Bizarre news emerged that on Sunday the All Punjab Brick Kiln Owners Association announced a three-day strike against the raids being conducted as part of the ongoing drive against child labour. Government has initiated drive against the child labour, culprits involved in the business are being arrested and kilns are being sealed. Association also announced staging protest demonstrations outside press clubs of all districts of the province, including Lahore. They were of the view that their protest is against the city administrations for registering false and baseless cases against the kiln owners despite the fact that they all are against child labour.
Since the passing of the Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Ordinance 2016 on January 14, the government has expedited efforts towards elimination of child labour by sealing the kilns and implicating the owners where children are working, and charging them with the non-bailable offence with six months imprisonment, a fine of Rs 500,000, or both. It is a positive move by the government but ultimate objective should just not be to stop children working in the society. It is a fact that usually owners of kilns but only involved in the crime of child labour but also they have cast the web of slavery and debt. Childhoods of young souls are being destroyed by forced slavery.
These should be strategy to make these children part of the society, by providing them the opportunities to shine. For this initiative to bring definitive change, rather than simply plucking children from their families and placing them in schools, more innovative solutions are required for long-term integration into education, which is the only way to shield children from such hardships.
Drive against child labour is a great initiative of the government.