World Day Against Child Labour 2020: Smriti Irani, Pema Khandu, other politicos vow to eradicate child labour

World Day Against Child Labour is being observed on Friday, 12 June. The day was launched in 2002 by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to look into global extent of child labour and take action to eliminate it. According to the United Nations, around 218 million children across the world are working,  many of them full-time. They do not attend school and rarely have any time to play. Most do not even get proper nutrition or care. The UN Sustainable Goals call for ending child labour in all forms by 2025. According to a report by NDTV, as per the last census, there are over 10 million child labourers in India. Many of these children are kept confined in their workplace by employers. On World Day Against Child Labour 2020, the United Nations tweeted, “It is every child’s right to be healthy, educated, safe & free from child labour.” Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani asked people to collectively work towards eradicating child labour. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath launched ‘Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana’ on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour 2020. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary Y Satya Kumar said, “Children are meant to play with pen and pencil and not with hammer and sickle. On this Day let’s pledge to wipe out this evil of Child labour from our country. Let the flowers blossom.” Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu also urged people to work together to eradicate exploitation on children. Odisha chief minister and Biju Janata Dal party president Naveen Patnaik asked people to reaffirm commitment to end all form of child labour in the state. He also urged people to make a “conducive climate” for children for them to shine and prosper. Former chief minister of Rajasthan and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje said the COVID-19 pandemic is going to prove detrimental to the health and development of those involved in child labour. She urged people to unite to protect children and their future.