Misery of India's child sari weavers

Mandsaur · Aug 29th, 2005, 22:03

From BBC News:

Ten-year-old Divya sits in a low-roofed hut hunched over a six feet high and six feet wide pit loom. She has to ensure that the threads are ready for the weaver to make an intricate design on a green silk sari.

"I have been working for the last three years. I do not want to do this. I want to go to school but my parents have borrowed 5000 rupees ($111) from the loom owner. I have to work."

Full story.

crvlvr · Aug 30th, 2005, 02:44

Quote:

There are plenty of laws in India to protect small children.

Quote:

INDIAN LAWS ON CHILD LABOUR
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
Child (Pledging of Labour) Act, 1933
Bonded Labour System Abolition Act of 1976
Tamil Nadu Handloom Workers Act of 1981

Child/bonded labor in india is illegal. In many sich "cottage industries" where parents are allowed to take work home and get paid based on amoutn of work completed, children work to help parents out. Most of these families cannot survive unless everyone contributes. Even the US has their fair share of adolscent farmworkers (http://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/frmw...htm#P268_31062)

shanthi · Aug 30th, 2005, 17:08

It may be illegal - but sadly that doesn't count for much. This sort of exploitation is all over India and is on too grand a scale to be controlled. I don't believe, in my heart, that it will ever end. All the time there's such abject poverty this condition will remain.

crvlvr · Aug 31st, 2005, 00:12

Quote:

This sort of exploitation is all over India and is on too grand a scale to be controlled.

Most of the child labor in india is either voluntary or if forced, forced by the parents. So if the parents want to "exploit" their children...

Here is a statement from the Indian Embassy's site:

Quote:

Child labor in India is a socioeconomic phenomenon arising essentially out of poverty and lack of development. There is certainly no intention whatsoever to use Indian children as a source of cheap labor. Intensive measures are being undertaken to eliminate child labor in India. Action by others who would like to see the achievement of that larger goal should be supportive of the positive steps India is taking – which are in the same direction and have the same goal.

The overwhelming majority of working children in India are rural children in the unorganized, agricultural and allied sectors (the traditional sectors of the Indian economy that often provides employment for all members of a family). They work primarily due to socio-economic factors and do so alongside and under the supervision of their parents/guardians. They do not fall in the category of “forced or indentured” child labor. Every working child cannot be regarded as a forced or indentured child laborer. The distinction between children working in a family setting and “forced or indentured” child laborers must constantly be kept in sight.

http://www.indianembassy.org/policy/...labor_2000.htm

Why is India suuch a poor country? Well that's is another discussion..

Mandsaur · Aug 31st, 2005, 02:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by crvlvr

Most of the child labor in india is either voluntary or if forced, forced by the parents. So if the parents want to "exploit" their children...

I don't think ANY child labor could be defined as voluntary. If the parent wants or needs their children to work, they work.

I also think there's a huge difference between children who work on their parent's farms or households vs. children who work as slave labor as the original article describes. Yes both situations result from poverty, and it's true that MOST child labor in India is the former, but it's the child SLAVE labor situation that needs addressing. And for this I think the blame for this lies mainly with the employer, who is exploiting not only the children for the cheap labor but also the desperate parents who believe they have no other options.

BabeInTheWoods · Sep 15th, 2005, 15:15

As morally objectionable as child labour is, it's still better than starving children.

kiranlal · Sep 15th, 2005, 15:50

can we make list of Product using the child labour , so that we can avoid them or warn people not to buy them

Aug 29th, 2005, 22:03	#1
Mandsaur Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: New York, NY Posts: 140	Misery of India's child sari weavers From BBC News: Ten-year-old Divya sits in a low-roofed hut hunched over a six feet high and six feet wide pit loom. She has to ensure that the threads are ready for the weaver to make an intricate design on a green silk sari. "I have been working for the last three years. I do not want to do this. I want to go to school but my parents have borrowed 5000 rupees ($111) from the loom owner. I have to work." Full story. Last edited by indiamike : Aug 31st, 2005 at 07:04. Reason: fix font

Sep 15th, 2005, 15:15	#6
BabeInTheWoods Hedonist Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Zealand Posts: 222	As morally objectionable as child labour is, it's still better than starving children. __________________ My Journal: http://www.indiamike.com/india/journ...howjournal&j=6 My Photos: http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/m...8255&protype=1

Sep 15th, 2005, 15:50	#7
kiranlal The only one of its kind Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Mumbai,Trivandrum,Kerala,India Posts: 519	can we do some thing can we make list of Product using the child labour , so that we can avoid them or warn people not to buy them

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Julundhar with a child	cp5	Punjab & Haryana	5	Oct 14th, 2005 09:02
sari painting in Jaipur?	Mirjam	Jaipur	1	May 8th, 2005 03:46
Traveling with child	cp5	Punjab & Haryana	4	Feb 23rd, 2005 11:57
Where to find sari blouse pattern?	torryquine	Chai and Chat	2	Jan 21st, 2005 18:52
How not to wear a sari	Samsara	Chai and Chat	14	Jul 22nd, 2004 04:01

Aug 30th, 2005, 17:08	#3
shanthi Account closed on user's request Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: South India Posts: 785	It may be illegal - but sadly that doesn't count for much. This sort of exploitation is all over India and is on too grand a scale to be controlled. I don't believe, in my heart, that it will ever end. All the time there's such abject poverty this condition will remain.

User Name		Remember Me?
Password