28 Trafficked Bonded Child Laborers were Rescued in India (youngest is 7 years old)

[Omaha Steve]

http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2008/12/28-trafficked-bonded-child-laborers-were-rescued-in-india.html

Trina Tocco, Deputy Director, International Labor Rights Forum

It's with great pride that I wanted to share with our blog readers a recent victory in India where 28 child laborers were rescued. ILRF has worked with BBA for years and years, most recently concerning the identification of child labor in the production of soccer balls. Learn more about child labor and soccer balls here.

You can find out more about the 28 rescued children here or read the press release from BBA below.
18 December 2008, New Delhi: 28 trafficked bonded child labourers were rescued from leather units and zari embroidery units in a joint operation by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), labour department officials and the Delhi Police near Karmapura, North West Delhi.

http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bf90b53ef010536a620f9970c-800wi

The youngest child rescued is a mere 7 year old. He, along with all other kids, used to work from 8 AM to 1AM in the night without any money or wages for the last one year. All rescued children have similar stories of being trafficked from Darbhanga, Bihar and being forced to work in harsh living and working conditions. Many children were found shivering as they were only in T shirts and many had no footwear. They lived and slept in the same room where they stitched leather purses and did embroidery.

While some of the older children were being given Rs. 20 a week on Sundays as a weekly wage, 9 year old Abdul said: "My parents were given money by the uncle who brought me here. Ever since I came here, I have never been given any money. My master used to beat me up too. It was extremely tiring to work so many hours. I just want to go home now."

R.S. Chaurasia, from Bachpan Bachao Andolan said "there are thousands of children working in illegal factories in this area. Even in today's operation we had hoped to rescue more that 100 children but there was an initial delay in sending the enforcement officers to the spot of rescue. Due to this there were only 4 police constables who assisted us in the operation in two locations instead of the expected 9 locations. Even during the operation, the lethargy of the law enforcement in arresting the employers/traffickers and rescuing the children was evident."

FULL story at link.

[virgogal]

1. Just saw "Slumdog Millionare" and was appalled at the

conditions for children in Mumbai.

God help these poor kids.

[applegrove]

2. I hear you should never buy anything beaded in clothes as it is often

the poorest of the poor and children at that that do the work. Then I think what other job will they find.