Vol. XVI Issue 2 April - June 2012 2012 Documentation ... - Nipccd

the magnitude of child labour was slightly lower in Maharashtra, except in
tomato farms; children under the age of 14 years accounted for 16 per cent of
the total work force; the number of child labourers was higher in sweet pepper
farms 17.7 per cent and lower in brinjal farms 13.6 per cent; of the total 220
persons found working during field visits to 20 sample farms of sweet pepper,
39 were children under 14 years old; children in the age group of 15-18
accounted for 30.9 per cent of the total work force; girls accounted for more
than 60 per cent of the total of children in all the crops; in Gujarat children under
the age of 14 years accounted for 17.3 per cent of the total work force which
was similar to Maharashtra; children under the age of 15 to 18 years accounted
for 29.6 per cent the average number of children below 14 years per acre was
3.4 persons and on average 58 persons per acre were workers in the 15-18
years age group; the gender composition of working children indicated that girls
out numbered boys, girls accounted for 61.8 per cent of children below 14
years and 67.2 per cent among the 15-18 years age group; a total of 152, 369
children, out of which 59, 417 (39%) were below 14 years and 61 per cent were
in the 15-18 years age group, were employed in tomato, hot and sweet pepper,
brinjal and okra seed plots in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat states which
account for nearly 95 per cent of the total production area in the country; the
existing employment practices in vegetable seed farms result in denial of right to
education, health and safety by employing them on the farms on long-term
contract basis, making them to work long hours and exposing them to
poisonous pesticides that are applied in higher quantities on the plants.
Conclusion: The current initiatives undertaken by the companies were largely
confined to organizing awareness and motivational meetings for seed
organizers and farmers against the practices of employing children; such
measures are in some ways very significant as a beginning step to address the
problem of child labour but certainly not sufficient to completely tackle the
problem; several companies were not paying any serious attention to the issue.
Unless all the major seed companies come forward and make serious
interventions it is difficult to address the problem of child labour at an industry
level.
Key Words : 1.CHILD LABOUR 2.EXPLOITATION 3.VIOLATION OF CHILD
RIGHTS 4.CHILD PROTECTION 5.NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR PROJECT
6.EDUCATION 7.ELIMINATION OF CHILD LABOUR 8.ADOLESCENTS
9.VEGETABLE SEED PRODUCTION 10.MAGNITUDE OF CHILD LABOUR
11.WORKING CONDITIONS OF CHILDREN 12.KARNATAKA
13.MAHARASHTRA 14.GUJARAT.
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DCWC Research Bulletin Vol. XVI April - June 2012