[Reader-list] A failed child-labour rescue and other dilemmas of Jamia Nagar

[Yousuf]

Dear all
Below is a very unfortunate news from Jamia Nagar, New Delhi. On 1st November a team of activists from the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan along with police officials tried to rescue about 60 children working in the sweatshops of zari industry in Batla House. They had almost secured these children and were taking them away, but their operation failed because a mob led by local leaders gathered around them and snatched all the children back. They spread the rumour that the activists were “conspiring against Muslims” and forcefully taking away “their” children. The police obviously watched the whole drama without taking any action. They were afraid that the event may take a turn of communal violence. (http://www.bba.org.in/news/011110.php) 

This is a very sad state of affairs, not only for the presence of rampant child labour in this area, the defiance of the local goons, and the silence of the police. But it is more unfortunate because of the inaction and silence of the entire intellectual class originating from Jamia. The neighbourhood of Jamia Nagar is spread around a central university whose many staff, teachers and students reside here. Jamia has well known departments and centres for the study and training in Social Work, Peace Studies, Minority Studies, media studies, Childhood development centre, Gandhian studies and host of others (see http://www.jmi.ac.in/centres.htm). But right under the lamp there seems darkness. 

This is not the first time that the local people used the “Muslim” card to thwart any outside attempt to improve their lot. Of course there has been a lot of insecurity due to the recent incidents of “terrorist encounter” and so on. And the people’s hostility and anger towards the police and “non-Muslims” can be understood in the light of the generalisations made by the media and the police about the people of this area. But this can also have a different sort of advantage. Pretending the fear of local backlash, the authorities have decided in the recent months to turn a blind eye to the mass-scale illegal construction of apartment buildings in the already narrow and cramped lanes, allowing the neighbourhood to become utterly inhuman to live. This construction activity and the zari factories are all part of the growing monster that this area has become. And the religious identity is a good excuse to allow the monstrosity to grow larger. Of
 course, one shouldn’t even mention that Delhi’s aspirations of becoming a world class city during the recent CW games didn’t touch this area in any way.

I don’t know what can be done about it. But I am writing here hoping that at least some discussion or debate could ensue in some place to make sense of what is going on. But more than a closed-door discussion, this neighbourhood needs a street-level debate on how not to use the religious identity for petty issues, and how real are these “conspiracies against Muslims”. 

Any ideas?

Yousuf Saeed 

----

Child Labour Rescue Operation failed due to inefficient attitude of administration 

On 1st of November 2010, Bachpan Bachao Andolan alongwith the labour department, Task Force and Delhi Police conducted a raid and rescue operation in their effort to eradicate Child Labour in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi. After rigorous effort by the activists of BBA more than 200 child labourers in zari industry were identified. On this context BBA filed a complaint to the District Task Force, D.C South on 19th October 2010. After two planning meetings with all stakeholders of District Task Force, the raid and rescue date was finalised on 1st November 2010. As such the team gathered at Kalkaji Police Station at 9:30 a.m to move for identified spot headed by SDM, Defence Colony, Mr. P.N. Jha and moved towards Batla House and hence started the rescue operation.  Children in this area were involved in the zari works in miserable condition. They were between 6 years to 13 years of age.

The whole process of rescue was done peacefully and the teams were successful in rescuing around sixty children and they were being taken to the vehicle, but suddenly out of nowhere two person named Amanatulla and Samiulla, who introduced themselves as some members of a political organization, along with the owners of the industry came and interrupted the process of rescue operation. These two person propagated a communal flavour during conversation with our team members and motivated the people by saying that these people are against Muslims.

As a result of their interruption the local people started gathering and asking questions. The Police Officials and the people from the labour department remained standing as mere spectators and most of them disappeared from the spot. The activists of Bachpan Bachao Andolan were treated indecently by the owners and the two so called local leaders namely Amanautulla and Samiulla. They went to that extent of obstructing the whole process and started to threaten the children and forcefully snatched the rescued children away.

In spite of this, the Police and the Labour Department did not take any action and at last we had to return back empty handed. Shri R.S Chaurasia, Chairperson of BBA, said in this context “This happened because of the inefficient attitude of the administration but our activists will continue this movement against those who are responsible for creating this kind of inhuman situation unless all rescued children are rescued in that area
Now we are going to file complain to the appropriate authority to take proper action against who interrupted the official work by sustaining the rescue operation and forcibly taking away the freed children and thus registering cases for kidnapping/ abduction for purpose of slavery (Sec.367 IPC), obtaining possession of a minor for an illegal/immoral purpose of child labour (Sec. 373 IPC), Criminal Assault, obstructing and assaulting a public servant from doing his/her duty (Sec. 186, 189 IPC), Criminal Intimidation and threat of grievous hurt or death (Sec. 506), Criminal Conspiracy etc. 

http://www.bba.org.in/news/011110.php

Also see: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Mob-forces-rescued-kids-to-return/articleshow/6861743.cms