The practice of slavery has been abolished some 150 years back. However, today we have something called modern day slavery, a malicious act that is squashing the very prevalence of individuality and most importantly, childhood and its innocence. Slavery today has transformed into its contemporary counterpart which is popularly known as human trafficking, and with children being counted among the most vulnerable to trafficking, we have the grossest social evils of all times, CHILD TRAFFICKING!
Radha (name changed), daughter of a vegetable seller, dropped out of class 5 owing to financial constraints of her family. Her father sent her to stay in her uncle’s house where she was ill treated by the uncle’s wife. She returned back to her house only to find that her father was spending his earnings on another woman who was staying with him.
Radha was beaten regularly by her father. Slaps and punches, kicks and abuses, it was a regular ordeal. One day, with nothing on her innocent mind that had already witnessed way too much at the tender age of 12, she ran away. She was simply out of the house on her own without money and nowhere to go. Wandering at a bus stand in Old Delhi, she was spotted by a woman who lured her to a village promising her a job. With no other option, Radha went with her and after a week’s stay with the woman, she was given two options – to marry an old man or to get into prostitution.
Radha refused to get married and promised to do anything to get away with it (she had no idea what actually the deal was). She was finally sold to a brothel in Delhi. From then on it was one man after another. Radha was raped regularly, sometimes, up to six times in a day. There were days when Radha earned up to Rs 5,000 in a day of which she was given only Rs 100, the rest was pocketed by the Didi at the brothel.
If you go by surveys then an approximate of 40000 children are trafficked every year in India. While girls are the most vulnerable to get abducted, most of them are tossed in the sex trade, which is in fact, a thriving business. A massive amount of the trafficked population also falls prey to forced labor where boys and girls, mostly under the age of 13 are forced to work in detrimental conditions in brick kilns and factories. Their working hours account to up to 12 hours a day.
A recent sting operation unearthed the plight of several child labors who were given a cup of tea and bread smeared with Iodex everyday for breakfast at a garment factory. Reason? Consuming Iodex everyday tends to drug the children and makes them more productive in their work giving them a robotic efficiency. Little aware of the fact that Iodex is rich in chloroform content and if consumed on a regular basis suppresses the nervous system and can weaken the kidney, the kids who are made to eat this breakfast everyday have developed a liking for its taste. “Pehle pet me jalan hoti hai phir muh thanda ho jata hai, mujhe achha lagta hai” was the innocent reply of one such victim.
Any form of child exploitation takes place because there is a huge demand for these horrendous activities. You may be unaware of the fact that most of your favorite things might be made by slave workers who are probably children. From carpets to glass bangles, shirts to zardozi suits and toys to fire crackers, it is mostly children who are employed for the manufacturing of such items. If you watch porn, then you might be supporting child trafficking. Surveys have revealed that the thriving adult industry usually trains children under 16 years to look older and act likewise. So, the next time you satiate your sex hormones watching an X-rated video, remember it might have taken a toll on some children who have been forced to surrender to the demands of this shady industry.
If you have been moved by this piece of writing then please do react if you find a child being exploited in any way. If you have a neighbor savoring the services of a child or know someone who is involved in luring children to cities in search of jobs, or in any way you have any idea of a child being exploited as a slave, then do act rather than being the silent spectator. You can call the Child Helpline Number at 1098. The Childline India Foundation is a 24 hour, free, emergency outreach service that caters to protecting and helping children in distress. No matter in which part of India you are in, you can always dial the number through which you can inform the CIF head office at Mumbai about any child being harassed or exploited. They will then contact the nearest NGO to come to the rescue and aid in the rehabilitation of the child. You can also simply dial 100 and get in touch with the police immediately. Remember we do need to take a stand, expose it and fight it.
Bonded labor in any form robs off a child’s basic rights, his right to refuse to work, his right to leave, or even demand a wage and most importantly his right to live. With parents selling their own children on account of unbearable poverty, the little angels hardly have any choice rather than getting tricked and trapped in the deceptive world of child exploitation. A life that they have to drag along as they grow, a childhood that is more of a malady and a future that stands dark and dead, it indeed has become a penalty to be a child in India.
This post is a part of our #SaveTheKids Campaign. To check out more posts from this campaign, click here.
Note: Image is used only for representational purpose.
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