PANAJI
As the world marks the Day Against Child Labour on Thursday, signs of this offence in Goa are quiet and concealed – in kitchens, behind closed doors and under the glitter of the entertainment industry. Vulnerable children continue to be employed illegally while their rights are allegedly ignored on most occasions.
The child rights advocates admitted to the ongoing exploitation, lamenting that while laws to prohibit child labour have long existed on paper, enforcement is not strict. In most cases, the employment of minors as domestic help comes to light only when incidents of sexual abuse are reported.
“In Goa, child labour is more rampant in domestic work. But the abuse only surfaces when there’s a sexual offence; and then suddenly, child labour becomes a side issue,” Emidio Pinho of NGO SCAN Goa said, speaking to The Goan.
Goa’s hospitality industry has also been under scrutiny with the child rights campaigners alleging deliberate use of underage workers and barely any interventions despite regulatory frameworks.
“The hospitality sector continues to quietly employ child labour with impunity, and there has been no meaningful inspection or intervention for years,” former Chairperson of the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Peter Borges alleged.
Coordinator of civic forum GOACAN Roland Martins called for sensitivity in the tourism sector. “Tourism is a sector that has to be sensitive to child labour. The recent video which went viral in Calangute brought focus on how children can be employed in preparing 'biryani, thereby cutting down on labour costs,” he stated.
Borges further warned that another front – child performers – is quietly expanding. He alleged that the entertainment industry uses child artists without regard for existing protections.
“There are clear safeguards under the rules for child artists comprising limited working hours, educational continuity and mandatory insurance. Yet in Goa, there is no functional monitoring system to ensure any of these," he added.
Borges slammed that although the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Rules were finally notified in Goa after years of delay, it is little more than symbolic. "District-level Child Labour Task Forces, mandated to investigate and act on such violations, are yet to be formed," he said.
Beyond enforcement, activists sought to tackle child labour through public participation and consumer awareness.
“Many may not see the connection but child labour is an issue that requires the intervention of the consumer,” Martins said adding, ‘Globally, goods produced with child labour have triggered product boycott campaigns. The time has come for India to wake up to this reality.”
Even where violations are evident, prosecution is often derailed by technicalities. Pinho stated that many children employed illegally do not have birth certificates, which benefit the accused even with ossification tests. "So legally, these cases fall flat. The perpetrators walk free," he said.
