STRESS OF CHILD LABOR: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

Any sensitive and sensible individual would not like a child to undergo the coercion of daily labor for survival. Apparently; this conscientious feeling has been transformed into international consensus against child labor.

Sadly though, it is being defeated repeatedly, thereby producing enormous stress; amongst the children forced into labor; as well as most of us who are witnesses! This stress is often not perceived and not identified clearly; and sensed; only as a vague and inexplicable agitation and sickening agony in the heart!

The failure of the international consensus and conscience; is due to the lack of dealing with the root of child labor; and merely continuing with the philanthropic activities; and/or attempts towards arbitrary imposition of laws to ban child labor.

The root cause of child labor and consequent stress is; the educational without productive domain. The school and college students in the mainstream education (probably in most countries in the world); are cut off from skills and ethics involved in production and marketing and sales in real life in the world!

This education is unnecessarily and highly dependent on high tech gadgets and books, calculators, computers and other teaching and learning aids; probably to serve; the vested interests of the manufacturers and dealers of the educational aids. It revolves around the elitist demands; such as fashion industry, call centers, cosmetics, jewelry, neglecting the life needs; such as organic agriculture, horticulture, medicinal herbs; of vast majority. In short; it is parasitic to the majority.

In such highly alienated and expensive unproductive education system; majority of the children become suffocated child drop outs; and vulnerable and easily available helpless child labor. Those, who continue in the education and get graduated; are unable to get self-employed and either become frustrated and suicidal mental wrecks; or frustrated but arrogant criminals.

Child labor; can be minimized; if the education nurtures; the spiritual and productive domains; besides cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains. This is reunification, reintegration, re-amalgamation of spiritualism and materialism (true yoga) and holistic perspectives, policies, plans and programs (holistic renaissance)!

But all this requires our motivation and mobilization of towards annihilation of child labor. This needs efforts (preached by most spiritual and religious leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi; and simple to practice e.g. NAMASMARAN) of blossoming to be universalized. Even as billions of people are practicing it; many more billions with far greater intensity need to practice it; if we are to get even optimal results.