Yesterday, I briefly touched on a story out of India about new child labor laws coming into effect that now ban young workers in domestic service and the hospitality industry.

I've been turning this issue over in my mind ever since, and a more detailed report today prompts me to write on the topic again.

A call to halt to child labor may seem a typical no-brainer, but in the real world of devastating poverty and cruel circumstance a job for an 8-year-old can mean the difference between life and death, possibly for an entire family.

A knee-jerk response by Western-thinking people confronted by a ten-year-old making up their hotel room, or an obviously pre pre-teen running to get food hot to a table, demands these kids go home, get some rest and go to school, but is simply not a viable option, no matter how much they'd like it to be.

Governments under pressure to present a picture of their world that meets with approval, often make noises about problems in attempts to convey an image of action or progress, but often these are all flash and no substance.

A senior official in the Labour Ministry, SK Srivastava, says, "Children under 14 are vulnerable to physical, mental and even sexual abuse. Their exploitation goes unreported and unnoticed inside the closed confines of homes and food stalls."

Mr Srivastava says anyone found violating the ban will be penalised under the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act of 1986 and punishment can range from a fine to imprisonment.

Let's say this ban actually does work, and they manage to keep kids out of these jobs. Is that a good thing?

According to the ministry, the ban will affect 185,000 children working as domestic help and 70,000 who work in roadside food stalls.

NGO activists say the numbers could be as high as 20 million. They say the numbers are overwhelming and the government is unprepared to deal with the repercussions of the ban.

Gerry Pinto, a specialist in child rights and child protection, has misgivings about how the ban will work: "It will push thousands of children out of the middle-class homes and food stalls, where they have been earning a living and have some sort of shelter, out onto the streets or into prostitution".

What is important to remember is that these children have not dropped from the sky. Many of them have families, and these families have sent these kids to work and expect income from them. "Rescuing" them and sending them home is not a step in any positive direction.

Rita Panicker, director of Delhi-based child right's NGO Butterflies, says ... any move to ban child labour is bound to fail.

"The ban has come without any prior planning for restoration and rehabilitation of children who will be affected. It is ridiculous to think that announcing a ban alone will end child abuse and exploitation," she says.

Ms Panicker says more institutions and short-stay homes are needed where the rescued children can stay before they are returned to their families.

India already has laws in place to protect children and bans the use of young workers in several hazardous industries, but they remain largely ineffective.

Millions of children around the country continue to work in firecracker and matchstick factories or are involved in carpet-weaving, embroidery or stitching footballs.

So, this week the Indian government is paying attention, raiding establishments, handing out fines and parading 'rescued' children before the media.

Next week, most of the kids will be back at work, hungrier and dirtier than they were, and no better off in any way.

I've seen 4-year-olds collecting bits of cardboard from garbage cans in Phnom Penh, 7-year-olds washing glasses behind a bar in Thailand, 6-year-olds sweeping rooms in Indonesia, and every time I could cry. But strip them of their jobs? No way.

Some visitors rant and rave, objecting vociferously to the sight and screaming about exploitation. Many of them will write letters to travel agents or tourist boards of the countries they visit and demand that the situation change.

I suspect the indignation comes more from having to see the reality of these little lives than from any thing else, as it can put quite a damper on a holiday, but no matter what the root their discomfort sometimes translates into changes locally that end up hurting the kids they're so worried about.

If you're ever in such a situation, do what I do ...

I ask myself, "What can I do for this child", and the answer has been to feed them and tip them and buy them clothing and books (which I'm sure they sell on, but that's okay) ... and that is all I can do.

It's not about the big picture, it's about that child.

I have to mention that I love the idea of a Dehli-based child's rights NGO named "Panicker". That's perfect!