Garwah
district in Jharkhand is steeped in the problem of child labour in the
carpet weaving industry. This region supplies huge number of child labour
to the neighbouring state of UP. There are two kinds of
child labour in this sector, child labour involving the forced migration
of children to UP where they stay and work with their masters, and child
labour whereby children work in the looms in their own villages.
Starting very early in their childhood, these children lead a life of
bondage and slavery. Parents pledge their children for petty loans of
Rs.300 - 500 to the middlemen and the children have to slog at the looms
from early morning to the night hours with very little or no food for
their subsistence. They work in very pathetic conditions in dark and dingy
rooms with no space even for the movement of their legs. The children are
huddled together. Children who migrate and stay with the masters have to
live and work in the same dingy rooms. There have been incidences of
children being chained to the looms so that they don't run away from the
telling and tiring circumstances.
This is the only vocation in vogue in the region as agriculture is scarce
due to droughts and migration of the parents is perennial. Without the
child's earnings the sustenance of the family even to fulfil the bare
minimum of requirements is very difficult.
The children are tuned and trained to work on the looms from as early as 6
years. They are deprived of basic education as the schools in the region
are defunct and because the rigid timings don't give them scope to study.
AID carried out an action research study and survey in the region and
found out that in 3 blocks alone there were atleast 11000 children working
in the carpet weaving industry. It started a holistic program aiming to
provide education, health and awareness among the carpet children and
their parents.
The starting of education centres to tap the creativity of these carpet
children in Garwah region of Bihar has brought forth immense joy and
relief among the carpet children who otherwise were resigned
to their destiny and fate.
The major part of the child labourer's day is spent weaving carpets and
apart from this they have no other means of entertainment. The education
centres are now filling the gaps by providing basic
education, recreation and health among 2020 carpet children in 40
villages. They are now able to read and write and, most importantly,
analyse the reasons for their present situation.
Another positive fallout of the education centre is the reduction in the
amount of time that the children must work. Due to this centre they are at
least now able to spare 3 hours which otherwise would be
spent weaving carpets.
Education is becoming a tool to organise all carpet children to speak out
for their rights. For the first time all the carpet working children in
the region have formed the umbrella organisation "Carpet weaving
children liberation force" which is a children's parliament working
for their basic rights, better working conditions and increased wages.
The project created ripples of change in the area. Previously the local
people never considered engaging their children as a problem. The work of
the project contributed to raised awareness and
increased cocnerns against child labour. The matter has also drawn the
attention of the government and have enquired into the matter. The project
also mobilised and engaged many supporters to work
against child labour.
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