Imphal, June 12: According to statistics, at least 589 children have been recorded as child labour in Manipur, Professor Soinam Jibon, the Nodal Director of Child-Line Imphal said on the occasion of World Day against Child labour on Thursday.
The state also joined hands in observing the Day against Child Labour with the rest of the world by organising a mass rally in Imphal. The rally was flagged off by the Director of Social Welfare department, L Ibobi Singh, from the premises of Mahila Kalyan Samiti Orphanage at Dewlahland and ended at Uripok after passing through North AOC, Khuyathong and Nagamapal.
The International observance of Day against Child Labour and rally was jointly organised by Child-Line Imphal chapter under the guidance of state Social Welfare Department, Labour Department, ZEO Zone-I, SPs Imphal East and West district.
Professor Soibam Jibon of the Department of Anthropology, MU, also the spokesperson of Child-line, said that since 2002, June 12 is observed as World Day against Child Labour and the objective behind it is to eradicate child labour from the surface of earth.
“As per statistics records of Manipur, there are 589 children who are used as child labour. Among them, 155 are girls. Imphal West accounts for 334 of them; and among them, 117 are girls. The overall figure for India stands at 12.6 million,” Jibon said.
He further appealed to the public to call-1098 if they found any children being forced into labour in any areas.
More than 300 people including school going boys and girls took part in the rally. In the rally, people shout slogans against child labour and by covering the important streets in Imphal, the rally finally converged at Lai Khurembi ground in Uripok.
Meanwhile, a rally in connection with “World Day against Child Labour” was organised by the Child Line Imphal on June 12.
The rally was participated by about 100 children, officials of government departments and child activists and was supported by minister of Social Welfare, Sagolband Kendra MLA, Deputy Commissioner of Department of Labour, SP-Imphal East and Imphal West, ZEO of Zone (I) Imphal West, CMO of Imphal West, epidermitologist State TB Cell and Special Category Residential school, Uripok, according to a press release of the city Ccoordiantor of ChildLine Imphal.