Mysuru Dasara child labour and begging cases have led to the rescue of 20 minors by special teams formed by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), while concerns remain over the safety of migrant women and children working around the festival.
The teams were created to make the annual Dasara celebrations child-friendly and carried out checks in different parts of Mysuru city. According to officials, the rescued children included child labourers, children found begging and minors selling items on roads during the ongoing festival.
Mahadeva Kote, a CWC member, said three child labourers were rescued from different workplaces, including a hotel. Other children were found begging or selling goods on roads attracting Dasara visitors. One minor student from Haveri was rescued while selling groundnuts after travelling to Mysuru with his brother on the pretext of watching the festival, Kote said.
Officials said children involved in such activities had come from northern Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The accounts point to the movement of families and children into the city during a major public event, when large crowds and increased commercial activity create opportunities for roadside selling and begging.
Kote said the teams had observed a decline in the number of children involved in begging and roadside sales compared with previous years, attributing the reduction to increased awareness initiatives. He said the authorities would continue awareness activities until the conclusion of Dasara.
In one case, a street vendor’s family from Haveri placed three girls in the custody of a girls’ home until the end of the festival because of fears of official action, authorities said. Kote said the children would remain safe in the institution’s care during this period.
The rescue operations also brought attention to the conditions faced by young migrant women sellers working around the celebrations. Residents have reported seeing women staying overnight in unsecured tents and buildings while continuing to sell goods during Dasara.
Suma Hegade, an activist from Mysuru, said Dasara authorities should address the issue and provide temporary shelters for the women. She said the government should take note of their living conditions while spending on the festival.
The CWC and DCPU have not disclosed the identities of the rescued children or detailed the rehabilitation and family-reunification process in the report. Their awareness drives and monitoring operations are set to continue through the remainder of the Dasara celebrations.
