Gandhinagar: In a crackdown against child labour, Gujarat Police have rescued 84 children from exploitative working conditions and registered 16 criminal cases against 26 accused persons during the first 14 days of a month-long statewide drive titled “Operation Childhood Freedom.”

As per an official release, Gujarat police had launched a campaign with the objective of ensuring “every child is in school, no child is at work”. The campaign has intensified enforcement action across industrial clusters, commercial establishments, and informal labour units where children were found working in violation of labour laws.

Children rescued from harsh conditions, given a new lease of life

In one such action, Kamrej Police in Surat city raided a textile unit, Jay Ambe Textiles, following a tip-off and rescued two minor boys who were allegedly being forced to work under exploitative conditions.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the children were being paid barely ₹200 per day, far below legal and ethical labour standards. Police further found that when the minors resisted continuing work, they were allegedly forced back to their duties against their will.

The children were made to work from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM with only a one-hour lunch break, enduring long hours of physical, mental, and economic exploitation, officials said.

The rescued children were immediately shifted to safety, while the employer was booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

From Rescue to Rehabilitation

Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik said the operation is not limited to enforcement alone but also focuses on rehabilitation and long-term recovery of rescued children.

“Under Operation Childhood Freedom, 84 child labourers have been rescued, 16 offences registered, and 26 accused booked in the first 14 days of the drive. Alongside enforcement, 67 children have already been rehabilitated, and 160 awareness programmes have been conducted across the state,” G S Malik said.

He added that the campaign aims to address both immediate rescue and systemic prevention of child exploitation.

Industries Under Scrutiny

“The child labour cases have been reported from textile units, hotels, rice mills, and various small-scale industrial establishments. Investigations suggest that many of the rescued children were migrants from Bihar and Rajasthan, highlighting interstate movement linked to labour networks and possible trafficking vulnerabilities,’’ said Ajay Choudhary, Additional Director General of Police, CID Crime (Women Cell).

Crackdown on Networks, Not Just Employers

Officials said the operation is now shifting beyond individual employers to dismantle contractor and supply-chain networks responsible for sourcing child labour.

“The focus is not only on rescue but also on prosecution. Strong legal action is being initiated against employers, contractors, and facilitators involved in child labour,” an official said.

Root Causes Under Lens

Preliminary analysis of cases points to poverty, migration, school dropouts, and demand for cheap labour as key drivers of child labour. Authorities are now planning intelligence-led inspections, surprise raids, and closer coordination with labour departments, child welfare committees, NGOs, and educational institutions.

Four-Phase Strategy for Sustained Impact

“The campaign has been structured into four phases, beginning with the mapping of child labour hotspots and identification of school dropouts. This is followed by inspections and rescue operations, after which rescued children are taken up for rehabilitation and enrolment in schools. The final phase focuses on initiating legal action against offenders and networks involved in child labour,’’ Ajay Choudhary added.

Senior officials said the remaining phases will focus on dismantling repeat-offender networks and ensuring long-term rehabilitation of rescued children.

Target: Large-Scale Rescue and Prevention

Under the initiative, Gujarat Police aim to inspect over 50,000 locations, gather 10,000 intelligence inputs, and rescue more than 5,000 child labourers over the course of the campaign.

Authorities have also intensified outreach efforts to sensitise employers, traders, and factory owners about child labour laws and the importance of education, reinforcing the central message: no child should be deprived of schooling for labour. DeshGujarat