coimbatore when the world day against child labour is observed every year on june 12 38yearold rumesh revisits his childhood when he was forced to work to earn bread for his familyrumesh was a class iv dropout when he migrated from salem in 2001 to work in a button shop in coimbatore for a measly sum he says luck was on his side when volunteers of the national child labour project nclp enrolled him in the special training centre stc to resume his studiesat stc i was taught class v syllabus the coaching at the centre was entirely different compared to that of a school after class v i was enrolled in a regular school after passing sslc i earned a diploma in textile technology rumesh told toi he now works for a textile unit in coimbatore as a quality controllern naveenkumar of coimbatore had to give up his dreams to pursue higher studies when he was a class v student he was forced to sell idlis on the streets that his mother made in 2008 i was mainstreamed into education by enrolling in an stc resuming studies became hasslefree as i was able to complete class vii and later earned a bsc in mathematics i am now a final year msc applied mathematics with computer application student at bharathiar university the 25yearold man said i am looking forward to a successful career in the it sectora ruby of pillayarpuram also worked hard as a child labourer the 33yearold woman teaches rescued child labourers and is the mother of a sevenyearold boy the union government has subsumed nclp under samagra shiksha abhiyan ssa this decision must be nullified and the scheme must be continued to eradicate child labour she saidnclp volunteers had rescued several children from mills bakeries restaurants and industrial units a senior district administration official said they were given a stipend to resume education data from the district enforcement drive shows that 14 five and 16 child labourers were rescued in 201920 202021 and 202122 respectivelyon sunday coimbatore collector g s sameeran took part in a bicycle rally to mark the day the punishment for employing children is a fine between 20000 and 50000 he said