NATION’S FUTURE IN PURDAH

She comes with a pot of water and a steel plate in her hand, to wash my mother’s feet. Draped in a green sari, which is not well pleated, she carries a long purdah....long enough to cover her face. The sound of her anklets and bangles form an aura. She turns to me after sometime...asking me to keep my feet in the plate so that she could wash it. My refusal to her offer however, offends all my family members. Once she is done with welcoming us, she is called upon by Badi ma to wash the vessels.

Ranjana, who is 13 years old, belongs to Rajbhar community and got married when she was 10. Though she does not know to drape sari, she manages to pleat it anyhow. She got a gold ring from her in laws at the time of her wedding, which she treasures the most cause that is the only gold ornament she has. Her husband, 17, helps his father in farms. For Ranjana, cooking for 8 people at her in law’s place is not a big deal because she has been cooking since she was 8 year old. When asked about getting married earlier, she says that every girl in her village is trained by her parents about how to be a good wife and daughter in law right from the age of 5. She knows the count of 1-20 in Hindi but fails to write the same, though she is done with her 5^th class.  

One of the major causes for such kind of child marriage in state like UP and Rajasthan is the poverty level. Specifically in UP, the father of a 10 year old daughter has the mindset that, older my daughter gets more the dowry I have to give. At the same time, the parents of a son face the same concern of early marriage of their son because once he crosses the age of 30, hardly will anyone come to marry their son and at the same time the amount of dowry decreases that they may demand for. Another reason is that the eagerness of  ladies to get their daughter in laws at their homes as soon as possible, so that these mother in laws can just sit and pass on the orders to their daughter in laws. One of the other reason that is being observed behind why marry your daughter so early is...so that these girls do not involve into any sexual promiscuity.

My native, which falls in the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh is situated beside the river Gomati and happens to be a beautiful place. Falling in one of the remotest area of state, it has been newly known to technological advancements but it seems to be very aloof in terms of social up gradation.  Laws do not work as far as ancient practices are concerned. As mentioned in one of the media theories, people ought to listen to their opinion leaders or their friends and relatives rather than any stranger...become that relative, friend or opinion leader of these villagers in terms of eradicating child marriages.

Posted by- Pandey Kavita

MACJ, PART-I

 

 

 

UNFOLDING THE GALICHA...

 

Creating a masterpiece always costs a great amount to its maker or creator and never to forget even you pay good money to acquire it. Same happens when you buy a Galicha( woollen carpet) in Bhadohi(UP). Each piece (galicha) which usually costs around Rs.10,000, depending on the size, takes around 20-25 days to be made. This is because they are made in hand looms and the creators of these masterpieces are the children aged between 8-12 years who work for up to 10-12 hrs a day.

What this masterpiece asks its creator to sacrifice is not only his right to be educated but also his health. Many of these galicha looms children not only face severe back problems but also suffer from Tuberculosis. On the top of this, the children in the mill do not get more than 100 bugs a day. Sometimes, they do not get the pay itself.

When asked, the owners of these mills say that children do the work better and faster. Adding to it they also state that they (children) are easy to train and are a good labour in less money.

 However, child labour in such looms has been witnessed right from Industrial Revolution, when labours...cheap labours had a great demand. Many believe that child labour in such handlooms do not exist anymore. But the difference is only that in ancient times it was not illegal and today it is illegal, though we find it in many such places.

Another case is that of Naresh, who works in a sari shop in Surat. Previously, he worked in the velvet and cotton processing mill in Sachin and recently left the job to work in the sari shop. Naresh who is 14 yrs old says that he experienced a breathing problem while working in the mill and finds the new job wonderful because here he only has to show saris to the customers and fold them back. Naresh adds that he saves at least Rs. 3,000 a month. Whereas while in Sachin all his money went in medication.

One of the main reasons behind such respiratory and lung diseases is the lint or the wool particles that loiter around in the mills. In addition to this, many of the silk industry which is seasonal conducted a sampling wherein they found that more than 50% of their employees suffered from respiratory problems. However this problem was mainly found in employees working in dusty section, spinning and weaving areas.

The danger that existed at the inception of child labour exists even today. Even today, what is called as hazardous child labour is practiced, not only in India but all over the world, wherein children are forced to work at cotton plants where chemicals, pesticides and germicides are regularly sprayed to control pests.

Right from galicha to the silk saris that wear, there goes something which is very expensive.....which we cannot afford.

Think on it....

Posted by- Pandey Kavita

MACJ, PART-I

PROSTITUTES ????  THEY ARE THE VICTIMS..

A total number of 10,176 children which includes 5,777 girls have gone missing from 2011-13 out of which police got to trace only 8,886. Thus, on an average 3,400 children go missing every year. Needless to say, these children are transported to other states either for the labour or child prostitution.

PIMP in many countries, earn a lot from child prostitution simply because, the customers demand for new girls...a PIMP in Atlanta earns around $33,000 every month...just because they have a chain of migrant children who are forced to have sex several time a night. However, the average life of such child is estimated to be 7 years once she is forced in prostitution. Apart from prostitution these kids are also sold as home maids.

Child sex tourism which is another thing related to the child sexual abuse, has Goa being on the checklist of foreigners seeking boy prostitute.Most of the victims are migrants and hence could be easily lured by giving them a good amount. There are also some cases wherein children took a voluntary action and had no problem getting into the act of prostitution where they earn 5 times more than their usual jobs.

What can be worse than Islamic State’s introduction to sex slavery on 3^rd August, 2104 after which 5,270 Yazidis were abducted out of which 3,144 are still being held. The ISIS militants have opened a slave market where these Yazidi women and children are being sold. However, until and unless they are not bought, these girls and women get transferred from place to place. In one of the report for New York Time, Mauricio Lima, wrote about a 11 year old girl, who used to get raped by her buyer, several times a day causing an infection in her private parts. The buyer would complain saying that the body of his slave smells badly...but he even then would not stop having an intercourse with her. Raping a Yazidi girl, would bring him closer to God and that it is allowed to rape an unbeliever according to Islam, said an Islamic State fighter after raping a 12year old Yazidi girl.

Ruchira Gupta, a Delhi based activist says that of 20 million enslaved people in the world , around million are trafficked into prostitution, organ trade, child marriage, etc. 70% of these people are women. Out of 3 million women trapped in prostitution, 1.4 million are girls. Most of these girls belong to the rural areas who are being brought to metropolitan cities with the promise of getting them job or marriage.

So next time you hear any one calling such kids a prostitute...tell them ....they are the victims....just because they didn’t become what they are by their choice...but were forced into it.

Posted by- Pandey Kavita

MACJ, PART-I