Make TN free of child labour, CM Stalin tells public
While the state has made significant progress on many fronts, the CM acknowledged that some children are still being denied their right to education, robbing them of a better future.
CM Stalin (Photo: TN DIPR)
CHENNAI: Emphasising the collective responsibility to end the child labour system ahead of Anti-Child Labour Day, which would be observed on June 12, Chief Minister MK Stalin issued a clarion call to the public to support the government’s aim of achieving a ‘child labour-free Tamil Nadu’.
"Children are the assets of the nation, and they must be nurtured, educated, and given every opportunity to grow into responsible citizens. Forcing them into labour and depriving them of their right to education and a happy childhood is a grave human rights violation and an injustice," the Chief Minister said in a statement.
While the state has made significant progress on many fronts, the CM acknowledged that some children are still being denied their right to education, robbing them of a better future. He reiterated the need for shared responsibility in safeguarding every child’s right to learn.
The CM also outlined several welfare schemes implemented to support students and ease the burden on their families. These include free and compulsory education, free textbooks, uniforms, nutritious midday meals, free bicycles, and bus passes. “These initiatives are designed to keep children in school and prevent them from entering the labour force,” he noted.
The government machinery continues to carry out sustained awareness campaigns to educate the public about the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, which prohibits the employment and exploitation of children. Authorities are also actively sensitising stakeholders, including local bodies and the public, to eliminate child labour and work towards achieving a 'child labour-free TN’.
