Children forced to work in kilns

Itahari, January 26 :

Many children at Akamba, among other Village Development Committees (VDCs) in the Sunsari district, are compelled to work in kiln factories due to poverty.

They have no option other than to kill their desire for study. In these chilly days too, they are compelled to go to kilns in the morning. “I have want to go to school. But I am the oldest son in my family. I have the responsibility to support my family. So I work in a kiln,” said the 14-year-old Roshan Tamang at Akamba VDC.

Over 70 children at different rural areas of the district could be found engaged in different kilns for their livelihood. Most of the child labourers are from Dalit community and poor families.

“I am very interested to study. But poverty is making it impossible for me to that,” said the 11-year-old Mahesh Bishwokarma, who also works in a kiln.

“Dalit and poor children here are compelled to work at different kilns. However, they are not receiving wages according to their work,” said Arjun Upreti, secretary of Itahari-based Naya Sansar, a non-government organisation, working for children.