By SUNIL Sonkar

NEW DELHI, India: More than 60 child labourers were rescued Saturday from Mukherjee Market of Karol Bagh in Delhi and their employers were also arrested in a joint raid made by the Task Force on elimination of child labour, labour department, sub-divisional magistrate, Delhi Police and also an NGO named Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

These rescued children were employed at the bindi, plastic, steel and leather units in the Mukherjee market.

The children were between the age group of 6 and 15, and they belong to Madhubani, Sitamari and Darbhanga areas of Bihar and Gondabasti in Uttar Pradesh. They were living in abysmal conditions.

Qasim, a 9-year-old, fractured his leg by his employer in an attempt to hide him at the time of raid.

Qasim said, “I have been working for 14-16 hours everyday for the past eight months after being forcibly brought from my village. Nine of us have been living in a 10X10 room which always stinks of leather.”

Chairperson of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, R S Chaurasia, said that the child rescue operations have escalated in numbers in the last few months.

He added, “This is our third raid in collaboration with the Task Force in the past 10 days. We are glad the authorities are taking this issue seriously.”

SDM of Karol Bagh, Girish Pandey said, “Ten employers have been arrested. They will be fined Rs 20,000 and put behind bars for two-three years.”

Deputy commissioner (Central), Akash Mahapatre said, “The rescued children will be rehabilitated under the bonded labour Act. They will be given Rs 20,000 in addition to a lifelong pension of Rs 500.” He added, “The children will be enrolled in National Child Labour Project (NCLP) schools and reintegrated with their families by the Child Welfare Committee and the resident commissioner.”