The 12th of June, World Day Against Child Labour, is a growing all-inclusive and worldwide movement against child labour. Caritas India’s Surokhit Shaishav: Promoting Safe Childhood Programme in West Bengal, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh commemorated this day by putting emphasis on the link between social justice and child labour. The slogan for World Day in 2023 is “Social Justice for All, End Child Labour!”

Caritas India’s experience in the last five years in stopping child labour has demonstrated that it can be reduced if root causes are addressed. What is required? A collaborative convergence of different stakeholders—government, non-government, academic institutions, and like-minded individuals’ children, young people, and adults.

This year, like previous years, Caritas India’s Surokhit Shaishav and eight partners across West Bengal, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh showed their commitment towards ending child labour by organising and hosting different events along with government departments, especially local administration, block development offices, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration members, the Commission for Protection of Child Rights, district child protection units, child welfare committee chairpersons, child welfare police officers, Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) personnel, labour officers, and media persons.

In West Bengal, partners took this day to be a moment for each other’s commitment towards ending child labour. A determined effort was taken by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Chief Executive, Shri Anit Thapa, who issued an appeal letter to all citizens residing in the GTA area. The appeal letter was the result of the constant engagement of Anugyalaya Darjeeling Social Service Society and Caritas India. On June 12, through a press brief, this appeal letter was released by Smt. Sinora Namchu, Executive Councillor of the GTA for Social Welfare, along with Assistant Sub Inspector of Police Smt. Pasang. In her press briefing, Smt. Sinora Manchu appreciated the efforts of Caritas India and it’s implementing partners, Anugyalaya and Seva Kendra Siliguri, towards combating child labour in the hills. She urged citizens in GTA jurisdiction not to engage any children under the age of 18 in any sort of work, whether it be household, hotel, homestay, or restaurant. She encouraged the citizens to put them in good schools and treat the children of others as their own. She shared that the GTA area should be child-friendly in every possible way, and it should be exemplary to the rest of Bengal and India in children’s matters. At the same time, she warned people of serious actions through law enforcement agencies if anyone was caught engaging children as labourers.

At Kalimpong main road, a street play was enacted by child leaders from Bal Suraksha Abhiyan Trust to create mass awareness of the urgency to stop child labour as a crime. To support child club members, the mothers collective from three panchayats came forward to participate and make this event a mega success. Shri Ugay Bhutia, Assistant Commission, Sr. Claret Lepcha, Kalimpong Child Welfare Committee Chairperson, and Mrs. Shila Giri, CWC member, were present and encouraged children’s clubs for their initiative and appealed to the public to ‘Say No to Child Labour’.

At Naudapanur Gram Panchayat of Murshidabad District in West Bengal, child club leaders under the aegis of Suprava Panchashila Mahila Uddyog Samiti took out a rally, holding placards and shouting slogans to stop child labour and appealing to passersby not to keep and promote child labour. Rally culminated at Gajdharpara More (beside Gajdharpara High School) in the presence of Mr. Bitan Dey, Deputy Labour Commissioner from the Office of the Deputy Labour Commissioner-Murshidabad; Mr. Chandan Banik, Assistant Labour Commissioner from the Office of the Deputy Labour Commissioner-Murshidabad; Ms. Debika Ghosal, representative of the District Child Protection Unit-Murshidabad; Smt. Soma Bhowmick, Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee-Murshidabad; and Mr. Sukumar Halder, Secretary of the Murshidabad Shop Worker’s Samity. On this occasion, child leader Master Sital Sainaj recited a heart-touching poem written by Bhabaniprasad Majumdar with the title ‘Swadhinatar Mane.”

Child Club Member Sital Sainaj recited a heart-toughing poem written by Bhabaniprasad Majumder, “Swadhinatar Mane”. The poem is on child abuse issues, especially child labour. The poem begins like this:

Like in Kolkata, Mary Ward Social Service Society in North 24 Parganas district commemorated this day by organising an event at Kolapota village in Bashirhat Block-I. Head Constable of AHTU 153 BN BSF, Mr. Goswami, along with three BSF Officers, G.P. members of Gachha Akharpur, Sangsad members, Child Club members, and community members of Kolapota village were present, showing their support for fighting against child labour.

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of children engaged in labour, followed by Bihar and Maharastra State. Caritas India’s partners, Purvanchal Gramin Seva Samiti (PGSS) and Development Association for Human Advancement (DEHAT), commemorated the day by organising an awareness campaign at Nichlaul Block and a seminar at a madrasa at Mithura, close to Nautanwa Railway Station. At Mithura Madrasa, Principal Mohammad Jayuddin was joined by Child Welfare Police Officer Mr. Sinduriaram Ashish Prasad, Lady Constable Mrs. Vidha Pandey, representatives from Plan India, AHTU, SSB, and Railway Police Force from Nautanwa railway station, and Sr. Albeena from PGSSS. Assistant Development Officer Mr. Krishi Jagatnarayan graced the occasion and urged community members present to provide children with pens and books and not with tools to work.

Assam’s tea gardens, famed as the source of the world’s finest teas, have a dark secret that has come to light, i.e., child rights violations. Due to unrelentingly poor socio-economic conditions, the children of tea garden workers are forced to stay out of school or drop out of school to help support their families. Seva Kendra Silchar commemorated World Day Against Child Labour in Craigpark Tea Estate, in Cachar district’s Kalain block on the Indo-Bangladesh border, by conducting a drawing competition for the children’s club members on children’s rights and protection issues as the theme. The objective of the competition was to create awareness among the children about their rights and to spread knowledge among them on how to protect their rights and how, as children, they can come together and speak out to their families, communities, and leaders about the various problems they face. There were around 55 children who participated in the programme.

Caritas India across three states of India—West Bengal, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh—considered June 12th, World Day Against Child Labour, to be a moment for its eight partners committed to ending child labour. This was explicitly noticeable by its determination to rope in stakeholders, both government and non-government organisations to come together and provide momentum to Stop Child Labour in West Bengal, Assam and Uttar Pradesh