‘To employ children is illegal and
unethical’: Kailash Satyarthi
Activist Kailash Satyarthi
is the founder of
Bachpan Bachao Andolan,
an NGO that works
on freeing children
from bonded labour.
tle surprised. He said, "They are
poor and it is not uncommon for
a boy to be working." I asked my
headmaster the same question. He
said the same thing, more or less.
I was from a background that was
neither rich nor poor, so I hadn't
Q. What inspired you to work heard about poverty.
towards alleviation of child
labour?
One day while coming back from
school, I gathered courage, went
A. Even as a child, I was passion- up to the father and asked him why
ate about issues related to child he didn't send his son to school.
labour. On my first day of school, The father told me that no one had
I saw a child of my age sitting on ever asked him this before and he
the doorsteps of my school along had never thought of it. His father
with his father. They were cob- worked as a boy, so did he and now
blers. It was the first time that I even his son. He said they were
saw a contrast in the lives of two born to work. I realized that many
kids. I asked my teacher, we are of my friends left school as it was
sitting in the classroom and that expensive and education was not
boy is sitting outside, working. free at that time.
Why is that? My teacher was a lit-
Q. How do you identify areas
which are prone to child labour
or have children working in
them?
A. BBA has been working in this
field for over 30 years. We receive
information from a large network
of volunteers — approximately,
80,000. Our activists are working
all over the world. A lot of research
and investigation is required to
identify these areas. Sometimes
the parents inform us. The media
also plays a vital role.
Q. What has been the most
exciting child rescue mission so
far?
A. All of my rescue missions have
been exciting. Rescuing children
or a child gives you a feeling that
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