The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Deserted by parents, tortured by employer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Deserted by parents, tortured by employer

By Tejas Ewing

CHENNAI, JAN. 30 . In a shocking case that highlights the dangers of domestic child labour, a beaten and burnt 10-year-old child was recently rescued from her workplace.

According to the child, she had been at the house in Anna Nagar for as long as she could remember, and her employer often found fault with her and beat her. However, this time about two weeks ago, her employer scorched her on the legs, arms and back with a hot `dosai karandi'. She was unable to walk and could not stop screaming. She was locked up in a room for a day to prevent her from attracting attention.

However, the next day she managed to escape, and was found on the street by an unknown Samaritan who tipped off Childline 1098, the 24 hour toll-free hotline for children in distress. A team from the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW), Tamil Nadu, responded and rescued the child. A complaint has been lodged with the the Tirumangalam police station.

Her employer was arrested, as she had filed a missing persons report regarding the child and is now out on bail. The child is recovering well under the care of the ICCW.

According to the child, she was abandoned by her mother, a coolie worker, who kept returning only to collect money every month or so. On those occasions, her mother did not even speak to her. The child was also separated from her father. According to Vidya, an ICCW volunteer familiar with this case, "she was under the complete control of her employer."

"There needs to be more public awareness of this issue," she says "because many people don't realise the danger that these children are in. Often they are treated as property and their childhood stolen from them."

Andal Damodaran, honorary general secretary of the Indian Council for Child Welfare, Tamil Nadu, said "domestic child labour should be banned as part of the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act because like other dangerous occupations it greatly increases the chances of harm to the child."

Abuse-prone

She feels that child workers are prone to repeated abuse because of their extreme isolation. "Clearly, the injuries we have seen show that this job is hazardous. The child is behind locked doors, not seen by any outsiders, often separated from family, and far from home."

Gita Ramaseshan, a lawyer who works with children, says that at present, "there is no legislation governing domestic labour." As a result "only the worst cases of abuse come into focus." Furthermore, the cases can only be pursued through regular criminal justice avenues, which are ill-equipped to deal with minors. To her, abuse of domestically employed children is so symptomatic that something must be done to protect their legal rights.

"In the past people did not even realise that there was a problem. At the moment we are only beginning to deal with it, but it is a beginning nevertheless."

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