Only 10 to 16yrs old girl children
Butterflies,
But , they know how to assemble
Match sticks and boxes fast

All their childhood,
They are earning
For, their family and for them
Girl child .. labours

Whom to blame?
The government,
The parents
Or the employers?

Their hands works fast
Their eyes drifting outside
To see the young girls
Who are playing and enjoying

The simple luxuries Like
Play . talk school .. simply a dream
.. they are exhausted
not because of playing

b’coz of continuous work
Still long way to go
However, dreaming .
 in most cases, they could possibly do

This is a regular scenario in small towns and adjoining villages, where the matchbox industries exist. These companies’ supplies raw materials to homes and these children and the women do the work. Its generally depends on women and girl children only . low-priced labour charges and women work hard. I am not complaining about parents, but their economic status is very low, that they ready to place their girl child in these kinds of work.

But, parents invariably try to forget that their girls too have dreams .

Government comes up with many laws for abolishing child labour, but people are not aware of it . Most of laws are of no use when it comes to poverty-stricken people. I do not know, what the government is thinking when they frame these laws and orders. If the government is supporting girl childbirth, then it should also help the parents to raise their children I have seen girls working at homes, first they are forced to work, after sometime they come to know, why they are working b’coz of poverty, and they accept the reality.

In sattur, kovilpatti and sivakasi in all these townships and near by villages this has been going on for years I think government officials are also aware of this .but they can do nothing about it. I saw this with my own eyes when I visit one of my relative last year (2006).

At least I am happy that the parents didn’t abort the girl child that is the only consolation here .

Ok, now the good thing is some parents in the same locality, they are also not economically sound but they admit their girl children at schools (now, most of them are doing teacher training and nursing). How they achieve this, both the parents work hard, I’ve known this family for some time, they are living near my relatives home. This woman works in the paddy field and her hubby works at some shop. Both their earnings are enough, only for their basic needs but they admitted both their girl children in Government school and their first daughter is doing Nursing course in Chennai and the second child is doing 10 ^th. I heard that her father lost his job, after several months of battling he got a new job . However, they never stopped their children’s education.

My confusion is,

1)       Whether the Government polices are reaching the villages or not?

2)       Even to get the benefits from Government these poor ppl have to give bribe.(I heard this from one of the liable person)

About parents,

1)       When it is possible for some parents, why can’t it is be possible for others.

2)       Just raising a child itself is a burden to some parents. (It is not a joke, they always curse the God, why girl child )

P.S. Murali Anna’s views . government is doing lot of things to ppl. May be they are, but .. is it reaching all of them???

 


This is his reply to my question and to my post (i did send the draft to him) .. Thanx! Murali Anna, for giving me an insightful answer.

Everyone ..The percentage varies .

50 goes to the Employer, for not obeying the law, for self interests, in collusion with Official bearers of the GOVERNANCE.

These employers have pledged their heart and mind to their unscrupulous ideals, and living on luxuriously on this children, without an iota of SHAME.

25 goes to the Parents, for irresponsibility, incapability and lack of interest to know the Government Schemes and the EMPTY desire, without even attempting to achieve it, thereby depriving their dear ones the opportunity to learn read, write; depriving the opportunity to improve the standards of their life.

20% goes to Governance, for not propagating it properly, for not ensuring the law is respected, and also allow for allowances in implementing the schemes in the name of politics.

  5 goes to the Child Labor themselves , for ignorance

There are stray incidences in those places, where the neighbors children are going to school and going to make their parents wealthy at least to have a decent survival.

We cannot blame the GOVERNANCE only .in a country of more than a billion population, with above 80% on or below the poverty line, we do not expect the government to knock at the individual doors.

The effort should be a concerted one, with participation from all corners, only . repeat ..only, with a concern, that they are our bros and sis, and with total involvement from NGOs, to implement the schemes to the needy.

But when others need become your GREED, people should wake up from their trance and exercise their right for the due benefits.

When every body claps, you get a rhythmic sound, which is not considered as Noise Pollution, though the decibels are very high, but welcomed with CHEERS.

For this to happen, people around should shy away their "It is not my concern", attitude.

Just thirteen,
Running, playing . Fearless
Suddenly . Everything changed
She attained her age.
Locked in a room
Separated from others
Moreover, all are happy
To celebrate her new status
However, she was in pain
Both, physically and mentally ..
Lot of questions ?
Why have they put me in separate room?
Why do they want to celebrate this?
What does this change mean?
Why are they celebrating this nonsense ?
Unanswered .
Everyone is looking at her with a peculiar smile
Feared to ask anyone
Shy, fear shamed
.
Her dreams about school, college
All left to dump
And they didn't let her go out
And also got her engaged
To her relative
At the age of thirteen ..
Her destiny was written
In front of her
But she couldn't do anything ..
silently she accepted everything,
like a typical village girl!

This kind of things still happening in villages, (whatever the government does is not going to change the remote villages still this child marriage is going on.) This age attainment function was celebrated in the past to announce to the world that girls are ready for marriage, and another reason is, this age attaining is a good thing, b'coz it is about motherhood. May be it is relevant at that time of periods, but in this 21^st century, this is totally silly. Girls are feeling clueless b'coz of these functions, only parents can stop it. They should respect their children's plea

Government should have some contact with the villages through   NGOs, who are working on helping the villages to overcome this silly functions.

I hope within twenty years this might change .

This is the info I got from my mom, she often travels to her village . But, I am not familiar with village setups.

P.S. Murali anna, tagged me to write about Girl children I'll write another post about girl children next time with another issue.