Agartala, 12th June 2026: Highlighting the need for a child-labour-free society, Tripura Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Friday attended a vital awareness programme at the Jirania Panchayat Samiti Community Hall room, calling for collective social action and a unified pledge to protect children’s rights.
The event, organized on the occasion of World Day against Child Labour, aimed at building strong community resistance against child exploitation and ensuring their fundamental right to education.
Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, Minister Chowdhury emphasized that child labour does not merely strip an individual child of their golden years; it severely compromises the entire nation’s future.
He raised serious concerns over the fact that despite stringent legal frameworks, numerous children are still forced into hazardous manual labour—working with bricks, hammers, and at local tea stalls to sustain their families instead of attending schools.
“Children are the future of our country. If we reduce this future generation to mere labourers, who will be left to build the nation?” Minister Chowdhury questioned during the discussion. He asserted that institutional rules alone are completely insufficient without deep-rooted public awareness and local intervention.
Quoting the timeless words, “Free your mind from fear, discover your inner strength, and conquer yourself,” the Minister stated that true societal progress is impossible until every child is guaranteed a safe, fearless, and nurturing environment.
The event concluded with attendees taking a collective oath led by the dignitaries to never tolerate child labour, to actively assist in sending underprivileged children to schools, and to immediately report any instances of child exploitation via the 1098 Child Helpline.
