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

Bonded child labour in the synthetic gem polishing industry of Trichy
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polishing industry in Trichy and Pudukottai Districts used to retain labour, pay exploitive wages
and enhance profits.
The study revealed also that there was among gem stone manufacturing units a competition for
skilled labour and this was accomplished by increasing the loan (debt). Workers who made better
quality stones and finished more stones per day got a higher loan, but their wage was also reduced
more. The loan was the crucial factor in determining wages. The majority of the workers could
not escape the debt bondage and were forced to send their children also. Since no other forms of
non-agricultural activities had established themselves in the areas and as most of the children got
drawn into gem polishing as they grew up, they were consequently deprived of the chance of
seeking jobs elsewhere. Even worse, the debt of the parents was transferred to the child worker
who automatically was a bonded labourer for the rest of his or her life.
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7.2 Results and discussions of field visits: working conditions of bonded child
labour in Trichy
The chapter on child labour in the synthetic gem industry in Trichy is limited because the focus of
the present study on child labour in the gem polishing industry in India has been on Jaipur in
Rajasthan. Though only a few manufacturing units were visited in Trichy and in villages around
Trichy, the problems of children who work in the industry were apparent, their economic exploitation
as bonded labourers, their inhuman work conditions and health hazards tell their own
story. The Trichy Gem Park in Trichy had been visited and an interview was held with the
director.
7.2.1 Trichy Gem Park
For the visit to the Trichy Gem Park (TGP) a translator had been contracted. At present the
managing director is Mr. A. Sharma. The TGP was established in 1990 by the Tamil Nadu
Government (1989-1991) and the Diamond & Gem Development Corporation. The main activities
of the TGP at that time were providing training, guidance in arranging finance, supply of
machinery, raw materials and consumables, marketing assistance for selling finished goods and,
after-sales service. TGP provided jobs to many local people in an environment where the infrastructure
was already available. Semi-motorized machines were introduced and sold to the local
people. The training period for the semi-motorized gem polishing machine is 3 to 9 months and it
produces gem stones of a higher quality which can now be exported. The training on the traditional
polishing machines lasts 3 to 8 years and depends on the skills, talents and strength of the
artisan. The operation of the traditional polishing machines, both hand and foot-driven, requires
great physical strength of the artisan. Thus the supply of semi-motorized gem polishing machines
has considerably reduced the training period, which means that everyone can quickly grasp the
skills.
With the change of the government of Tamil Nadu in 1991, TGP was bought by Scientific
Diamonds Ltd., a private company based in Bombay. 'The new Government of Tamil Nadu