Indus Valley Times

The posters depict contrasting images of a child as a labourer and another as a student, with a line in Odia and English to convey the message against child labour.

By A K Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, June 13; To observe the International Day against Child Labour, the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR), Labour and ESI department Govt of Odisha,  in collaboration with UNICEF, released two posters as part of a sensitization programme against child labour in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

The posters depict contrasting images of a child as a labourer and another as a student, with a line in Odia and English to convey the message against child labour. This poster highlights the importance of keeping children in schools, ensuring a safe and secure future.

This poster was released by Sarada Prasad Nayak, Minister of Labour and ESI Govt of Odisha in the morning.

Later, speaking on the occasion, Mandakinee Kar, chairperson, Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) says “All children have the right to a safe, labor-free childhood. It is the duty of every citizen to ensure that children stay where they belong -in the classroom not in the workplace. Therefore, we all should take a pledge to contribute at our level to end child labour.” She encouraged the students who were present there to put a placard in front of their house saying, “Ours is a child labour free house.” In this way, every child, can be a part of the awareness campaign against child labour. She added.

Sugata Roy, Officer in Charge, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Bhubaneswar said “Child labour is a worse form of violence. The children’s rights are violated if the child is not in school. Our focus should be on moving the child from occupation to education. We all should think and find a way to push for a child-labour-free society”.

Umi Daniel Director, Migration & Education Thematic unit at Aide et Action South Asia, informed “After COVID, many children are out of school and get into child labour. If we want to have a child-labour-free society, then we have to work together and ensure that every child gets an education.

Nishant Kartik Nayak,a student volunteer emphasized the role of young people in ending child labour. He says this is high time that we all should come together and should focus on the call to action on ending child labour.

The event was attended by Manna Biswas, Specialist, Child Protection at UNICEF Bhubaneswar, Members of the OSCPCR-SasmitaNanda ,Anita Behera, and member secretary P.K Sahoo along with the student volunteers.