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

Child and adult labour in the gem polishing export industry of Jaipur
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
any payments. Now he received Rs 500 per month. Riayaz polished emeralds, but he was even
too young to understand what stone he polished. His finger and his back were aching, he said,
because he had to sit in one position for hours. In his unit 2 more children worked.
His parents sent him to work. They needed the income. His father was a sweet-seller. Riayaz'
family consisted of 10 family members. His parents were illiterate. His elder brother had
education up to the 6th standard. Riayaz said he also wanted to go to school because that would
give him a better job later in life. Society would respect him more, he said. He wanted to become
a judge later in life to eradicate corruption.
He would not send his children to work when he would be a father himself. He did not want his
children to do the same work as he did, and to become like him. Riayaz's friends went to school
and asked him many times why he did not go. At that moment in the interview, he looked down
and said that his father did not like him to go to school.
Case 11: Sadiq
Sadiq is 11 years old, and had been working for 3 years. When he started working he earned Rs
50 per month now he earned Rs 100 per month. The owner of the gem polishing unit was not a
relative. He often beaten him. When he broke a stone or when he arrived too late the owner beat
him on the back. His father did not mind the beating because his son made a mistake.
Sadiq's family consisted of 11 members. His sister did the job of 'bindai' (i.e. drilling holes in
stones). She earned Rs 200 per month. She is 15 years of age and had been working for 3 to 4
years. Two other brothers worked as automobile mechanics and earned Rs 200 and Rs 300 per
month respectively. Sadiq's father was a tailor. His father had no money, which was the reason
why he sent Sadiq to work.
Sadiq wanted to become a doctor and he knew that if he did not go to school he would never
become a doctor and give treatment to patients. He hoped his father would send him to school
one day.
Case 12: Zazmah (girl child)
Zazmah is 14 years of age and started working at the age of 10. A few years ago her father had
died. Her job was cutting the 'golden stone', a semi-precious stone of which she was able to cut
1000 stones per day. She also did shaping and polishing. She cut the stones by hand with the
hammer. Sometimes her fingers got cut by the rotating disc (vertical cutting machine). It was still
possible to see the marks on her fingers. (The 'golden stone' is used in rings, earrings, buttons,
necklaces, etc.). The stones she processed were exported.
The finished stones were collected from her house by a middleman who also delivered the rough
stones to her house. When the stones were collected regularly, or the roughs taken to her house
regularly, the girl was able to earn Rs 40 per day. But the amount was often less due to inconsistency
of the trade. Sometimes she worked 15 days per month and then again 30 days in a month.
It depended on the trader/agent who delivered her roughs. The trader had cheated the family many
times. For example, the price was Rs 80 per kg but the trader/employer paid Rs 60 per kg. He
133