Palghar: Shramjivi organization, an NGO in Palghar, has been working relentlessly to free children sold for as less as Rs 500 to be forced into child labour. The children of poor Katkari laborers of Thane, Nashik, and Palghar districts were sold taking undue advantage of their economic conditions. In an attempt to free children from "vethbigara" (forced labour), a girl from Jawhar and two boys from Bhiwandi taluka have been freed and cases have been registered in the respective police stations in this regard.
All the minors were working as child laborers with shepherds Pundalik Kandadkar and Devram Kandadkar in Palghar district. The girl was forced into child labour for three years and the boys for the past one year. The girl was working as a child laborer in Talegaon Taluka in Akola of Ahmednagar district. Kandadkar, the girl's father, had fixed her wages as Rs 12000 and one sheep per year but was handed over only Rs 500.
The girl was engaged in collecting dungs, cleaning the cowsheds, milking, looking after cattle, fetching water and feeding the sheep. In this regard, a case has been registered at Jawhar Police Station at Shramjivi's following a complaint by the activists and investigation has started.
Sangita Pawar, a spinster from Vadavali in Bhiwandi, has also filed a complaint in this regard. She said that her 17-year-old son was kept as a shepherd by Bhiva Goykar from Taju in Karjat taluka. Likewise, Sita Ramu Vaghe from Bhiwandi, also complained that her 12-year-old son was involved in child labour. Taking advantage of their poverty and ignorance, Sambhaji Khatal, a shepherd of Dhawalpuri in Parner taluka, got her son involved in labour by paying only Rs 500.
In both instances, a case has been registered in Padgha Police Station under various sections of the Child Labor Prevention Act 1986 and the Bandh Vigar Method (Elevation) Act 1976 as well as the Scheduled Castes Prevention of Atrocities (Atrocities) Act. Vivek (Bhau) Pandit, the founder of the Shramjivi Sangathan, has himself met the affected families and the concerned officials of Nagar Nashik Jawhar.
