Child rights activists in Tamil Nadu (T.N.) have written to all newly-elected MPs, asking for the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 to be completely repealed with its amendments.
The given letter called for children’s primary concern in national policies and promotion of their rights and development as well as the immediate abolition of all forms of child labor throughout India. “As such, this Act including its amendments allows children to be exploited by their parents or guardians through family business or cultural practices.,” the letter signed by Tamil Nadu Child Rights Watch and Campaign against Child Labour – Tamil Nadu (T.N.) (CACL-TN) says.
The document also reminds about an alternative which was filed before Parliament in 2017 while urging them to consider it too. This was a bill that had been composed by the CACL.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) requires a constitutional amendment declaring everyone below 18 years old as a child.” It should thereafter be amended accordingly by other legislations such as The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009. The authors of this letter add that there need to be sufficient fiscal and human resources in order to ensure attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals’ target which strives at eliminating all forms of child labor before 2025.
