Child activist to speak at ILO conference

Tony Rai

New Delhi, June 7 (PTI) He is 14-year-old ready to
represent his country on a stage like the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) with the confidence of a seasoned activist.

Manan Ansari, a young child labour activist, hailing
from the remote village of Dhaurkola in the mineral-rich
eastern state of Jharkhand, who will speak on child rights at
the forthcoming conference at ILO in Geneva on 12th June.

Ansari has been invited by ILO's International Programme
on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) to attend the
special plenary session of the International Labour
Conference.

"Manan will be speaking of his experience about child
labour at a global stage like ILO where leaders across the
world will listen on the plight of this issue (child labour),"
Kailash Satyarthi, founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA)
said.

Born in a poor family with six siblings, young Manan was
forced to work along with his family in one of the many
unorganised and illegal mica mines dug by villagers.

"My work required me to collect 'dhivra' (mica) pieces
from ten in the morning to six in the evening. Sometimes, I
couldn't get any dhivra for earning...," the young boy
recollects.

"We had to dig up pits and sometimes, those pieces used
to pierce into open wounds which would later result in
infections.."

Organised mining is now mostly closed in these parts as
there is no high quality mica left. The soil is also not fit
for agriculture. The Naxalite problem adds to the woes of this
remote area. Left with no other options, many families like
Manan's are forced to employ their children for extra income.

"I could not study much as my family's state did not
permit me. And our nearest school was 15-20 kms away. However,
it was after BBA's arrival that my parents allowed me to come
along with them and I studied further."

In fact, this young boy topped his Class VII exams at
Sohtana High School in Jaipur where he presently studies.

Ask about his purpose at the forthcoming conference and
Manan speaks out his mind: "I am thrilled at the opportunity
to speak. I would like to speak about India uniformly
implementing labour laws. Action should be taken against
those who force us into labour and also who exploit our
labour."

"It was my family's poverty and illiteracy that made them
unaware of our well being. These two ills have to be dealt
with in checking this problem. And I would say parents should
not force us to do this hazardous work."

However, such words are not alien to Manan.

Last year during a programme by Delhi Legal Services
Authority (DLSA) and BBA on the eve of Children's Day, Manan
had asked Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan why action
was not taken on the basis of complaints by children to
rescue child labourers.

The Chief Justice had then said that even complaints
written by children on post cards would be treated as Public
Interest Litigation (PIL). PTI RAI
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