The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly opposes
the Union cabinet's approval to legalise child labour in "family
enterprises". This is a retrograde measure which legalizes the exploitation
of the labour of children below the age of 14. To suggest that "poverty and
the social fabric of India" justify the use of child labour is to punish
children for their poverty. Instead, people expected this Modi government to
take meaningful measures to ameliorate growing poverty of the majority of
our people.

Modi government's economic reforms promote 'outsourcing'. Many developed
industries farm out work to contractors who further farm out work to
families who work round the clock at exploitative rates. This is in addition
to other trades such as bidi making, agarbattis, carpet weaving etc., where
children are forced to work. Since it is impossible to regulate "family
enterprises" such an amendment will open the floodgates for the rampant use
of child labour.

Coming as it does in the wake of the severe cuts in the budgetary
allocations for children's development, the proposed amendment exposes the
callous approach of this government to children's rights.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) calls upon all democratic minded citizens to
join in forcing the government to withdraw this anti-child amendment to our
laws.