Kerala govt launch drive to rescue children forced into begging, labour in Kochi

Kerala government has launched a drive to identify and rescue children being forced into begging and labour in the streets of Kochi.

Kerala government on Friday launched a drive headed by a joint task force to identify and rescue children being forced into begging and labour in the streets of Kochi.

The task force comprises of multiple agencies, including the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Labour and police departments, and the Centre of Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), District Childline and an NGO.

According to police, organised rackets are behind begging and child labour in the city.

The drive will mainly target three categories of children - those wandering alone in the streets, those who accompany their parents who maybe involved in labour and work with them and those wandering during daytime and returning home at night.

After rescuing the child, they will either be rehabilitated or repatriated. All the details of the children will be entered in the portal ‘Children in Street Situations’ maintained by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

According to Sini KS, the District Child Protection Officer, the initiative is part of a study conducted by the NCPCR in four states, including Kerala.

The Child Welfare Committee expressed their helplessness in some cases when the supposed parents appear before them with lawyers and many documents to get the children back after they are rescued. The officials will have no option but to let them go, as verifying the details with the facilities in another state is a near-impossible task.