Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Child labor law

So, Indian govt. finally came around to ban child labor. High time, for sure.

What good does it do, though? So those few kids who could manage to feed themselves will be out on the streets, as the concept of foster care or social services is almost non-existent. A well-meant action falls flat if it is not practical.

How many people are going to heed the law? In a nation where monogamy is the law, but widely ignored, where most politicians are corrupt and where red tapes are millions of miles long, how is this going to change the state of things?

I might seem quite cynical, but without providing some means of support to these kids, there is no point in removing whatever self-support they might have.

3 comments:

Twisted DNA said...

This may be a good first step for better literacy. But you know, we always fail on execution. I think what will happen is, nobody will follow the law. It will be another law which will be used by the labor inspectors to extort bribes :(

Munimma said...

upps - A quote I remembered ;-) - "It is indeed a trial to maintain the virtue of humility when one can't help being right".

Twisted - That is always the problem, a good idea without a sound footing. Right from Nehru/Gandhi days, that has been our shortcoming.

Me too said...

Deebavali nalvazhthukkal!