86 Adult <strong>labour</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>garment</strong> <strong>export</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustry <strong>of</strong> Bangalore ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
II-B THE GEM POLISHING EXPORT INDUSTRY OF INDIA: JAIPUR AND TRICHY Name: Sadiq Sex: Boy Age: 11 years Job: Polish<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> emerald stones on a power driven mach<strong>in</strong>e. Work<strong>in</strong>g s<strong>in</strong>ce: Started work<strong>in</strong>g at <strong>the</strong> age <strong>of</strong> 8 years <strong>in</strong> a <strong>gem</strong> polish<strong>in</strong>g unit <strong>in</strong> Jaipur, Rajasthan, <strong>India</strong>. Work<strong>in</strong>g hours: 8 hours per day, no work on Fridays due to Muslim belief. Wage: In <strong>the</strong> first year he earned Rs 50 (= Dfl 2.50) per month, now he earns Rs 100 per month Reason <strong>of</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g: Fa<strong>the</strong>r wants that Sadiq does not waste his time <strong>and</strong> wants him <strong>the</strong>refore to work. Education: None (i.e. illiterate), gets moral education out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Koran at home. Occupational health problems: Pa<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> back because <strong>of</strong> long hours sitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> same position <strong>and</strong> also because <strong>of</strong> beat<strong>in</strong>g by employer, pa<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> eyes, pa<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> f<strong>in</strong>gers due to polish<strong>in</strong>g. Religion: Muslim. Introduction Coloured <strong>gem</strong> stones can ei<strong>the</strong>r be precious (natural), semi-precious or syn<strong>the</strong>tic. Precious stones are diamond, emerald, sapphire <strong>and</strong> ruby. Semi precious stones <strong>in</strong>clude, amongst o<strong>the</strong>rs, lapis lazuli, turquoise, onyx, amethyst <strong>and</strong> topaz. Syn<strong>the</strong>tic <strong>gem</strong> stones are usually imitations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> above mentioned <strong>gem</strong> stones. <strong>India</strong> 113 controls 95% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> processed <strong>and</strong> <strong>export</strong>ed emeralds <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> world market, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> same percentage for diamonds up to one carat. Fur<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>India</strong> controls 85% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> manufactur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> <strong>export</strong> <strong>of</strong> ruby <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> world market, <strong>and</strong> 65% <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> sapphire. The emeralds which <strong>India</strong> <strong>export</strong>s, however, are <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lowest quality 114 . Gems <strong>and</strong> jewellery are <strong>the</strong> biggest <strong>export</strong> earners for <strong>India</strong> <strong>and</strong> thus <strong>of</strong> vital importance for solv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> debt problems <strong>of</strong> <strong>India</strong>. The categories which fall under <strong>the</strong> head<strong>in</strong>g 'Gems <strong>and</strong> Jewellery', with percentages <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir share <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> total <strong>export</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>gem</strong> <strong>and</strong> jewellery, are: diamonds (86.0%), gold jewellery (10,4%), coloured <strong>gem</strong> stones (3.0%), pearls (0,1%), non-gold jewellery (0,2%), syn<strong>the</strong>tic stones (0,01%), costume fashion/jewellery (0,1%), <strong>and</strong> sales to foreign tourists (0,1%) as can be seen <strong>in</strong> table 3. In 1994-95, <strong>the</strong> <strong>gem</strong> & jewellery <strong>in</strong>dustry earned US$ 4674.68 113 Statements made by a <strong>gem</strong> <strong>and</strong> jewellery <strong>export</strong>er from Jaipur, Rajasthan, The Gem Palace, 1996 <strong>in</strong> Jaipur. '<strong>India</strong> holds <strong>the</strong> fourth position with respect to <strong>export</strong> <strong>of</strong> emeralds <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> fifth position <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>export</strong> <strong>of</strong> rubies <strong>and</strong> sapphires' (Neera Burra, In: Economic <strong>and</strong> Political Weekly, January 23, 1988, p. 136). 114 Neera Burra, Exploitation <strong>of</strong> <strong>Child</strong>ren <strong>in</strong> Jaipur Gem Industry, II: Health Hazards <strong>of</strong> Gem Polish<strong>in</strong>g. In: Economic <strong>and</strong> Political Weekly, January 23, 1988, p. 136.