Back of the sunlit store windows and the bustling homes of our cities there is an ugly but more secret truth--a truth that does not often feature in the headlines, but is in front of us in plain view. It is the tale of children whose hands are to be filled with books rather than machinery; whose mornings are to be filled with school bells rather than factory whistles.

Child labour is not necessarily evident on dust factories or construction sites. It is often seen behind closed doors: domestic work in households where small children cook, clean and take care of others; small-scale workplaces where small fingers do long hours of work; and small stalls at the roadside where children spend their childhood earning their living. These are children who do not complain. They rarely protest. They have been learning silence too soon because of poverty.
Social activists argue that child labour is not created due to cruelty as such, but due to desperation. Education is the first one to be shunned when hunger gets into a house. Families who are unable to make ends meet have no option but to send their children to work and this ends up becoming a long term loss to them instead of a short term relief. It is very expensive not only to the child, but to the society.
A working child is losing more than time. They lose freedom to dream, safety to grow and an opportunity to know who they can become. At the time when other children are taught how to write their names, these children are taught the language of responsibility too early. Instead of laughter, they feel weary and instead of their curiosity, it is routine.
Child labour is particularly a problem in that it is invisible. It happens unnoticed in informal places and consequently, it is not subject to inspection and punishment. We pass by it, use it and even end up sponsoring it. The cycle repeats itself every time there is a preference of cheap labour instead of ethical decisions.
Yet, hope exists. The best weapon to use in the fight against child labour is education. Children go back where they have schools that are welcoming, accessible and supportive. The government initiatives, non-government organizations, and neighborhood actions demonstrate that the change is possible, though it can be achieved only when society does not want to turn a blind eye.
To stop child labour, legislation is not the answer, and awareness, as well as responsibility, are the keys to initiating the change. It starts with the employers refusing to employ children, suspicious cheap services as well as citizens lifting their voices rather than keeping their mouth shut.
The development of a country cannot be gauged by using tall buildings and figures. It should be evaluated on the basis of its treatment to the weakest in society. Childhood is not a benefit, it is a right. And till each and every child is at liberty to learn, and to play, and to dream, our doors may be shut, though our conscience ought to be very open. Since it is not only a personal tragedy: the subject loses the childhood, it is a social failure.

Email:-----------------------apurba.e17565@cumail.in