Kailash Satyarthi
Kailash Satyarthi
Kailash Satyarthi is an Indian children's rights and education advocate and an activist against child labour. He founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolanin 1980 and has acted to protect the rights of more than 83,000 children from 144 countries. It is largely because of Satyarthi's work and activism that the International Labour Organization adopted Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour, which is now a principal guideline for governments around the world...
NationalityIndian
ProfessionCivil Rights Leader
Date of Birth11 January 1954
CountryIndia
The fight against child slavery is the fight against traditional mindset, policy deficit, and lack of accountability and urgency for children across the globe.
I have been very strongly advocating that poverty must not be used as an excuse to continue child labour. It perpetuates poverty. If children are deprived of education, they remain poor.
There is a triangular relationship between poverty, child labour and illiteracy who have a cause and consequence relationship. We will have to break this vicious circle.
Child slavery is a crime against humanity. Humanity itself is at stake here. A lot of work still remains, but I will see the end of child labor in my lifetime.
We adults, our policies, our ways of governance, are responsible for poverty, not the children.
I am thankful to the Nobel committee for recognising the plight of millions of children who are suffering in this modern age
Child labor perpetuates poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, population growth and other social problems.
A lot of work still remains but I will see the end of child labor in my lifetime.
First of all, everyone must acknowledge and feel that child slavery still exists in the world, in its ugliest face and form. And this is an evil, which is crime against humanity, which is intolerable, which is unacceptable and which must go. That sense of recognition must be developed first of all. And secondly there is a need of higher amounts of political will. There is a need of higher amount of corporate engagement, and the engagement of the public towards it. So, everybody has a responsibility to save and protect the children on this planet.
We talk of globalization, and how much money is needed for the education of children in the world, their liberation and rehabilitation just $9 billion which is four days of military expense. Just four days. Nine billion dollars is nothing. But what Americans spent on ice cream just 20 percent of this. One fifth of what you spend on ice creams could bring the children out of the clutches of their masters and put them to school.
My philosophy is that I am a friend of the children. I don't think anyone should see them as pitiable subjects or charity. That is old people's rhetoric. People often relate childish behaviour to stupidity or foolishness. This mindset needs to change. I want to level the playing field where I can learn from the children. Something I can learn from children is transparency. They are innocent, straightforward, and have no biases. I relate children to simplicity and I think that my friendship with children has a much deeper meaning than others.
During the past few years North East India has emerged as one of the biggest destinations for child trafficking.