Bachpan Bachao Andolan - History

History

In 1980, a people's movement was started to create a child friendly society where all children are free from exclusion and exploitation, and receive free education of good quality. The movement engaged itself in identifying, liberating, rehabilitating and educating children in servitude through direct intervention, encouraging child and community participation, building partnerships and coalitions, leading consumer actions, promoting ethics in trade, unionizing workers, running campaigns on a variety of issues – education, trafficking, forced labor, decent work, building child friendly villages and mobilizing the masses on a common action.

Established by a group of individuals in 1980, BBA was founded by Kailash Satyarthi, who after witnessing the atrocities inflicted on child labourers, felt the urgent need to address the issues of these physically, mentally, socially exploited, abused and violated children. Perils of child labour and bonded labour have been widespread and deep-rooted all across South Asia, jeopardizing the lives and childhood of millions of children. Child labour has been socially accepted and widely practiced throughout generations and thus no legal or political initiative existed against it. People saw nothing unusual about it and the rationale provided was that children were working due to poverty. However, /Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) was the first civil society initiative to question and fight this evil. BBA is a leading advocate of abolition of child labour. It deserves the credit for not only being the first organization in India on this issue but the first Regional People’s Movement in the world as South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS). It has now emerged as an organization of thousands of individual supporters under the banner of ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’ as well as network of over 780 NGOs, Trade Unions, Human Rights Organization etc. dedicated towards the total elimination of child labour and quality education for all in India also known as the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude.

BBA is known for its innovative initiative and multi-faceted intervention including secret raids and rescue operations to liberate child labourers, making them leaders and liberators in Mukti Ashram, Bal Ashram and Girls’ Collective - the unique rehabilitation centers.

The organization has also been spearheading campaigns for free, compulsory and meaningful education, sensitization of parents, communities and school children, coalition building with Trade Unions, Teachers’ Organizations, Religious Groups, Political Parties and Employers, consumer action like Rugmark Foundation, Ethical Trade Initiative like Fair Play Campaign and several others.

BBA INTERVENTIONS ON CHILD LABOUR AND TRAFFICKING ARE THROUGH:

Prevention : BBA works with the community as a whole for prevention of child labour and trafficking. Through public awareness campaign, consumer consciousness campaign, partnership building with different stakeholders, BBA is trying to achieve this goal of ensuring the rights to every child by various awareness campaigns and projects that help educate masses about their rights and how they can achieve them. At the grassroots, BBA's Child Friendly Village Program (in Hindi, Bal Mitra Gram or BMG), has been accepted as a best practice model for development and elimination of child labour and trafficking.

A BMG is a village where: (i) all child labourers are withdrawn from work; (ii) all children are enrolled in school and empowered on their rights and duties; (iii) children form their own children’s assembly known as the ‘Bal Panchayat’; and (iv) the Bal Panchayat is designated official recognition by the Gram Panchayat (elected village council) ensuring that the two councils work together on issues related to children.

This model ensures child participation in a concrete, effective and official manner ensuring accountability on child rights at the village level.

Protection : Children who are victims of the crimes of child labour and trafficking are rescued through appropriate legal action. Legal deterrent can only stop these crimes and thus effective law enforcement including rehabilitation packages for economic assistance, recovery of fines from employer/ traffickers, recovery of all the back wages and other dues of the child are ensured.

Rehabilitation : BBA tries to ensure that rehabilitation remains the responsibility of the State (Govt.). Statutory rehabilitation is one of the key components of legal action. This includes a fine of 20,000 Rs. on the employer, in cases of child labour, a further compensation of Rs. 20,000 from the Govt., apart from other Govt. social welfare schemes.

In trafficking and child labour cases requiring transit rehabilitation and other support through residential care, the rescued children find their new life at BBA's transit rehabilitation centres - Mukti Ashram, situated at the outskirts of Delhi and Bal Ashram, situated in Virat Nagar, Rajasthan. Mukti Ashram is an immediate shelter for the children who are rescued from Delhi and its surroundings. They are immediately provided with medical help, food, clothing, recreational facilities, sports, theater and counseling during their stay until the legal formalities are completed and they are repatriated and reunited with their families. On the other hand, children who do not have families to fall back upon find a new home at Bal Ashram. Here, Children stay for a longer duration, receive basic as well as formal education as well as vocational training which may help them earn their living when they grow up.

Public Interest Litigations : BBA works on policy and legislative changes through effectively implementing the legal process and approaching the Supreme Court of India or various High Courts for making and enforcing policies in favour of children. This includes a number of judgements/ orders including the recent orders: 1. Upholding the Constitutional validity of Right to Education 2. Prohibition of employment of children in Circuses 3. Recovery of fines and cancellation/ sealing of establishments employing child labourers. 4. Protection of girls being trafficked through unregulated placement agencies.

Policy Campaigns: BBA has led some of the biggest campaigns on policy and legal changes in child protection and elimination of child labour and trafficking.