New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Citing fundamental rights, the Supreme Court Monday directed the central government to issue a notification prohibiting the employment of children in Indian circuses.
‘In order to protect the fundamental rights of these children under Article 21 of the constitution, we direct the centre to issue suitable notification prohibiting their employment in circuses,’ the apex court bench of Justice Dalbir Bhandari and Justice Deepak Verma said.
The order came in the wake of a petition by an NGO, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, which has drawn the attention of the court to the widespread prevalence of child labour, including in circuses, and also trafficking in children.
The apex court said the children being rescued should be kept in separate rooms or after due verification may be handed over to their parents if they were willing.
It directed the human resource development and the women and children development ministries to prepare a scheme for rehabilitation of the rescued children. The court said the ministries will have to file compliance reports before June 19.
The court is seized of many cases involving child labour and child trafficking, and said it will take these up on issue-to-issue basis in order to deal the with the problem.
-Indo-Asian News Service
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