The 'Politics' of Children's Rights and Child Labour in India: A Social Constructionist Perspective

This paper explores the ‘politics’ of the children's rights-child labour debate in India. It argues that Neil Stammers' social constructionist account of human rights and power raises important questions about how rights are being used and how they ought to be used. The paper highlights the ‘voices’ of three Indian NGOs that are committed to children's rights and how they conceptualise the contemporary concern with the child labour issue in India. The paper argues that these NGOs are involved in ‘a struggle on two fronts’: international and national. This paper draws on empirical research conducted by the author in India.