Along with laws, there is a need for active participation from various stakeholders to end child labour, Union Minister Santosh Gangwar said today and stressed that the government was working towards eliminating the menace.
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment made the remarks during a 'National Consultation' on child rights held by NGO Kailash Satyrathi Children's Foundation (KSCF) here.
"The day that child labour is history is approaching soon. Along with laws, we need active participation from different stakeholders to defeat the evil of child labour. We will work towards making this country child-friendly and child labour-free," Gangwar said, according to a statement.
He also hailed KSCF's 'Bal Mitra Gram' (child-friendly village), an initiative to fight child rights abuse.
"The Indian government extends its full support to the vision -- Bal Mitra Gram -- and I am proud to inform that this model of BMG is not just the best practice in India, but it is also an internationally recognised model," the minister told the gathering which included former Supreme Court Judge M K Sharma and Lok Sabha MP Ravi Prakash Verma.
Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi called on lawmakers to take into consideration the views of children and ensure their participation during decision making, to make the country an "inclusive democracy".
"Bal Mitra Gram (child-friendly village) is the first step towards my aim of making a child-friendly world. This means parents, teachers, communities and leaders should listen to and respect the voices of children and involve them in decision making," he said.
"The soul of the child-friendly village lies in inculcation of caring and sharing, participation, democracy and leadership values among village children through the formation of Bal Panchayat," Satyarthi said.
India, being the largest democracy of the world, is yet to learn "inclusive and participatory democratic practices", the child rights campaigner said.
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