Indian Police Rescues 425 Child Laborers From Mafia

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International columnist, political analyst and senior journalist Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui’s articles are published across Asia, Africa and Europe. He writes for The Moroccan Times, The Tunis Times, India Tomorrow, Kohram News, The Etemaad Urdu Daily and for news papers published from Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. You can follow him on Twitter at: @journopolana[/symple_box]

The police campaign in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad to rescue child laborers continued today for the second week. The Hyderabad city police rescued 45 more child laborers from the old city taking the tally to more than 425. Raids were conducted by the South Zone police teams near the world famous Charminar, Gulzar House and Mir Chowk areas.  Earlier, child laborers were rescued from areas like Chandrayangutta and Falaknuma on Friday last week. The children who are rescued were shifted to care centers and are now enjoying their new found freedom and many are on their way to be united with their parents in the northern impoverished state of Bihar.

The untiring efforts of the Hyderabad Police to stop the dreaded menace of child labor are yielding results. This major operation is undertaken as per the directives of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of the newly carved state of Telangana. Those connected with this exploitation including the mafia are brought to book. Many parents have been contacted so far as their rescued children are escorted to be handed back to them. The child laborers in the age group of six years to fourteen years were subjected to hard labor in pathetic conditions with a 14 to 16 hour work schedule for their tender hands. They were even exposed to dangerous and hazardous chemicals in some factories. Many child laborers were employed in bangle-making, plastic industry and many others did menial jobs. The salaries paid were a pittance. It was as low as Rs1000 in a most of the cases. One US dollar equals sixty two Indian rupees.

Many voluntary organizations were drawing the attention of the government towards putting an end to this child exploitation. Prominent among them, the Confederation of Voluntary Organisations (COVA) headed by Mazheruddin has been championing the cause of eradicating child labour. There was almost a policy paralysis on part of the last Congress government headed by Kiran Kumar Reddy. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government took power after formation of the new state of Telangana. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is making a visible change to the life of Hyderabadis. The criminals are on the run.

Many diligent and active policemen and women have been given important assignments. The Hyderabad City Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy, of the Indian Police Service (I. P. S), is marshalling his team of cops well. Mahender Reddy is a tough cop but has a tender heart as far as children are concerned. It is worthy to mention that Mahender Reddy fulfilled the wish of a ten year old Cancer afflicted terminally ill Mohammed Sadeq to be the Police Commissioner of Hyderabad for a day on the request of ‘Make a Wish Foundation’ in October 2014. Now, Mahender Reddy is leading a relentless campaign to rescue all the child labouerers. He is ably assisted in these operations by Additional Commissioner (Crimes and Special Investigation Teams) Swathi Lakra, I. P. S and Additional Commissioner (Law and Order) Anjani Kumar, I. P. S.

Women and girls feel safer now as the Telangana Government appointed Rama Rajeshwari, I.P.S as the Nodal Officer in the neighbouring Cyberabad to check crimes against women. Rajeshwari has formed SHE teams to control eve teasing and harassment of women. The SHE teams initiative of Cyberabad Police has come for a lot of praise by the citizens as many eve teasers have been naabed.

Bihari children are among the most trafficked in India. Every year more than 40,000 children are trafficked  and end up in many small scale industries and local  restaurants doing cleaning jobs. Floods ravage  Bihar every year. Many parents lose their children as they do not know their whereabouts. The children too cannot search their parents in the aftermath of the floods. On 8^th September 2014, Ajay Mishra, Deputy Ispector General of Police, Tirhut had said that 4,000 children are trafficked from Bihar every month. In July 2014, 176 child labourers employed in handicraft units in Jaipur city of Rajasthan state were rescued and brought back to Bihar.

Due to poverty, which  is a major issue in Bihar, sometimes parents are forced to part with their dear ones in the hope of getting some money. But this turns into a nightmare for the little children who lose their childhood to the vagaries of life.