NEW DELHI - The coronavirus pandemic is forcing India's children out of school and into farms and factories to work, worsening a child-labour problem that was already one of the most dire in the world.
"Working under the sun was difficult as we were never used to it," Munkalapally said."But we have to work at least to buy rice and other groceries." GLOBAL TREND Global child labour had been gradually declining in the past two decades, but the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to reverse that trend, according to the ILO.
The ILO estimates about 11 million are at risk of being exploited as child labourers under current conditions, especially in the less-developed eastern parts of the country, like Sulawesi islands, Nusa Tenggara and Papua. A spokesman for the Ministry of Women and Child Development didn't immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.
FORCED LABOUR "At a household level, it's hard to differentiate whether children are involved or not," says Dheeraj, a programme manager at Praxis: Institute for Participatory Practices, who uses only one name. "Once the lockdown is lifted and normal manufacturing activity resumes, factory owners will look to cover their financial losses by employing cheap labour," the group said in a statement.When economic activity begins accelerating, there is a risk of returning migrants taking children along with them to the cities.
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