Marching Forward to Stamp Out Child Labour
BHADOHI, INDIA: Despite the efforts of western carpet chain stores and many NGOs, child labour in the Indian carpet industry is still endemic. A determined effort with solid economic underpinning is well under way starting in the rugs and carpets business.
BHADOHI, INDIA (PRWEB) September 14, 2004
Despite the efforts of western carpet chain stores and many NGOs, child labour in the Indian carpet industry is still endemic. A determined effort with solid economic underpinning is well under way starting in the rugs and carpets business.
Carpet and rug-making are an ancient trade that unfortunately took an
Ugly turn during 70s and 80s. There was a great rush of demand for Indain handmade carpets. Orders poured in but there was a production constraint. To exploit this opportunity, loom owners and contractors started employing child labour who were mostly imported from neighbouring states. Their numbers increased to an alarming proportion during 90s.
The practice continues though is somewhat clandestine. These child workers are not only deprived of their basic rights but also develop health problems by sitting hunched on looms for hours often in poor light. In addition, the artificial dyes used caused serious damage to the environment both at the time of production and also at the time of disposal.
While consumers may be shocked at the environmental damage caused and the conditions under which children work to produce certain goods such as rugs and carpets, there are few reasonable alternatives to the rugs and carpets produced by child carpet workers coloured with artificial dyes.
A revolutionary environmentally friendly rug called CloudSEJ is now available which uses all natural inputs and retains the natural colouring of the fiber so that artificial dyes are not needed. The rugs do not need to be washed saving not only massive use of water but also avoiding the use of chemicals that pollute environment. CloudSEJ is made by master craftsmen in villages who are paid generously for their work and no child labour whatsoever is used. The production of CloudSEJ is part of a larger village-centred self-sustaining economic system that is already evolving.
Mr Naseem Ansari took particular exception to the use of child labour and environmentally dangerous materials in rug production. The ennWorld Trust was formed to work towards the elimination of child labour and environmentally unfriendly materials. The first product launched by ennWorld is the CloudSEJ rug.
"What we are doing is launching a viable and excellent rug to compete with the carpetwallas," explained Mr Ansari. The term "carpetwallas" literally means "carpet vendors" but is often used to refer to bosses of carpet production who exploit child labour to the fullest.
EnnWorld has a satellite office in the UK and is headquartered in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India near to the nation's capital of New Delhi.
For more information, and to support ennWorld by ordering CloudSEJ rugs, go to www. enworld. org or email naseem@ennworld. org
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