Reported by Avik Chakraborty
Dibrugarh: On the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour, the Assam Centre for Rural Development (ACRD), in coordination with the district administration and police officials, rescued several children from child labour on Friday.
The intervention is in response to the state government’s notification to various departments and agencies to observe June as the Action Month Against Child Labour and conduct joint inspections and rescue operations in child-labour-prone areas.
The NGO also conducted awareness programmes in the district, which were attended by officials from various government departments, law enforcement agencies, community leaders, and villagers.
ACRD is a partner of Just Rights for Children, the country’s largest child protection network, comprising more than 250 partner organisations working collectively to strengthen the child protection ecosystem across India.
The rescued children had been working in various commercial establishments for several months. Preliminary findings revealed that many of them were subjected to exploitative working conditions, including long working hours, inadequate wages, and hazardous environments, which are extremely harmful to their physical and emotional well-being.
Following the rescue operation, legal proceedings have been initiated against those responsible. Efforts are also underway to ensure the rehabilitation of the rescued children and facilitate access to compensation and other entitlements available under the law.
The month of June is observed as the Action Month Against Child Labour, and since child trafficking is one of the key enablers of child labour, the administration and police, along with grassroots organisations, are on strict vigil to identify traffickers and their nexus.
During this period, district administrations, police authorities, and civil society organisations work in close coordination to conduct rescue operations as well as identify trafficked children engaged in child labour.
Extending full support to the administration and law enforcement agencies, the director of the NGO said, “Every child rescued from labour is a child whose right to education, safety, and dignity is restored. Child labour deprives children of their childhood and fundamental rights and must be addressed with the utmost urgency. No child belongs in a workplace; every child belongs in school. Since child labour and child trafficking are often linked, we will continue to work closely with the administration and law enforcement agencies to rescue children, prevent trafficking, and ensure that every rescued child receives the care, rehabilitation, and opportunities they deserve.”
According to the organisation, partner groups under Just Rights for Children share information and track child trafficking cases across the country.
This intelligence-sharing system has helped identify and rescue over 145,000 children from trafficking between April 2023 and March 2026. Most of these cases involved children forced into child labour.