Maintenance Resources

Sep 5, 2010

Stop Crackers in this season and help to STOP Child Labour

"In India, more than 80% of total crackers are producing in Shivakashi, a small town of Tamilnadu. Around fifty thousand of children, most of them are girl are working in suffocating work-shade and continuously getting exposed with hazardous chemicals like sulfur, potash, phosphorous, chlorate etc., the children contract deadly infections of lung, skin, kidney and eyes. And all for Rs. 35 per day. A cracker sold in market for Rs.50 has approximate production cost of Rs.5 to Rs. 10."

“Workers eat bananas as a common antidote to guard against constant exposure to chemicals, mainly aluminum. It is interesting to note that most factories offer a Rs 35 per day, banana allowance. “


The more terrible thing is that, in India, As per UNICEF statistics, 17.6 millions child are sacrificing their childhood and earning some bread for their family.

There are strong legislative rules to save their childhood, a lot of NGO's are working on the same issue. But they have their own limits. It is on every people, to reserve the sweet childhood for prevelige children.
I usually saw some rag pickers who search for some waste  material or food in dustbins, few sellers on traffic signals ,a shoe polish boy on bus stand or a family on road to show their road show....mother with a small baby is playing a tune, father is helping the girl who is dangerously walking over a rope without any safety precaution. Sometimes all these things  shake me too much but  I  alone  can solve their  problem for a day by my individual initiative but it will not solve the problem permanently. 'coz they took the responsibility to feed the family and they are the active (sometimes the only) earning member.

Pic. curtsy: Telegraph.uk (Playing with Father's Cobra )

To save their childhood, we need to give them alternate source of surviving, to help them to make  up their poverty first . And we can do it by encouraging elder one to involve in a social self help group and earn for family and  send their children to school for study and taking a perfect initiative to involve female member of the family also to earn.


I know, It is not so easy, I too may be disgusting like many others but if the statics hurts you, please stop wasting money on crackers and donate something to do the same. If all come together then it will not be impossible.