PMK, DMK oppose child labour law amendment

DMK and NDA ally PMK today opposed the Union Cabinet's decision allowing changes to the child labour law, saying it would snatch away the children's right to education and jeopardise their future.
Referring to concerns raised by social activists, DMK President M Karunanidhi said the proposed amendments allowing children below 14 years of age to work in family enterprises or entertainment industry with certain conditions "will make a mockery of the Right to Education Act (RTE)."
RTE had "progressive" provisions on dealing with child labour by making education compulsory for children aged 6-14 but the Centre's decision would go against these, he said in a statement here.

The amendments will only allow children to be employed for work and "snatch away" their right to education, thus jeopardising their future, he said urging the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to drop the proposal.
PMK's Youth Wing leader and Dharmapuri MP, Anbumani Ramadoss, welcomed the increase in prison term and fine amount for those violating provisions of Child Labour Act but said employing them in their family-run businesses will create "very bad repercussions."
Though the amendments allowed children to be employed after school hours or during holidays, it will still "severely impact" their studies and rest time, he said.

"Allowing children to be employed in family-run businesses will amount to encouraging child labour. It will pave the way for hereditary education (also known as caste education scheme) raise its head in India once again. While child labour was gradually decreasing in the last five years since the introduction of RTE, the new amendments will affect its very intentions," he said.
Ramadoss also urged the Centre to "drop" the proposed amendments that will affect children's education.