The false lure of sheep herding: Two tribal children from Rajasthan were trapped in the trap of advance money, the plan was to take them abroad and make them do forced labour!
This month, five children were freed from bonded labor, thanks to the initiative of the Gayatri Seva Sansthan. Shepherds were taking young children from tribal areas and forcing them to work.
Published on: Sep 18, 2025, 5:26 pm
Udaipur/Salumbar- The case of child labour by making tribal children do child labour by giving them false lure of sheep grazing has once again come to the fore. In Rajasthan’s Salumber district, two innocent children were rescued from the clutches of shepherds, who were being forced to graze sheep as bonded labour in the name of advance money. On the information of local voluntary organization Gayatri Seva Sansthan, the police took major action against child labour and human trafficking and registered a case against two accused. The rescued children have been kept in a safe place under the supervision of Child Welfare Committee.
In a major action against child labour and human trafficking in Salumber district, two tribal children were rescued from the clutches of shepherds through the ingenuity of the local voluntary organization Gayatri Seva Sansthan. Under this, a case was registered against two people under the Jawar Mines police station on Thursday. It is noteworthy that a few years ago, on receiving such a complaint, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Government of India and the Rajasthan Child Commission, Government of Rajasthan took it seriously and formed an investigation team and took action. Various organizations associated with Rebari, Raika and shepherds were also appealed to identify those who employ child labour. Since then, such incidents have not been seen or heard of anywhere. In this direction, the then Chairman of the National Child Commission, Government of India, Priyank Kanoongo and Rajasthan Child Commission member Dr. Shailendra Pandya also interacted with more than 2000 representatives of this community in Bali Panchayat Samiti of Pali in the state.
Salumber District Coordinator of Gayatri Seva Sansthan, Payal Kenaria, said that Ravi Joshi, a conscious citizen of the society, informed on the helpline that on the Udaipur to Salumber road, three different groups of shepherds were taking sheep and two small children were taking full care of them. The children were in critical condition as their parents were not with them. Considering the seriousness of the information, the institute immediately informed Yashoda Paniya, Chairperson of Child Welfare Committee, Udaipur and Jawar Mines Police Station.
Investigation into the case revealed that both children belonged to the Bhil community in the tribal region of Sirohi district, who were forced into bonded labor after being paid advance payments. Acting on the organization’s report, the police registered a case against Jaiparam Gadaria and Asaram Gadaria under serious sections of various laws. The accused are accused of luring children into work by promising them money and food, and then planning to take them out of the state for forced labor. The children rescued from the scene were handed over to the Child Welfare Committee, Udaipur, from where they were sheltered.
On this occasion, child rights expert and former member of Rajasthan Child Commission, Dr. Shailendra Pandya said that the police have registered a case against the accused under sections 75, 79 of the Juvenile Justice Act, sections 16, 17, 18 of the Bonded Labour Abolition Act 1976 and various sections of the Indian Penal Code and have started investigation. Earlier, cases of child labour by shepherds were found in Banswara, Dungarpur, Udaipur and Pali districts. Prominent people of the society are strictly against child labour but still some people are active in taking away the childhood of children due to greed. Strict action against them and better rehabilitation of children is absolutely necessary.
Amit Rao of the institute stated that the Gayatri Seva Sansthan is continuously working to eradicate social evils like child labor, child marriage, and human trafficking. A few days ago, the institute also freed three children from Pratapgarh district in a similar case. So far, a total of five children have been freed from bonded labor this month.
