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Former Child Worker Visits Clinton

By Chitra Padmanabhan and Brishti Bandyopadhyay ; Illustration by Shiju George

Where: Washington DC, USA

September 23, 2000: A few days ago, 12-year old Kalu Kumar was a special invitee of the US President, Bill Clinton, at the White House. Kalu had been invited by the President for the launch of a book on child labour written by Kerry Kennedy, of the Kennedy family that has contributed many significant figures to American politics, including former President John F Kennedy, and his brother, Robert Kennedy.

Kalu was once a child-labourer.

Kalu's story: from carpet factory to first rank in school
Born in a low-caste family in Bihar, as a child he toiled on the landlord's farm with his father, a bonded labourer himself. From one hard life he was thrown into another, this time a carpet factory where alongwith other boys he worked 16 hours a day - all seven days. Beatings and insufficient food were ways of keeping the boys awake.

Two years later, in 1998, he was rescued by members of the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS) and sent to a rehabiliation center. On his own merit Kalu joined a government school in standard IV. He came first in class that year.

Today, he is undergoing training in social consciousness and personality development. He likes theatre, singing and dancing. He would like to forget the experiences of his past as a bad dream, but so that poor boys are not exploited the way he was, he has joined Mukti Caravan, a campaign for public awareness against child labour.

Kalu wants to become a teacher someday.

Kalu as a symbol of hope
Who can be a better symbol of hope for the millions of working children in India and the rest of the world.

There are nearly 60 million or six crore child workers in various industries in India, according to the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS) which has been trying to focus attention on the plight of child labourers.

His visit to the White House was meant to focus world attention on the plight of child workers in the world. A report about him appeared in 'The Telegraph' recently.

Kalu in the world of politicians
But there was another reason why Kalu was in the White House. For some years now America and other developed countries have been asking less developed countries like India to sign an agreement saying that they must stop using child labour in many industries like carpets, metal, glass and crackers, or they would stop importing those items.

These industries fetch their employers and the Indian government profit so they are accusing America of trying to spoil their prospects. Also saying that these children and their families would starve if they were not employed, the Indian government has refused to sign one part of the World Trade Organisation agreement that relates to this. The American government says they really find child labour terrible.

Kalu's presence was meant to give a boost to President Clinton's call to India to sign the social clause, as it is called, in the agreement. There is an amount of hypocrisy in the stand of both governments. India refuses to see the exploitation of children because it sees a harmful motive in the American government's stand.

Despite its concern for children America has its own weak spot: it has not signed an international agreement barring under 18s from being conscripted in the army. And Clinton must have seen a great opportunity to gain the admiration of his people by inviting Kalu over.

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