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

II-B THE GEM POLISHING EXPORT INDUSTRY OF INDIA:
JAIPUR AND TRICHY
Name: Sadiq
Sex: Boy
Age: 11 years
Job: Polishing of emerald stones on a power driven machine.
Working since: Started working at the age of 8 years in a gem polishing unit in Jaipur,
Rajasthan, India.
Working hours: 8 hours per day, no work on Fridays due to Muslim belief.
Wage: In the first year he earned Rs 50 (= Dfl 2.50) per month, now he earns Rs 100
per month
Reason of working: Father wants that Sadiq does not waste his time and wants him
therefore to work.
Education: None (i.e. illiterate), gets moral education out of the Koran at home.
Occupational health problems: Pain in the back because of long hours sitting in the
same position and also because of beating by employer, pain in the eyes, pain in
fingers due to polishing.
Religion: Muslim.
Introduction
Coloured gem stones can either be precious (natural), semi-precious or synthetic. Precious stones
are diamond, emerald, sapphire and ruby. Semi precious stones include, amongst others, lapis lazuli,
turquoise, onyx, amethyst and topaz. Synthetic gem stones are usually imitations of the
above mentioned gem stones. India 113 controls 95% of the processed and exported emeralds in
the world market, and the same percentage for diamonds up to one carat. Further, India controls
85% of the manufacturing and export of ruby in the world market, and 65% in the case of
sapphire. The emeralds which India exports, however, are of the lowest quality 114 .
Gems and jewellery are the biggest export earners for India and thus of vital importance for
solving the debt problems of India. The categories which fall under the heading 'Gems and
Jewellery', with percentages of their share in the total export of gem and jewellery, are: diamonds
(86.0%), gold jewellery (10,4%), coloured gem stones (3.0%), pearls (0,1%), non-gold jewellery
(0,2%), synthetic stones (0,01%), costume fashion/jewellery (0,1%), and sales to foreign tourists
(0,1%) as can be seen in table 3. In 1994-95, the gem & jewellery industry earned US$ 4674.68
113 Statements made by a gem and jewellery exporter from Jaipur, Rajasthan, The Gem Palace, 1996 in Jaipur.
'India holds the fourth position with respect to export of emeralds and the fifth position in the export of rubies and sapphires' (Neera Burra, In:
Economic and Political Weekly, January 23, 1988, p. 136).
114 Neera Burra, Exploitation of Children in Jaipur Gem Industry, II: Health Hazards of Gem Polishing. In: Economic and Political Weekly,
January 23, 1988, p. 136.