The fireworks families of Sivakasi

Sukanti Ghosh
11 November 2012, 12:35 PM IST

Yesterday, my 12-year old and I were talking about what she wanted to do during Diwali…

"I am not going to buy or use fireworks." she said rather emphatically.

"Why not?" I asked quizzical by the steely resolve in her voice.

"We were shown a couple of videos in school last week about how children are forced to work in the fireworks industry in Sivakasi and I have decided that I don't want to have anything to do with this."

After a moment, she continued…

"Do you know that hundreds of these children are maimed for life and even killed as a result of their having to work in fireworks factories? That the children are so hungry that they often end up eating the glue that is used to make the fireworks and match boxes? And that the people running the factories add poison to the glue to ensure that they do not eat the same?"

The rising pitch of her voice gave away the depth of her emotion and the obvious impact the video had made on her.

"How will not buying fireworks help these children?", I asked provocatively. "Won't it make things worse for them? These children are forced to work in the firework factories as their families are poor. They receive a meager salary for the work they do; if we don't buy the fireworks, the companies won't make profits and the people – including these children – won't have jobs or the little money they earn to put food on the table.."

"That may be true…" she said as she tried to understand the economic angle I had suddenly thrown into the argument, "…but that doesn't make what is happening right, does it?"

"No, it doesn't", I had to admit. "But rather than address the obvious manifestation of the issue, you need to identify and address the core of a problem."

"Then, it's settled, my friends and I have decided that we don't want to buy fireworks this year, and if this doesn't help, I want to grow up to become a lawyer or somebody who can ensure that these children are treated properly and not forced to give up their childhood and work in such circumstances."

Despite growing into a trillion dollar economy, India is still blighted by the problem of child labour. "The 2001 national census of India estimated the total number of child labour, aged 5–14, to be at 12.6 million" (Wikipedia). While this is a problem across several pockets in the country, in few places is it as pronounced as in India's fireworks capital. Thousands of children work in or around the 700 legal units and 1200 illegal units that churn out close to Rs 2000cr of fireworks every year for as little as a hundred rupees a week. The reasons: the delicate nature of the work involved is better suited to smaller hands, the severely economically challenged situation of the families who live here, and the fact that child labour is available at half or less than half the wages of an adult. Yet despite of the obvious health hazards involved in handling such toxic chemicals over long periods of time with little or no knowledge of how to safely do so, and the risks involved in working in 'establishments' that have little or no fire safety procedures – 39 'bystanders' were killed in a blaze at Om Sakthi Fireworks Industries recently, a fireworks factory that had had its license revoked the day before the blaze – little has been done to alleviate the plight of these children who are forced to work in Sivakasi.

 

While the efforts of the industry and the authorities to automate procedures, set up better medical facilities and ensure greater compliance to safety regulations are no doubt welcome, the questions remain: how will such measures help the families whose children are forced to work in the matchbox / fireworks industry in Sivakasi fend for themselves and repay the debts that often drive them to this? How will these measures take the children out of these factories and put them into the schools they ideally belong to? And even when they have started going to school, how does one ensure they don't continue to work, albeit informally, in the very same industries before or after school or on weekends as countless studies conducted in Sivakasi have shown they do?

Is the answer in revamping the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 that allows children to work in supporting a family business / cottage industry to put an end to all direct or indirect employment of children in the industry? In organizing and modernizing the fireworks industry in India or banning the manufacture and sale of fireworks completely? In running wide-scale education or awareness campaigns to deter people from buying fireworks that have compromised the position of children? Or in providing the fireworks families of Sivakasi with an alternative vocation to ensure that they no longer feel the need to push their children into the trade? The problem with many of these issues is that there is no simple answer, but till such issues are truly resolved, I am not sure if we can all claim to be all having a bright and prosperous Diwali. Wouldn't you agree?

Credits:

Video: Youtube

Om Sakthi fire: ndtv.com 

Hong Kong New Year: www.wondrouspics.com

 

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