ENGLISH PROJECT
On the lesson
LOST SPRING
by Anees Jung
Name : Pragnya Pradeepkumar
Class : XII
Register Number : 20635278
Lesson: The Lost Spring
Author: Anees Jung
About the author
Anees Jung was born in 1964 in Rourkela, Odisha, India. She is an Indian
author, journalist, and columnist for newspapers in India. She was born in into
aristocracy. Her father’s name was Nawab Hosh Yar Jung. Her mother and
brother are also Urdu poets. She completed her education at the Osmania
University in Hyderabad and then she pursued her Master’s degree in
Sociology and American studies at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
(USA), Her most renowned work, ' Unveiling India ' (1987) was a chronicle of
the lives of women in India. It brought to life, the lives of Muslim women
behind the purdah.
Lesson Summary
The story is presented in two parts. In the first part, the writer discusses her
impressions about the life of the rag pickers in Seemapuri. The rag pickers
migrated from Dhaka and have settled here. In Dhaka, they had lands which
could not be cultivated profitably due to the frequent devastating storms and
they have lost their homes too. They are thus forced to come to the big city for
eking out a living . Their poverty is evident. The story is taken forward by a
ragpicker called Saheb . His name is an oxy-moron as Saheb-e-Alam stands for
'master of the universe' and he is so poor in reality. The author watches him
rummaging in the garbage in the neighbourhood in the hopes of finding "gold".
For the adults it is a means of livelihood but for the children it holds wonders.
There is a possibility of finding some silver or gold .The children have desires
but even those are stunted because of their current circumstances. They have no
means of achieving their desires. Even ordinary things like a pair of shoes or a
game of tennis are unimaginable pleasures for them. Despite this dreary
existence , they carry on with their hopes and dreams. Later , when Saheb
begins to work in a tea stall, he earns his own money , a paltry 800 Rs per
month along with all the meals. But he loses his freedom and capacity to dream
as reality seems to strike him.
The second part chronicles the life of a family of bangle makers . The
protagonist of the story is Mukesh who comes from one such family. They live
in Firozabad which is known for its glass blowing and bangle industry. A
staggering 20,000 children are a part of this business and the laws prohibiting
child labour have no place here. The living conditions are suffocating and so is
the work place. Children live in dingy units and work long hours near hot
furnaces. This eventually causes them to have weak eyesight even as they near
adulthood. It is a vicious cycle of debt and no escape. The politicians,
middlemen, administrators and policemen are all involved in this nexus which
perpetuates the cycle. Many have resigned themselves to fate and blaming it to
ingrained traditions. This wilful lethargy keeps them going through their lives
which are devoid of any aspirations and dreams. Mukesh however , in the blush
of youth, dreams of becoming a mechanic. Even his dreams are not grand and
he realistically chooses a profession he could work in.
The lesson 'Lost Spring' describes the condition of poor children who face a bleak
life because of their circumstances. They are deprived of their childhood and have
to bear the burden of supporting their families so early in life. Their parents have
no way of escaping this situation. They are unable to send their children to school
as their income is so low. The children thus receive no education and are forced
to continue the profession that their parents and grandparents have been pursuing.
The little joys of childhood are lost to them and this robs them of their dreams as
well. They work long hours in dismal conditions which results in their poor
mental and physical health. Having no other means of livelihood, when they
become adults and no education to get a better income, they end up forcing their
children into the same profession. Thus the vicious cycle is perpetuated.
The author Anees Jung highlights these issues and draws attention to the pitiable
condition of children who are forced into child labour. She hopes to raise
awareness on this issue and draws our attention to the hope that education holds
for these children. It can help break the cycle. She also points out that strict law
enforcement would be needed to end the exploitation of children and help them
have a normal life. The children can then enjoy the 'Spring' of their lives and
prepare themselves for their future.
Report
Title: Child labour in India
Place: Chennai -17
Date : 29th January, 2022
Report prepared by: Pragnya Pradeepkumar
Roll number : 20635278
Introduction
"No child shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in
any other hazardous, employment."
Article 24, Constitution of India
This is the assurance provided in the Constitution to the children of India, but
the reality on the ground is quite different.
Census data from 2011 reveals that the number of child labourers in India is
10.1 million of which 5.6 million are boys and 4.5 million are girls. The current
scenario is even more bleak. Child labour is prevalent in many forms such as
bonded labour, child soldiers, and trafficking. In India, child labour is utilized in
a number of industries. The majority of the child labourers in India works with
their parents in the agricultural sector. Other industries which employ child
labour include fisheries , mining, brick kilns, matches and crackers industry,
carpet weaving, garment making, domestic service( as full-time maids), carpet-
making, zari-making, brassware, precious stone polishing, leather tannery, bidi-
making, bangle manufacture and food and refreshment services. Besides this,
large numbers are self-employed, selling cigarettes, flowers, fruits etc on the
streets. Children even work as prostitutes or scavenge for and sort garbage. The
maximum exploitation of children as labourers takes place in the unorganised
and informal sector.
Consider the example of the carpet industry in Jammu and Kashmir which
employs nearly 7,000 children aged between 8 and 10. They slog for eight hours
a day to be paid a monthly wage of Rs 80. The working conditions are dismal,
packed into sheds behind giant looms with the air thick with particles of wool
resulting in 60% of these children suffering from asthma and tuberculosis. In
the zari-making and precious stone polishing industries, the malaise is eye
diseases.
The economic exploitation of children in India is extensive and child labour has
imposed a great cost on the economy of India . It is an opportunity lost to
develop the country's human resources.
Conditions enabling child labour
Child labour and exploitation are the result of many factors which include
poverty, social norms, lack of decent work opportunities for adults and
adolescents, migration and emergencies.
In spite of the economic boom in India, more than a third of the population still
lives below the poverty line. Poor areas have not seen any jobs as a result of the
technological innovations and development in the IT sector. Uneducated people
in rural areas have no option but to pull their children out of school and make
them work to make ends meet. So bad is the condition that in many cases,
children are sold by their parents to child traffickers or abandoned. These
vulnerable children are often exploited by traffickers who force the boys and
girls to work for very low wages.
Some reasons quoted by employers are that children work faster, work longer
hours and are more dependable. These industries oppose formation of labour
unions and workers are not allowed to organise themselves. As a result, no
collective bargaining can occur and there is no formal mechanism to improve
the terms and conditions of their work.
Consequences of child labour
Children should study, not work. Child labour deprives children of their right to
go to school and reinforces cycles of poverty across generations. Child labour
acts as a major barrier to education. The persistence of child labour and
exploitation poses a big stumbling block to national economies and has also
severe negative short and long-term consequences for children such
undermining physical and mental health.
Here are some examples of child labour in India.
Child labour in the Fireworks and Matches
industry
The fireworks and matches industry is one of the biggest and most deceptive
employers of child labour. Sivakasi, a town in Tamilnadu, produces firecrackers
worth Rs 6,000 crores every year, this is 90% of the total volume produced in
India. More than 45% of the labour force consists of children. Since child
labour is not shown on the rolls, small manufacturers of both licensed and
unlicensed units maintain low costs and make large profits.
The children, mostly below age 14, work long hours, in dingy conditions. Direct
exposure to chemicals harms their lungs, skin and makes them vulnerable to
long term ailments. Row upon row of children , sometimes upto 250 in number,
sit in long halls which are lit scantily by sunlight streaming through the
windows. Children fill the frames with match sticks under pressure , not looking
up. Even the meagre lunch which they bring from their homes is eaten in silence
while simultaneously filling the frames with their right hands. The children,
most of them from neighbouring villages, work either in small cottage units in
their own villages or are brought into Sivakasi town by organised transport.
Factory owners arrange for their transport which picks them up in the wee hours
of the morning, sometimes as early as 3 am. Parents are paid a salary advance as
low as Rs 200 to commit their children to the job. The children work for about
12 hours in a day with no breaks. Legally, every child has to get a doctor's
certificate allowing him to be employed , but such certificates are easily
obtained. This is all despite The Factories Act, 1948, which stipulates that no
child below the age of 14 can be employed as a worker.
Girls are the majority as they are considered more dextrous. The children
mechanically fill match frames, make matchboxes, paste labels, dye newsprint
with the colour of the crackers, roll gunpowder, and package the final product.
Most of these children have never seen the inside of a school, and childhood
and play are unknown to them. A life with high exposure to chemicals and
noxious fume causes untold health issues.The maximum daily wage is a paltry
single digit number.
The security arrangements are thorough and by the time any visitors make their
way to the inner part of the factory the kids are hidden away or transported to
nearby fields.
Sections 35 and 36 of the Factories Act says that in fireworks factories no
electric wiring should be present, and wooden slippers should be provided to
prevent sparks that might cause explosions. Asbestos overcoats and other safety
items are to be provided. But most of the small match and fireworks units are
not registered under the Factories Act and many don't provide proper facilities
or safety measures. Dozens of small accidents are common every year, but they
are suppressed. Unfortunate bigger accidents are not uncommon and leave
many families devastated. The factory owners persuade the dependents of the
dead to accept lower compensations as the legal route would be circuitous.
The parents' dilemna is a big one. There is no profit in agriculture, but there is
no profit in the match industry either. Unemployment is very high. With debts
mounting, they are left with no recourse but to send their children into this
business. Some say that it could well be a strategy of the Government which is
caught in a nexus , not to develop the area so as to perpetuate the employment
of children.
A recent twist in the tale is the increased pressure on banning fire crackers and
introduction on norms for 'Green Crackers' which has caused a huge fall in
demand and resulted in lots of confusion and unemployment. Fire crackers is
acknowldeged as a sunset industry but for the children who work there , there
seems to be no dawn of a new day.
Child labour in the Garment industry
Census reports have underlined the presence of trafficked children and children
in forced labour in India’s garment sector, working in all areas, in cotton fields,
mills, factories, and small home set ups. Some estimates put the number of
children that work for more than 14 hours a day in sweatshops in and around
Delhi at a staggering 100,000.
In illegal sweatshops in and around Delhi, children work in terrible conditions
in dark rooms for long hours. By the time the children employed in the Zari
sector become adolescents, their fingers and hands are badly damaged and their
eyesight is weak. Their growth is stunted by sitting hunched at the workstations
for years. Child labour has no fixed work hours . There is no trade union to fight
for them, similar to the Fireworks industry. Wages are paltry and one adult
would earn five times the amount a child made for the same work.
The children lose their childhood slaving in inhumane conditions and are
trapped in a cycle of exploitation . Some work as apprentices , having been sold
off by their parents, but are not paid for their work. The children are employed
because their nimble fingers are said to produce better quality embroidery
work , but this theory has been proved false. Some are badly beaten if they don't
work hard enough. The conditions and consequences of child labour in the
Garment industry are very similar to the Fireworks industry.
The nature of employment for child labour in the Garment industry has
changed. Earlier, child labour was prevalent in the garment exporting units.
Tirupur in Tamilnadu is well known for it's garment industry. The pressure from
the international buyers has forced the garment exporters from utilizing child
labour. However most garment exporters sub-contract orders to smaller units,
which do not follow high standards of social responsibility.
Legal provisions
Article 24 of the Constitution states: "No child shall be employed to work in
any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment."
The major laws regarding child labour are the Children (Pledging of Labour)
Act, 1933; the Employment of Children Act, 1938; the Minimum Wages Act,
1948; and the Factories Act, 1948.
The Indian Factories Act provided that the minimum age for employment was
seven years and work time was fixed at nine hours. Article 39 of the Directive
Principles of State Policy states that the tender age of children should not be
abused and citizens should not be forced by economic necessity to enter work
which is unsuited to their age and strength, and that children should be given
opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of
freedom and dignity.
However child labour legislation lacks uniformity The various acts do not
conform to a single agreed minimum age, which differs from Act to Act, state to
state and industry to industry. The contradictions exist in working hours, rest
periods and night-employment rules.
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act enacted in 1986 and
amended in 2016, aims to regulate the employment of children in certain
“hazardous” occupations including handling of toxic or inflammable substances
or explosives, mining, and other hazardous processes.
However, the 1986 Act deals only with the organized sector, which accounts for
only 10 percent of the child labor force. The remaining 90% in the unorganized
urban and rural sectors and family units remain outside of the Act’s regulations.
There are other complications as well.
Recommendations
Child labour is a very complicated issue and is entrenched in the system and
the psyche of the citizens. Eradicating child labour requires commitment
from both the Government and the citizens.Help from NGOs working in this
area is also very important.
Child labour can be prevented through integrated mechanisms that
strengthen child protection systems as well as address poverty and inequity,
improve access to education and galvanize public support for children’s
rights.
The government needs to work in closer collaboration with all parties in the
supply chain: contractors, suppliers, buyers in other countries, trade unions,
NGOs, and the child workers themselves.
Existing laws need to be implemented strictly to deter use of child labour
Stronger outreach must be made to communities to change cultural mindsets
away from accepting child labour
Poverty and inequity which are root causes of child labour need to be
addressed.
Changes in public policy would be needed to empower families to choose
education over child labour.
Access to education is also very important. It will help to break the vicious
cycle of poverty and child labour. As children get themselves more educated,
they can earn and support themselves and their families
Parents could be provided with vocational training courses through which
they can supplement their current income. Thus the family will no longer be
forced to send their children to work to make their ends meet.
Teachers could play a key role to protect children and can alert other
stakeholders such as social workers when children are distressed or look
exhausted indicating long work hours
NGOs could help businesses to assess the supply chains and to find
sustainable options to address business practices that lead to child labour.
The most important factor is the commitment of each citizen to fight child
labour. We should personally not employ child labour and also report
businesses which employ child labour so that stringent action could be taken
In an individual capacity each citizen should never buy a product or use a
service which employs child labour.
Conclusion
The problem of child labour is complex and deeply entrenched in society. But
the country has taken major steps towards development. With an increase in the
per capita income , the upright citizen will be more likely to shun practises like
child labour. The issue of last mile connectivity is also addressed with the
digital boom in the country. Help lines and internet will go a long way in
weeding out the issue of child labour. A firm implementation of the
recommendations will hasten the process of reform. There is long way to go,
but as a nation committed to the next generation we have to go the extra mile to
see this become a reality.
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