Lost shine: A boy polishes shoes on a pavement. Picture by Eastern Projections

Nov. 12: The weak smile of a seven-year-old girl after the days’ work and a 10-year-old boy with marks of injuries inflicted by a tea stall owner will be among over 120 photographs to be showcased at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra on the occasion of Children’s Day on Tuesday.

The photographs have been taken by the journalism and mass communication students of Dipsur-based Central IT College to highlight the social evil that prevails in the city despite a legislation banning employment of child labourers coming into effect.

Film and theatre actor Inu Baruah will inaugurate the daylong photograph exhibition christened “Sparsh” at 10.30 am.

“Child labour is rampant in Guwahati even after the recent ban by the government,” said director of the college, M. Haque. “So, our students decided to create awareness on the issue through the creative medium of photography.”

The exhibition will be the result of a joint effort by all 60 students of the department, who has worked for almost two months to click the images from different places in the city, including its industrial areas.

“The student photographers visited areas from Sonapur to Jalukbari to take the pictures,” said Rose Mahanta, convenor of the college’s journalism and mass communication department.

“During their photo shoot, the students came across more than 2,000 child labourers, who were leading a miserable life. Each of these little children, who toil hard to earn their livelihood, has a touching tale to tell. The practice cannot be wiped out from the city until and unless the entire society stands up against it,” she added.

The college is also planning to auction the exhibits and donate the proceeds for uplift of child labourers in the city.

“The photo shoot was an eye-opener for me. It is inhumane to engage little children on works that are meant for grown-ups. It is this very fact that we have tried to highlight in our photographs,” said Mirza Arif, a budding lensman from the college.

Gamliel Sherio, a child rights activist and manager of World Vision of India’s Guwahati Street Children Project (GSCP), lauded the students’ efforts to bring to light the plight of child labourers.

“It is a good sign that more and more people are joining the fight against child labour. Moreover, a powerful medium like photography will definitely help sensitise the masses about the cause,” said Sherio.

The college has invited over 300 children from different schools of the city to take part in the photo exhibition.