"The children were rescued by police from garment, electrical and shoe making units at Nimari Colony in Ashok Vihar on the complaint of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA).
"They were trafficked from the villages of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Five employers have been arrested and police investigations are in progress," BBA spokesperson said.
The children, between the age of nine and 17 years, were rescued in a joint operation by the police, district administration and BBA activists. They were being paid a meagre weekly wages of Rs 50 to Rs 100 by their employers.
"They were involved in hazardous work like stitching and embroidering of garments and making of shoe and plastic holder in these factories," the spokesperson said.
One of the rescued children, 11-year-old Amaan (name changed) while narrating his ordeal said he was trafficked to Delhi by a fellow villager who gave an advance of Rs 3,000 to his parents.
"I used to work from 9 AM in the morning till 10 in the night, and got Rs 50 per week," he said, adding he had been working for the last two years.
BBA Chairman R S Chaurasia said, "The strict law enforcement in Delhi against child labour and child trafficking is sure to create a legal deterrent and end child labour soon."
With the scheme proposed by the Delhi government for the rehabilitation of victims of child trafficking, these children may hope for some relief from their traumatic past through education and economic assistance, he said.
