A Cup of Tea: Child labour normalized

“Aye Chotu” – a commonly heard phrase near roadside tea stalls. Usually, the youngest member of the family is called chotu- a term of endearment and love. But, the story shifts for the young ones shouldered with the responsibility of earning their family’s bread and butter. The name signifies innocence and endearment for the youngest, yet for those saddled with the job of being the ‘man’ of the house it denotes their position. Their identity lost in the squalor and similar to their insignificant position, their role considered replaceable and small. 

The story of child labour is not something new for developing nations. A story retold where acts under the right to education cannot seem to displace the entrenched societal expectations and the viscous circle of poverty, illiteracy ensure that their social position remains the same. Parents wish to send their children to schools only when ‘mid-day meals’ are assured. Sadly, one meal does not ensure the extra income which results in pulling out young kids especially girls. This leads to the emergence of another set of issues where young girls are sold off as child brides or start working as house helps and the cycle continues. What is often overlooked is how child labour at factories or brick kilns are cited as cases of abhorrent exploitation of children where they are paid less, yet children working at tea stalls are normalized, since it is a common occurrence. They are introduced as relatives’ kids helping out the stalls. While developments have been achieved by many countries in the world stage, the costs of building the trophies is borne by the lower rungs of society, the working class. Child labour is not just a phenomenon or a topic of case study but a reality which affects a considerable portion of the population. From glass bangles, fire crackers to the clothes made by the big companies, every thread and every material bares the touch of an innocent, deprived, exploited individual- a child. 

What is needed is not revolution or a massive shift, rather redemption is required. For the working class luxury is a dream, and their only desire is to get by and ensure their kids get a secured life. So for the innumerable “chotus” working in the stalls to ensure their family has food on their plates, we should not normalize their struggles but ensure that the burden that has been imposed can be alleviated such that they have the chance to enjoy their childhood without worries. If you think this is an issue that can be forgotten over a cup of tea, I ask you, would you give up your opportunity of enjoying a carefree childhood and be sold to a master where you are demeaned and ill-treated? 

By Rupasree Das