Moa Jamir
Child labour in Nagaland remains a pressing concern, as evidenced by a recent state-level sensitisation workshop on the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. The workshop highlighted the alarming fact that 11,062 children aged 5 to 14 were engaged in various forms of labour across Nagaland according to the 2011 Census. However, a more recent and disturbing statistic was shared by an advocate: a single colony in Dimapur had over 264 domestic child labourers out of 1,112 households, representing a staggering 23.7% of the total.
This localised data sheds light on a larger issue that is either underestimated or underreported. The figure challenges the assumption that child labour is a diminishing issue in Nagaland and as over a decade has passed since the last census, it is plausible that the situation has shifted, either for better or worse.
Officially, Census defines child labour as "working children in the age group of 5-14 years," and Nagaland’s numbers have fluctuated over the decades. In 1981 and 1991, the figures were 16,235 and 16,467, respectively, but there was a sharp spike in 2001 when the number ballooned to 45,874. It declined to 11,062 in 2011. The fluctuation, particularly the rejected 2001 Census data due to inconsistencies, means one needs to interpret these figures cautiously. Even with an average of over 14,588 children in labour across the reliable census data, any figure above zero is concerning.
Child labour, as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), refers to work that deprives children of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and mental development. This includes hazardous occupations, as well as work that interferes with a child's education or normal development.
Poverty is a major driving force behind child labour, says UNICEF, highlighting that economic vulnerability forces families to send their children to work, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and inequality.
India has put in place several legal frameworks to combat child labour, including the Child the 1986 Act, and its amendments as well as various Rules and Regulations. Additionally, the Domestic Workers Welfare and Social Security Act, 2010 prohibits the employment of children as domestic workers.
The latter Act defines a domestic worker as a person employed for remuneration, whether in cash or kind, to perform household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, or caring for children or the elderly.
Despite these laws, the implementation remains inconsistent, and it is no exception in Nagaland. Besides, many children, especially in rural areas, are sent to live with relatives or villagers. While this reflects a closely-knit society, these informal and often unregulated arrangements could mask the prevalence child labour and make the children vulnerable to various deprivation and exploitation.
In February 2024, the Nagaland Labour Department did publish the Draft Rules for the Nagaland Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Rules, 2024, inviting suggestions and objections.However, since the end of the 30-day consultation period, there has been no further public information on its development. Incidentally, the proposed rules aimed to raise widespread awareness through various platforms, ensuring that children and adolescents are not employed in contravention of the law. However, without clarity on the status of these rules and proactive measures from the state government, this remains an unresolved issue.
Nevertheless, child labour in any form is a violation of basic human rights and it is a moral imperative that the State must act decisively to protect its most vulnerable citizens.This should include strengthening enforcement mechanisms, raising awareness and addressing the underlying causes of child labour. It is also the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that children are not deprived of any opportunity to reach their full potential.
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