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| Unprivileged progeny on crossroads to earn loaf of bread | | Govt's claim of right to education for all falls flat | |
ARTEEV SHARMA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 6: A parent seldom would have liked his sibling stand on a crossroad of a busy traffic movement to sell a piece of cloth (dusters) to earn a loaf of bread for him and his family.
But this phenomenon is in vogue here with a large number of teenagers seen at various points in the city selling their wares, which has brought the government's claim of eradicating the child labour under the scanner once again.
And the process is swelling immaculately with more joining the fray finding it a lucrative labour , notwithstanding the fact of their rights being thrown to winds and lives getting fraught with risk every time.
About 16 such teenagers from Nagrota and adjoining areas have found selling pieces of cloth a lucrative job and prove themselves as "real breadwinners" for their families. Though they have chosen different places to sell their wares fearing arrest or other actions yet the laws are openly being violated just under the nose of the law enforcing agencies.
Tariq Ahmed (name changed), 12, of Nagrota area, just 13 kms away from the Jammu city, was standing at Flyover near K C Morh and selling pieces of cloth. Tariq, who is the sole breadwinner of his family, sells 35-40 cloth wipers daily costing Rs 10 each. It saves him Rs 100-150 per day which he utilizes for purchasing essential commodities for his family.
"I have been generating Rs 100-150 per day by selling cloth wipers for the past two years. My elder brother, who is married and working as driver in a private company, has not been contributing a single penny to family's day to day expenses. Now, it is my responsibility to earn daily meal for my father and mother," dejected Tariq told the Early Times.
When asked about his primary education, he seemed to be eager to get education from a reputed educational institution but his family compulsion forced him to come on roads every morning and sell cloth wipers throughout the day. "Had it been a good income of my father and elder brother I would be in a reputed school of the city. Yeh Meri Kismat Hai Ke Main Jaha Kapde Bech Raha Hoon (My destiny has brought me here to sell cloth wipers)," he said.
"I along with 15 other colleagues, all hailing from Nagrota and its adjoining areas, come to city every morning at around 10:00 a.m and disperse away to specified locations to sell piece of cloth.
We assemble at Rehari Chowk at around 5:00 p.m after performing our duties. We are pursuing Urdu course from a local Moulvi (Urdu teacher) at By-Pass area," he maintained.
He, however, was aware about the child labour laws and preferred to remain anonymous as it might snatch his source of income in view of police arrest or other stern action by law enforcing agencies.
Interestingly, official sources informed that the Department of Labour Commission identified only 3 cases of labour laws violations in Jammu city and its outskirts last year.
The Union Governemnt had recently announced its “much ambitious” project of right to education for all in the country which seems to be fall flats after finding the presence of these children on busy roads in Jammu city.
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