Child-and-adult-labour-in-the-export-oriented-garment-and-gem-polishing-industry-of-India

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Child and adult labour in the gem polishing export industry of Jaipur
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One of his brothers also attended the Special School and the other one worked also, joining the
stones to a stick in a gem polishing unit.
After working hours Irfan regularly had to go to the market with his mother, or had to go to the
mosque. In the mosque he got moral education from the koran. There he was taught things like:
'You should not steel', 'you should obey to elder persons' and 'you should speak the truth'.
But now, after intervention of the team of the Special Schools, his parents thought that child
labour was not good. They said that education was much better and made you a good person later
in life. Although Irfan liked the work first, as there was always music and he received money for
his parents, he felt now much better with getting education. The school was more comfortable.
The environment was good in the school and he could listen to good stories and lessons. Later in
life, Irfan liked to become a doctor and wanted to give treatment to poor people.
Case 2: Sabir
Sabir is a boy of 9 years of age. He migrated with his family from Bihar to Jaipur. Though still
very young he could tell the story very thoroughly why they had left Bihar. His father had a piece
of agricultural land. And one day there came a flood and all the crops were useless. Because of
this his father became very poor and had no other job. So the family migrated to Jaipur because
one uncle lived there. Sabir's father had become a rickshaw driver (i.e. Indian taxi driver) and
earned around Rs 20 to Rs 40 per day.
So Sabir had to work for his uncle in his gem polishing unit. He said that he had to cut and polish
onyx stones (semi-precious) during one year on a 'ghat' machine driven by hand. He started in the
morning at 10 a.m. and stopped at 5 p.m. There was always a break of 30 minutes. Friday is a free
day. In Sabir's unit there worked 9 other children. Sabir said that during the work his finger
sometimes got injured against the rotating disc.
After working hours, just as now after school hours, Sabir helped his mother or helped his sisters
with their work. He also liked to play with his youngest sister inside the house. The family consisted
of 7 members. Sabir's three sisters were all illiterate and did embroidery work inside the
home with which they earned Rs 20 to Rs 30 per day per person.
Sabir liked working because his uncle treated him nicely and showed him affection. His uncle
gave him Rs 1 per day and the money Sabir had to give to his father. His mother did not like
Sabir working and wanted to give him education. She came to know about the Special School
which was free of cost and a stipend of Rs 75 was given per month. So finally she sent him to this
school. That was cheaper for the family.
Sabir liked education now much better than the work. He learned Urdu, reading, writing but also
things like cooperation and discipline. Sabir wanted to become a police man to catch thieves and
to save the nation.
Case 3: Sabina (girl child)
Sabina is a Muslim girl and started working at the age of 5. For five years she had polished gem