inward on the application.
Attending
Gram Sabha: The team
attended the gram sabha held on 8th November 2015 wherein they put forth the
contents of their resolution which had been approved by the panchayat without
any objections. The application was filed before the panchayat requesting the
secretary and sarpanch, Mrs. Vaishali
Shirodkar, to issue the copy of
the resolution.
Follow
up: After the resolution copy was provided the team requested the secretary for a list of names of
all the shacks, hotels and resorts in
Mandrem and Ashvem villages. The list which was so provided contained 64 numbers
of resorts and shacks. The team also requested the Panchayat to provide us with
a member to accompany them in their visits to the shacks. So the secretary sent
Mr. Nikhil Mandrekar to accompany the team to inform all shacks about the
resolution. The team approached the hotel and shack owners on 2nd February 2016
and gave them the information on prohibition of child labour and also informed
them about the resolution, size of the banner and the material to be used. Some
were very cooperative whereas some had problem with the size of the banner and
material. Hence the students agreed with them to reduce the size of the banner
and informed that they would further come for inspection on 22 February 2016.
When the team went for inspection on 22nd February
2016 they found that the response was very poor. Hence they decided to speak
with the Prof. In charge, Dr. B. S Patil. He suggested that they should write
an application to the Goa State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.
Accordingly the team wrote an application to the Goa State Commission for the
Protection of Child Rights and submitted it in their office at Panjim. They
were told to call and find out whether an officer would be accompanying us or
not. The team called them the following day at 3p.m. and they accepted our
request to send an officer Audrey pinto to accompany them for the inspection on
29th February 2016.
Impact
Assessment: On 29th the
team went for an inspection with the Child Commission Officer Audrey pinto. They
started with the inspection at 9 a.m. We found out that most of the shacks had
displayed the banner and for those who had not displayed the banner, we gave
them the last date i.e. 8 march 2016. The officer was successful in convincing
the shacks to put up the banner who were not cooperative. On 8th March 2016
they again went for our last inspection of the shacks and resorts. Altogether
they covered 64 shacks and resorts out of which 52 shacks and resorts have put up the banner and 12 have not put
up the banner. Some of them gave reasons of shutting down the shacks whereas
some assured us that they will put up the banner in October month. Some
completely refused to put up the banner and remaining confirmed that they would
put up within few days.
Future
Plan of Action: The team
members plan an awareness campaign to to make all people aware about the
prohibition of child labour and to cover all the shops and hotels in Mandrem
and Ashvem village and inform them about the same.
