Child Labour in India

Summary

Child labour is one of the most debated issues on the international development agenda today. NGOs, international institutions, civil society groups and governments are facing a global challenge as the number of child labourers across the globe is ever increasing.

Research and documentation on child labour is an evidence of the enforcement of Western codes in the Third World. Developed nations approach the concern about child labourers in Africa, Asia and Latin America from a predominantly Western perspective, ignoring the fact that concepts of child work, childhood, family, kinship and gender in the Third World are not based on Western norms.

It is prudent to bear in mind the cultural, social, economic and religious implications of the concept of childhoods in developing nations when dealing with policy making, law enforcement and regulation on child labour and children’s rights…