Support eradication of child labour: Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Saturday appealed to people to participate in the government’s efforts to eradicate child labour in the state.
In his message on the eve of the World Day Against Child Labour, Stalin urged parents to take a pledge that they would not send their children to work. He said all should take pledge that they would not employ children below 14 years of age. World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12.
Sending children to work at a young age would amount to robbing them of their childhood and future, he said. “Taking away the freedom of children and turning them into child labourers is a serious social crime and it should be condemned,” Stalin said in a statement.
“Every child has enormous potential. It should be harnessed through education, and it should not be denied to them. Each child should be ensured of its right of safety, education and better future,” he said. Children between 14 and 18 years of age should not be employed in hazardous industries, he said.
Tamil Nadu government has been taking several measures to eradicate child labour. The government has been implementing schemes like free uniforms, books, noon meal scheme and free bus travel to ensure that educating a child is not a burden on the parents, Stalin said.