By Chandni Tandon | Bal Ashram staffer
Rescued child bonded labourers allege that they work for top jewelers in the capital
22 May 2007, New Delhi: Delhi's top jewelery brands are now under question for flourishing their business through employing children in slavery like conditions. The shine of their gold ornaments in the market counters belies the dark story of sweat and blood of thousands of children working to make them.
93 bonded children were rescued by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), of Karol Bagh area along with Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) activists, Labour Department and police. Children are now exposing these facts of who they worked for. They allege that they work for Krishna Jewellers, P.P. Jewellers, P.C Jewellers, Gandhi Jewellers, N.C. Jewellers, Cycle Jewellers and Champa Jewellers (list attached). Children have been rescued but the contractors and employers are still Scot free. "Until and unless the entire nexus of traffickers, middlemen, contractors and the principal employer i.e. the big brands are brought to book by the law, the inhuman practice of bondage and child labour cannot be stopped. There are at least 3000 children working in these horrifying conditions in Karol Bagh." alleged Kailash Satyarthi, the founder of BBA who lead his rescue team last Saturday, 19 May 2007.
12 year old Saurabh had been working for absolutely no wages for the past two years. Ask about his scars and he says- "I was burnt with acid on lips and arms as I didn't work as per the owner's expectations. I stopped telling anybody or crying, because, if I did, I would get beaten more. I am happy to be free now." Similar is the story with Rahim, Sukumar and Sahibuddin. None of them had seen their parents or family members for a long time. They were beaten up badly with sticks, iron rods and sharp objects. The elder children were even forced to take drugs. Ask Sahib and Rahim whether they are happy and they are all smiles- yes, we want to go home and go to school." Most of these children were trafficked from West Bengal.
"Children are living and working in appalling conditions in the Raigarpura and Beidanpura areas in Karol Bagh. They work in small rooms in 5 storeyed buildings. Each room has 8-10 people and more than half of the workers are children. They eat and sleep in the same room in which they use dangerous chemicals like lead used for making gold ornaments and gold polishing." said R.S.Chaurasia, the Chairperson of BBA.
Children are now at the Mukti Ashram, and their medical examination and other formalities would be completed soon. They will be given a release certificate under Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act, 1976 by the magistrate and will be repatriated to their home state. According to the law, each child is entitled for the rehabilitation benefit under a special scheme where the children have to be enrolled in school and their parents would be given at least Rs. 20,000 worth earning assets.
Mr. Satyarthi said that BBA has written a letter to the jewelers mentioned above as well as to their Union. The letter asks them to prepare a code of conduct, monitoring system to assure that their gold is free from the stain of child labour. He added – "if proper action is not taken, we will launch a consumer's campaign to demand a certification for child labour free jewelery." He also called upon that the government and BBA should form a task team and conduct repeated raids in this area to make the industry child labour free.
Click the links below to see news coverage of the rescue.
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