October 1 was Universal Children’s Day:

Focus on plantation child

CHILDREN’S DAY: Till recent times the Plantation children were known as “Children who are groomed to be employed as domestic workers” and therefore never remembered on Universal Children’s Day (UCD).

Plantation children were never considered as Individual persons with human dignity. They had no voice within their family, community or in the outer world, and remained children whose social mobility is heavily restricted.

“Only after some Non-Governmental Organisations started implementing rights based child development programes in the plantation sector the issues of the plantation children came to the limelight. The theme for this year’s UCD is that “let us create a conducive environment for children within the family”.

For the plantation child the family environment is hardly conducive for his mental or psychological growth. Illiteracy among parents, low economic standards, superstition, outdated cultural practices and norms, congested housing system and other conditions prevent the creation of an environment conducive for the future betterment of the child.

Further, addiction to alcohol and constant conflicts among parents, abuses on children, over use of televisions, cultural barriers on girls are additional causes that disturbs the peace in the family which has an adverse impact on the education of the children.

Due to this reason most of the children lead an unhappy life within their families. Child Rights and child participation are almost unknown subjects in the plantation setup.

In this backdrop creating a conducive environment within the family is vital for the future development of the plantation child.

However, unless sufficient awareness among children and elders is created it would not be possible to build up such an environment within the family or in the society.

However, it would be futile to speak only about the problems of these children. It would be a useful exercise to examine the progress made in the plantations where awareness on child rights has been created and societies for children being established and to share such experience with others.

Wherever, children societies have been established or awareness created on child rights the parents should learn to listen and respect the views and opinion of the children.

The parents who shows a lethargic attitude on education of the children hereto have now learn to provide little bit of space in their houses with the minimum necessary furniture enabling the children to engage in their studies without getting disturbed although their houses known as “line rooms” are small with very limited living space.

Parents who disturb the education of the children by viewing TV have now learnt to sacrifice their pleasure for the sake of their children, and in some places where children are getting ready for examinations, the parents have put aside their TV sets. In some plantations parents who live in line rooms have given a part of their line rooms to be used as study space for the children.

The living space in these line rooms is not more than a verandah and a eight by ten living room and a kitchen. Still many houses in the plantations do not have electricity.

People who have electricity facilities accommodate other children in the neighbourhood who do not have such facility. Since there is not much room to have chairs have bought mats to enable children to sit and study comfortably.

No incidents have been found where parents grumble or scold the children when they ask for money for their educational needs. The incidents of severe punishments by beating or burning with heated rods have remarkably reduced.

A female child who was never allowed to enjoy the social rights, proper recreation are now gradually regaining such rights. They are now allowed go out to play or participate in children’s activities and in other social events.

The influence of the activities of children have either stopped the drunkenness among parents, or at least made them avoid drinking in the presence of the children.

Parents feel that the conflicts in the family tarnish the respect and dignity of the children who have now become recognised members of society through children’s societies.

All these are proof of improvement in the family environment which has greatly helped the development of the children in the sector.

All these changes in the family has in turn has made the children more duty conscious and improved their sense of respect to their parents. The improving atmosphere in the family too has created an environment in the society where children and their views are being respected.

There are plantations in which the temple management committees, the Pre-school development committees and other local power structures have absorbed representatives of the children’s societies signifying the need to listen to the voice of the children.

There is no doubt that all this improvements have become a reality as a result of the “conducive environment “ that was created within the family.

If anyone thinks of changing the identity of a child in the plantation sector the best and effective way to achieve such objective is to “create a conducive environment for the child within the family, by imparting the knowledge of child rights in a more effective manner.

- K. Saratha Devi

Pre-school Child Right Peace Promoter, PREDO (Plantation Rural Education Development Organisation - in Bogawantalawa)