Unseen they suffer, untired they cry.
In
agony they linger, in silence they die!
Glossy eyes but a gloomy future. Life is lackluster. What an agony. Reeling in poverty; yarn and needle are his mates. This is all nine years old - Chottu. Many young boys have lost their childhood in the spanking and splendid shades of zari brocades. The glittering zari
art that has bewitched many now employs the maximum number of
children as labourers. And so the haute couture has earned a dubious distinction. This traditional art has been thriving in the lanes of national capital for centuries. Devoid of education, these children work almost all the day in dingy workshops in inhospitable conditions. On the flip side, the irony is that many artists are struggling for survival. They usually work on merge wages for such an elegant art. As a result, however some are now running tea stalls or looking for other trades for livelihood. Therefore, a sombre shift in work force is obvious. Such newcomers are in. And why not?
child labour is comparatively cheap. They are usually paid not more than Rs.20 a week while a full fledged artist gets Rs.60 per nafri (8hours).These children work on strands as trainees. However, an artist admits- “Young children constitute an important part in this industry, today .They are frequently asked to bring prerequisites for
zari embroidery. And they fetch water twice a day.” Needless to say, that these children get selective abuses at the end of the day. On the pretext of punishment the bosses sometime go violent as a dedicated master trains his pupil. Ironically, this work produces an adverse effect on their physique. Loss of vision due to excessive strain is common. UNICEF had registered a case against few workshop owners but unfortunately the situation has worsened further. However, the National Sample Survey (NSS) in a study revealed that nearly 50 million children under 13 are employed in different trades. Delhi has close to a thousand embroidery workshops while most of the children engaged are from dominated regions of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They are brought in to teach a skilled art with promising future prospects and a rewarding career. Nearly 100 children were rescued in July and 500 in November, 2006 through the occasional drives by Delhi police and Labour Department. Factories Act 1948 and Delhi Shops and Establishment Act 1954 deal with the prohibition of employment of children under 14 in hazardous and unhygienic trades and industries. Moreover, article 309 of the Indian Constitution is amended under the directives from National Human
Rights Commission to safeguard the rights of children. And now a Parliamentary Committee for children is all set to help those in distress, focusing on their education and welfare as well. But for now such agonizing tales go on. For these Chottus Children’s Day or Human Rights Day have nothing to do with it. Abject poverty isn’t alone to blame. The system is equally responsible too. But, these children are yearning to go back to fun and frolic!
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