Anti–Child Labour Day celebrated in India

India celebrated anti–child labour day, June 12, with several organizations conducting awareness campaigns and rallies to sensitize people about the sufferings of thousands of children who are still working in the nation as bonded labourers or domestic servants.

Evangelical Fellowship of India Children at Risk (EFICAR), which attempts to reach the remotest parts of India to educate the local churches and motivate them to work for the empowerment and protection of vulnerable children, has urged the Christian community in India to play a leading role in eradicating child labour in India.

"India has the highest number of young people in the world and also the largest number of working children in the world. Nearly 115 million children in India work and many of these are engaged in hazardous occupations. Thousands of children are bonded labourers and domestic servants. They are paid less and abused much," EFICAR said in a press release. "We request your prayers for the child labourers in our country."

EFICAR has also urged everyone to pray on the following points:

– Pray that God would bless the children of our nation.

– Pray that the living standard of the poor in India will improve so that children will not be compelled to work for a living.

– Pray for the eradication of child labour and that children will enjoy the freedom guaranteed to them by the Constitution of India.

– Pray that children in India will come to know Jesus Christ as their personal saviour and will have a bright and beautiful future in Jesus Christ.

– Pray that the corrupt practice of bonded child labour will end and that children serving as bonded child labourers will be rescued.

– Pray that the political leaders in India will take the matter of child labour seriously and take effective measures to combat this issue.

Children At Risk are those children who are vulnerable to social evils like child labour, child trafficking, sexual and economic exploitation, domestic violence, discrimination, female foeticide and HIV/AIDS infections.