Bangalore: Twelve-year-old Bhavya's (name changed) life as a domestic help in a posh household was a nightmare. The girl from Andhra Pradesh was taken out of school by her mother and sent to work in the house of a software professional in Bangalore.

Unable to tolerate the constant abuse of the child by her employers, the neighbours called up Association for Promotion of Social Action, which rescued the child. Bhavya had bruises on her hands and legs and her arms were swollen.

This is just one of the many cases where children are exploited in the households of the rich and well-educated professionals in the city. Corporate responsibility in most major business houses here does not extend to having a policy for domestic help.

According to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Bangalore Urban district, constituted under the Juvenile Justice Act 2000, many people working in the information technology sector not only employ children under the age of 14 but also abuse them. Most companies do not have mandatory guidelines in place asking their employees not to employ children at home.

The CWC has said that it had sought a response from companies whose employees were found to be exploiting children with regard to having a policy against child labour. "But we haven't not got any response," members said. Recently, the Centre had included domestic help as a hazardous sector in the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. This would come into effect only in October this year.

"Many cases have come up for hearing before the committee where people have confined children in their homes as domestic help and are harassing them. Since most of the companies where the employers of the children work do not have strict rules in place to prevent child labour, there is no pressure on them not to exploit children," Vasudeva Sharma, a member of the CWC, told The Hindu .

Members of the CWC said in cases that had come up for hearing before them, the employers mostly denied the charge. . "Most often, the employers of the child claim that the girl is a poor relative whom they are providing shelter," they said.

There is hope

Several associations including Swabhimana and Paraspara in Malleswaram, Chitramala Apartments association and a few others in Jayanagar, Fern Hill Apartments in HSR Layout and some in Yeshwanthpur have made it a policy not to employ children as domestic help in their apartment.

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