Source: The Sangai Express
New Delhi, July 30:
Lok Sabha MP from Manipur Dr Thokchom Meinya Singh today informed the Lok Sabha that there is hardly any child labour or the menace of beggar in Manipur.
Participating in the discussion on the Abolition of Child Labour Bill, 2005 today, Dr Meinya said that in Manipur children go and work in the field and at various places of work along with their parents only to learn how to do the work properly when they grow up while claiming that there is hardly any child labour in Manipur nor any beggar for that matter.
Quoting the 2001 census which speaks of the volume of child labour in the country, Dr Meinya said perhaps �we have the largest number of child labour in the world�.
He suggested that instead of bringing in a stringent law to deal such a sensitive and ever increasing menace of child labour, the elite citizens of the country should be sincere while addressing the problems.
They should not employ any child below 18 years of age for their domestic works and they should stop such employment of children forthwith.
This will definitely set a good precedence to all, he added.
The MP from the North Eastern State of Manipur further observed that poverty and lack of education among the parents are perhaps a few of the root causes of the spread of child labour.
He recommended judicious implementation of ICDS programme for children of 0-6 years and expectant mothers and its onward convergence to the implementation of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) for children of 6-14 years and health services to effectively check the ever increasing problem of child labour in the country.