Mangaluru : The District Legal Service Authority, District Administration, District Child Labour Project Society, Police department, Mangalore Bar Association, Child line and other organizations organised  World Day Against Child Labour and legal awareness workshop  at Nethravathi Hall of Zilla Panchayat here on Friday, June 12.

Speaking on the occasion  First Additional District and Sessions Judge C M Joshi said,  India is known for child prodigies like Krishna, Ekalavya, Nachiketa of epic age till date. However, many talents are chained with child labour mainly because of poverty.

Eradication of poverty may help in minimising child labour,  Child labour or appointing of children below 14 years of age for labour can not be stopped just by law. Awareness should be created about the affects of child labour and the process should start from every home, he said.

“Somewhere we are failing in finding out child labourers. The rehabilitation process for the saved children should be proper, so that the law can be implemented confidently. Quality education should be provided to the children. Those who had sold news paper or tea in their childhood have led the country in India. So, opportunity should be provided to the talents,” he said. DC A B Ibrahim said atrocity against children continued from industrial revolution era itself. “Comparatively DK is in a better position and most of the children below 14-years of age go to schools. Still, our aim should be of converting the district into a child labour-free district”, he said. Mangalore Bar Association President S P Changappa said society should take care of nomadic children as well. The police department can register a suo moto case to save children. The increasing number of missing cases is a cause of concern. Meanwhile, he said that Association would form a team who would visit schools and create awareness about child laws, he said.

The gathering took oath that they would do their best to eliminate child labour in their surroundings. School bags were distributed to kids as a mark of educating children. Legal awareness workshop on rights of children and coordination of various departments in eradication of child labour followed the inaugural function.

ZP CEO P A Sreevidya, SP S D Dr Sharanappa, Children’s Welfare Committee president K Nikesh Shetty, DDPI Walter D’Mello, Women and Child Welfare Department Deputy Director Gartrude Vegas, Mangaluru Assistant Labour Commissioner D G Nagesh were present.