11/7/2016 ChildLabour:CaseStudyonSivakasifireworksindustry

6 More NextBlog CreateBlog SignIn

ChildLabour
HS6110ContemporaryIssuesinDevelopmentBlogWriting

Tuesday,19March2013 BlogArchive

2013(3)
CaseStudyonSivakasifireworksindustry March(3)
ChildLabour
CaseStudyonSivakasifireworks
CASESTUDYONCHILDLABOUR: industry
Childlabour
Childlabourisexploitationofunderagechildreninanyforms,
forcingthemtoworkillegallywhichharmsorabusesthem.Thisabuse
maybephysical,mentalorsexualdeprivingthechildren(child Contributors
labourers)oftheirrightofbasiceducation..Accordingtothe
BinduBhargavi
InternationalLabourOrganization(ILO),"childlabouriswherechildren
aredeprivedoftheirchildhoodbecausetheyareforcedtoworklong PREETIKERKETTA
hoursforlittleornomoney,deprivedofeducationandinconditions
RanjithNarayanan
harmfultotheirmentalandphysicaldevelopment.Itispresent
everywherei.e.indeveloped,developingandunderdevelopedworld
thoughratiosdiffer.Asialeadsby61%followedbyAfrica32%.
AccordingtoUNICEF,thereare250millionchildrenagedbetween5
14yearsemployedaschildlabourindevelopingcountriesoutwhich
120millionsworkfulltime.
Amongthedevelopingcountries,Indiahasthehighestnumber
ofchildlaboursundertheageof14yearswhichisapproximately12.6
millions.Childrenareengagedineverysectorofeconomylikematch
stickmaking,fireworks,domesticlabour,construction,carpetmaking
industry,brickkilns,etc.oneoftheplaceswherechildlabouris
experiencedthemostisSivakasiinTamilNadu.
i)CasestudyonSivakasifireworksindustry

CHILDRENAT
FIREWORK
SivakasiisasmallmunicipaltowninRamanathapuramdistrict.
Intheimmediatevicinityofthetownaretwoothermunicipalareas,
ThiruthangalandSattur.Itisfamousforthreetypesofindustries
fireworks,matchsticksandprinting.90%ofIndiasfireworksis
producedhere.Therearenearly450fireworksfactoriesinSivakasi
employingalmost40,000workersdirectlyandabout1lakhindirectly
suchaspapertubemaking,wirecutting,boxmakinginthecountryside.
Duetolackofmodernmachineschildlabourisextensivelyused.
Economicfactorisalsooneofreasonsresponsibleforchildlabour.
Povertyforcesparentstosendtheirchildrentoworkinthese

http://hs6110childlabour.blogspot.in/2013/03/vbehaviorurldefaultvmlo.html 1/4
11/7/2016 ChildLabour:CaseStudyonSivakasifireworksindustry

industries.Employerstakeadvantageoftheireconomicconditionand
forcethemtoworkatlowwages.AccordingtoofficialHarbanSinghs
reportwhichwasconductedin1976,inspiteofworking12hoursa
dayyoungerchildrenaged410earnanaverageofRs.2perday.
TheolderonesgetmaximumofRs.67perday.Accordingtoa
magazinepublishedbyTheHinduinapril29may12,2000,children
earnaroundRs.2030perday.Talkingabouttheworkingconditions,
accordingtosourceschildrenaretakentoindustrieslikeanimalsin
busesfillingalmost150200childreninabus.Andtheyhavetoleave
theirhouseasearlyas3a.m.inthemorningandcomebackat9p.m.
atnight.Thereareagentstomakesurethattheygetupandgofor
work.Somechildrenstayathomeandwork.Eventheyhavetowork
forlonghours.AccordingtoamagazineSumathiage11ofAmmapatti
villagerolls2300paperpipesadayforjustRs.20thoughshehad
beenworkingforayearinafirewoksunit.AlsoChellaiyanage12
workinginafactoryinanaikuttamvillageearnsRs.30though
working12hoursaday.Expectingthemtothinkabouttheirhealth,
educationandpersonalgrowthatthissituationisimpossible.
Educationisnowhereintheirlife.Theyareunabletothink
beyondtheirfood.Itsafactthatchildrenarethefutureofanynation
orcommunity.Ifthisconditionofchildrenprevailswhatcanbe
expectedforacountry.AccordingtoInternationalLabourOrganization
(ILO),ifchildlabourwillbebannedandallchildrengetproper
education,worldstotalincomewouldberaisedbynearly22%over
20years,whichaccountsformorethan$4trillion.Banningchild
labourwillhelpinboostingtheeconomyofacountry.Butthesituation
hereisworse.MostworkingchildreninSivakasihavenotbeentoschool.
Accordingtoasamplesurveyconductedin16factoriescovering4,181
children,3,323(79.48%)areilliterate474children(11.34%)wereeducated
uptoprimaryschoollevel.Dropoutswere384(9.2%).

Healthisveryimportant.Andchildrenworkinginthesefactories
sufferalotduetothehazardousworkingconditions.Alsotheydonthave
enoughtimeandmoneytospendonhealthissues.Fillingtheirstomachis
theirprimegoal.Hencebythetimetheygrowuptheylosetheirhealthand
arenolongerlikeothernormalpeopleoftheirage.AsthmaandTBare
prevalentamong90percentofthemwhoareinvolvedingunpowderfilling
andaredirectlyincontactwiththechemicalingredientsofcrackersand
matches.Theseworkersusuallydonotwearanyprotectiveclothesandtheir
wholeskincanbeseencoveredwiththechemicalssuchassulphur,
aluminiumpowderandgunpowder.SnakeTabletonetypeoffirework,
whichusesnitricacid,causesskindiseases.Workingonthistypeoffirework
isconsideredtobehighlydangerousforworkers.
Theworkchildrendofromtheearlystageoftheirlifecanaffectthem
inseveralways.Thefollowingaresomeoftheaffectsonchildren,positive
ontheleftsideandnegativeontheright.

http://hs6110childlabour.blogspot.in/2013/03/vbehaviorurldefaultvmlo.html 2/4
11/7/2016 ChildLabour:CaseStudyonSivakasifireworksindustry

Hencechildlabourshouldberemovedsoontoensurebasicrightsof
everychild.Ithinderstheirpersonalitydevelopment.
Despitemanylawsframedforthechildrentoprotectthemfromthe
injusticedonetothem,notmuchprogresshasbeenseen.Lawsareonlymade
butpracticallyitisnotbeingfollowed.
Themajordomesticnationallawsinclude:
BondedLabourSystem(Abolition)Act,1976.
Children(PledgingofLabour)Act,1933.
FactoriesAct,1948.
BidiandCigarWorkers(ConditionsofEmployment)Act,1966.
ChildLabour(ProhibitionandRegulation)Act,1986.
InterstateMigrantWorkmen(RegulationofEmploymentand
Conditionsof
Service)Act1979.
ContractLabour(RegulationandAbolition)Act,1970.
MinimumWagesAct,1948.
PlantationLabourAct,1950.
ApprenticesAct,1961.
ShopsandEstablishmentAct,1961.
ShopsandCommercialEstablishmentAct.
TheMoterTransportWorkersAct,1952.
TheMinesAct,1952.
TheMerchantShippingAct,1958.
Themainreasonforthestillexistingchildlabourmaybecorruption.
Alsochildlabourcontributesalotintheeconomyofacountryespeciallyfor
adevelopingandunderdevelopedcountries.Soremovingchildlabouris
reallydifficultinthesecountriesthoughlossisforshortduration.Removal
ofchildlabourensuresgoodfutureeconomy.ManyNGOshavecomeupto
fightforchildlabourandhencethenonsomepositiveprogresshasbeen
seen.ANGOindelhirescuedaround450childrenandhelpedthemin
rehabilliation.Andthenonchildlabourrescueisonfullswing.Butuntil
governmenttakessomerealinitiativeitisnotgoingtoimprove.Hencefor
thegoodfutureofourcountrygovernmenthastoberesponsible.

PostedbyPREETIKERKETTAat21:52
+6 Recommend this on Google

6comments:

AmithaAmbika 19April2013at03:32

http://hs6110childlabour.blogspot.in/2013/03/vbehaviorurldefaultvmlo.html 3/4