Dantewada: A case of child labour has come to the fore in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. Ashram superintendent is reported to have engaged children to harvest paddy in his own field. Since the superintendent is the husband of a BJP Zilla Panchayat member, the story has gained policital mileage. Dr. Anand Singh, Assistant Commissioner, Tribal Development Department said that after the matter came to light, action is being taken to suspend the superintendent. Nearly 150 children have been staying in Palnar Ashram.
It is being told that on Sunday, about 19 children of the ashram were sent to work in the fields. The children told that there was no pressure of any kind on us. It was a holiday, so we went on our own. When an attempt was made to get the statement of the superintendent, he hung up the phone saying that the officers have come.
It is after the efforts of Social worker Soni Sodhi the matter surfaced. She said that children from the hinterland have come to take education, but they are being exploited. Their parents send them away from home to get quality education in the ashram to make a future, but the superintendent exploits them. In such a situation, how will the children of our Bastar move forward?
District President of Congress Committee of Awadhesh Dantewada district Awadhesh Singh Gautam said that “instead of teaching children in the ashram, they are being made to work on daily wages which is despicable. The ashram superintendent thinks that his wife is in politics so nothing can ever happen to him but it is wrong. Congress has always stood against the injustice being done to children. We demand that the superintendent be suspended immediately.”