Child labour: action sought against MNCs

Special Correspondent

The leaders of child rights forum, AISF conduct survey at R. Pampalli, Kakarawada villages

KURNOOL: All India Students' Federation (AISF) and Child Rights Protection Forum (CRPF) urged the Government to frame charges against multinational companies for sourcing seed produced by child workers. The AISF and CRPF leaders Muralidhar, Lenin Babu and Harihara Reddy said the problem of child workers existed in Allagadda, Uyyalawada and Koilkuntla mandals because of the tacit encouragement from the multinational companies.

The leaders conducted a survey at R. Pampalli and Kakarawada villages in the past few days. The leaders said though the Union Government was serious about incidence of child labour in the country and made the law stringent, field officers did not pay much attention to the problem. Children working in seed cotton fields were brought under a well-organised network as middlemen transported child workers from different backward areas to seed cotton areas.

The seed cotton area in Uyyalawada, which was on 904 acres last year rose to 1,217 acres this year. They said multinational companies displayed `no child worker' boards just for name's sake and closed their eyes when farmers employed them.

The children were forced to work from 8 am to 8 pm. After the day's work, films were screened for the children and even during movie time, children were asked to delint the kapas. They urged the Government to act swiftly to rescuee child workers.

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