Recounting Velpur’s child labor abolition

• WDACL, observed annually on June 12, brings together governments, employers, workers’ organizations, and civil society to end child labour.

• Child labour is prevalent globally, with 160 million children involved, nearly one in 10 children, and the pandemic exacerbated the situation.

• In India, 43.53 lakh children aged five to 14 were involved in child labour in 2011 due to poverty, non-accessibility, and illiteracy.

• India enacted the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act (CLPRA) in 1986, and the National Policy on Child Labour, 1987, aimed at rehabilitation.

• The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, prohibited the employment of children below 14 and prohibited adolescents from hazardous occupations.

• The Right to Education mandates free and compulsory education for all children aged six to 14 years.

• Despite efforts, many children who were engaged earlier in labour have returned to their workplaces.

• The Velpur model, a case study, shows a significant success in shunning child labour in Velpur Mandal, a former notorious child labourer, after a sustained campaign and 100% retention in schools.

The Velpur Campaign: A Community-led Success Story

• The campaign was initially led by committed officials, but faced resistance from locals who accused them of kidnapping children and selling their organs.

• After persistent efforts and discussions, the tide began to turn, with children seen in work places sent to bridge schools under the National Child Labour Policy (NCLP).

• Public meetings highlighted the necessity of education and the need for children to go to school.

• Former employers announced writing off the balance amount owed to them by parents who took hand loans from them, using the children as mortgage and child labour till the amount was repaid.

• A total of about ₹35 lakh was written off, a total amount that was the price for a good cause.

• All sarpanchs signed a memorandum of understanding with the government to ensure all children in their village were sent to school.

• The government provided access, infrastructure, and teachers, marking the first such agreement between sarpanchs and the government.

• The campaign was celebrated 20 years ago with a program in Nizamabad, organized by the V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, (VVGNLI) Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

• The campaign has been appreciated by the ILO and the media, and the Velpur model is an integral part of all training programmes organized by the VVGNLI.

• The success of the campaign is a testament to the axiom that social issues can only be successfully and sustainably addressed if they metamorphose into a people’s movement.