For export- embroidered bags, shoes made by children
5 February 2008 – Little would women buying from high-end fashion streets and expensive showrooms and shops in India and abroad realise that the fancy bangles, shoes, belts and those eye-catching wallets are made by the injured and tiny hands of little trafficked and enslaved children. Today 82 such children were rescued in two different raids jointly conducted by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) in association with Sub-Divisional Magistrates, State labour department and police.
62 of them were working in lac factories in LNJP colony in the Daryaganj police station premises making various items like photo and mirror frames with small bangle pieces, lac embroidered heels for sandals, bangles and other fancy items. They were from Katihar district of Bihar. Their usual day started in the morning at 10 and they would continue to work well into the mid-night until 2AM. The rest were engaged in zari embroidery and ball bearing units in Lahori Gate. They hailed from Motihari district of Bihar and Bijnour district of Uttar Pradesh. None of the children was paid anything. These children were trafficked from their villages by the agents and employers after luring their parents with money as little as Rs 1000-Rs 3000. As against this money, these children were sent to work by their parents. Makhdum’s bright, large eyes peer at you, when he says- “Salim (the employer) paid my father a little extra money (Rs 3000 in all) as my mother was ill. Now, I am working here to pay that money off. Most of the children had been working for the past 3 months to 3 years.
Spread in a large slum area with very narrow lanes, conducting this raid was a logistical nightmare. Many homes where children worked on the higher floors did not even have proper stairs. 12 year old Tayyab said that they slept in the same room as they worked in. They also ate in the same room. “Each room had 8-10 children in it. The children were bare foot and did not even have any warm clothing to protect them from the harsh winter.
“Scattered and tiny operations like these are not a complete solution to stem the fast growing influx of poor and helpless children in the Capital’s labour market. Until and unless the administration takes the bold initiative in launching rigorous and widespread combing operations and takes punitive action against the agents, employers and accompaniments, this menace will continue.” says Kailash Satyarthi, the renowned child rights activist who accompanied the raid team.
The SDM Daryaganj, Mr. N K Sharma said - “All children would be provided with rehabilitation under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, under which, they are entitled to a rehabilitation package of Rs 20000 and the provision to benefit from Government schemes like housing on a priority basis, besides enrolment in NCLP school of all these children.
”The chairperson of BBA, R.S. Chaurasia and senior leaders including the organisations National Secretaries, Rakesh Senger and Bhuwan Ribhu led the operations.
