22.5'' x 15'' - charcoal on paper

Child labor leads to poverty.

Child labor is a harsh reality, we were told by the government, children of the must work or how will they survive?

This was the very argument that led to India's declaration to article 32 to the U.N.Convention on the rights of the Child when the Govt. ratified theConvention in 1992, stating that "....being aware that it is not practical immediately to prescribe  minimum wages for admission to each and every area of employment in India -- the Government of India undertakes to take measures to progressively implement the provisions of the article 32...."

And hence even while India Marched into economic growth and its place as a world superpower, child labor continued with legal support.
Child rights activists were clear that child labor leads to poverty and not vice versa.

Child labor was a reality because without doubt, employers preferred children as they could be paid less, made to work longer hours and beaten into submission:
The only way to address child labor and poverty was to ensure that child labor was banned, every child was in school and that they were replaced by adults who were paid at least minimum wages.

Enakshi Ganguly Thukral (Child Rights Activist)
The Hindu, August 31, 2012