Haryana: 105 children rescued from child labour and begging in 11 months
Haryana: A special drive is being conducted by Mission for the Destitute and Homeless (MDD) and Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of India against child labour, child marriage and begging in Rohtak district. CEO of MDD (Haryana) Surinder Singh Mann said, “In the last 11 months, 105 children have been rescued from child labour and begging in the district. Of these, 51 children were found working as labourers, while 54 were found begging. After counselling, these children were handed over to their families through the District Child Welfare Committee.” The initiative is being run in collaboration with Just Rights for Children Alliance, a coalition of five NGOs working against child trafficking, sexual exploitation and related issues.
Of the 51 rescued child labourers, all of whom were boys in the age group of 10-17 years, most were found working in scooter and motorcycle repair shops, tea shops, food shops and hotels. During counselling, many children reported that poverty and unemployment had forced them to take up menial jobs. In some cases, children worked because their fathers were alcoholics and unable to support the family. A 13-year-old boy working at an auto-repair shop reported that his father was an alcoholic and his mother worked as a domestic help. Being the eldest of four siblings, he was forced to work to help his family.
In some cases, parents send their children to work to keep them away from bad company. A 12-year-old boy raised by a single mother had fallen into bad company, which led his mother to send him to a scooter-repair shop to keep him busy and away from negative influences. Most of the 54 rescued children involved in begging were girls aged 4-17 years. These children were counselled to stay away from begging and were reintegrated into their families. Officials continue to monitor vulnerable areas and rescue children from exploitative situations. The campaign aims to rescue children from forced labour and begging, and ensure their rehabilitation and education.
