Officials bust tribal children labour racket with arrest of 4

With most of their job avenues, especially in Karnataka, closed (usually Jawadhu Hills tribals pick pepper in Karnataka estates), the lockdown forced them to return to the hills.

“This affected their earnings,” said a government official, who had worked with them for more than three years. “As the schools were also closed due to the pandemic, children staying at home became the main target of brokers from other districts,” a Tiruvannamalai Childline official revealed.

Though it was difficult to get information from tribal residents easily, Collector B Murugesh was alerted to the menace and following his orders Childline officials made a beeline to Jamunamarudur, headquarters of the Jawadhu Hills panchayat union three days ago. During a visit, officials spotted seven children standing at the Jamunamarudur bus stop with four brokers. “What gave them away was that the brokers were dressed far better than the children and hence they could not escape by stating that they were either parents or relatives,” an official said on condition of anonymity.

As the four, identified as Hari (46) and wife Karpagam (36) of Vengalapuram in Tirupattur district, Muthusamy (41) of Salem and Azhaguvel (40) of Perambalur, admitted that they were brokers, and were arrested.

Investigations are on to see how far this racket has penetrated in the hills as parents were given cash in advance.