Now that you are not letting me work, how will you help my family survive? – Common refrain of rescued children
Before mindlessly rescuing one child from here and another from there, we need a serious answer to that question. We need to create a system that supports not just the child, but their family as well-- Miguel Das, child rights activist "
The cry of a child hidden behind domestic walls or hunched over a kitchen sink in a roadside eatery is often drowned in Guwahati’s fast-growing cityscape. But on April 9, when a 10-year-old girl was rescued from a household in Japorigog where she had been working as a domestic help, the issue of child labour once again came into public focus. The operation was conducted by the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) of Kamrup Metro, along with the district administration.
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While this might seem like an isolated incident, the data tells another story. According to the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR), 862 children were rescued from child labour in Assam between January and December 2024. The numbers only represent those who were found. Thousands remain hidden.
Talking to GPlus, Miguel Das, a child rights activist said, "Guwahati has long grappled with the issue of child labour. Children from socio-economically marginalised families often migrate to the city in search of livelihood opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic had worsened this problem, with many families facing severe financial shocks, pushing children into the workforce."
He explained that children who run away from home due to abuse, violence, or lack of emotional support are often the ones who end up working in cities. "The demand for cheap labour makes them easy targets. With little bargaining power, these children end up working long hours for meagre pay," he added.
Most of these children come from tea garden areas, char areas, tribal belts, and other vulnerable regions of Assam. The social protection systems in these source areas are often weak or absent.
"There is almost no serious intervention at the village level to address the root causes of child labour. Once they are in the city, the system is only focused on rescue. But what after that?" Miguel asked.
While rescue operations are conducted by state machinery and civil society organisations, the real challenge lies in what happens after the child is rescued.
"We don't conduct rescues directly, but since we are technical partners with Assam Police under the Sishu Mitra Program, we assist during operations. From our experience, there's a glaring gap in rehabilitation," said Miguel.
He explained that despite provisions under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, very few rescued children actually receive access to welfare funds. "These funds are meant to support their rehabilitation, but access is patchy at best. Most children return to the same conditions of poverty and neglect, making them vulnerable to being re-trafficked or employed again," he said.
He also pointed out that rehabilitation efforts often fail to address the socio-economic realities that led to child labour in the first place. "Without improving conditions in their home environments, we’re just pulling children out of one exploitative space and leaving them exposed to another."
Another serious concern is the lack of consequences for those who employ children.
"Employers rarely face punishment. The first offence is compoundable under the law, meaning it can be settled by paying a fine to the District Magistrate. There’s no real deterrent," said Miguel.
He added that many domestic employers instruct children to lie about their age. "Most children are told to say they are 15. This helps the employers bypass legal scrutiny. And these aren’t just uneducated employers. Many of them are well aware of the law."
During rescue operations, activists and officials are often confronted with hard questions from the children themselves.
"One of the most painful moments is when a rescued child asks, 'Now that you are not letting me work, how will you help my family survive?'" Miguel said.
"Before mindlessly rescuing one child from here and another from there, we need a serious answer to that question. We need to create a system that supports not just the child, but their family as well," he added.
India has robust child protection laws. But implementation is another story.
"We have the legal framework. But systems are rickety and under-resourced. We need timely funds, trained personnel, and a coordinated mechanism across departments to really make an impact," Miguel told GPlus.
Ground Status in Guwahati
An official from the Kamrup Metro Child Protection Unit confirmed that between October 2024 and now, 49 child labour cases have been reported in Guwahati alone.
"If children are working in family businesses without going to school, it still counts as child labour. Only if they are also attending school can it be considered legal assistance to family work," the official clarified.
The official added that while rescue operations are increasing, the capacity to follow up and ensure long-term rehabilitation is still limited.
Child labour cannot be fought by law enforcement alone. Experts believe that awareness and community support are just as important.
"Neighbours, landlords, teachers—everyone in the community must play a role. When people look the other way, children fall through the cracks," said a member of a Guwahati-based NGO working in child welfare.
Some organisations are also advocating for school re-integration programs for rescued children, ensuring they don’t just end up back where they started.
Child labour is not a standalone issue. It is a symptom of a deeper crisis.
"Poverty, migration, lack of schooling, addiction in families, violence—these all push children into labour. If we want to solve child labour, we have to address all these layers," said the NGO worker.
In many cases, families are unaware that sending their child to work is a crime. Economic desperation often blinds them to the long-term impact on the child’s life.
Until every child is guaranteed a safe, nurturing childhood, Guwahati’s progress remains incomplete. The questions remain: Can Guwahati truly call itself a developing city if its children are still forced to work for survival? Is the rise in child labour just a loophole in the law, or a sign that society is looking the other way? What will it take for authorities, communities, and families to act before more children disappear into back rooms of shops and kitchens? And how long will it be before we stop calling this the norm?
