Top court bans child workers in circuses in India

(April 19, 2011) India's top court on Monday banned the employment of children in circuses and ordered the government to rescue and rehabilitate those currently working there. India's Child Labour Act bans employment of children younger than 14 but allowed circuses to employ them until six months ago. The practice continued, but now the Supreme Court ruling is mandating the enforcement of the law. The court ruled on a petition from the “Save the Children Movement” filed in 2006, after the group studied children in circuses and found such employment often led to child trafficking. The study revealed that children were ill treated, poorly paid and even suffered sexual abuse from circus owners or managers.
Bhuvan Ribhu, a lawyer working for the group, said the court directed the government to conduct raids on circuses to rescue children and chalk out a rehabilitation plan for them. Activists say the number of children working in circuses in India could be in the thousands.