Childhood's Blood on Matchestics– A Case study of Virudhunagar District,Tamil Nadu

8/2/2019 Childhood's Blood on Matchestics A Case study of Virudhunagar District,Tamil Nadu

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CHILDHOODS BLOOD ON MATCHSTICKS A CASE STUDY OF

VIRUDHUNAGAR DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU

Dr.M.Muthuraj*

I Introduction

Among all the aspects a nation has the most is the quality of its human

resource. The quality of human resource is reflected and determined by the health

status of children and their care. The child workers of match industries are integral

part of the fast growing resource. These child workers are not particularly healthy

lot. Overwork and low calorie intake make them prone to disease deceasing their

efficiency (now and for the future) and life expectancy. Illness related with

inadequate nutrition and occupation undermines their health affecting the quality of

the labour force. Their condition is further worsened due to their lack of awareness

and receptiveness of welfare measures initiated by the Government for their benefit.

In view of the above, this paper makes an attempt to discuss the implication of child

abuse on the physical development and health of the working children, the

availability of social infrastructures and their utilization to benefit them at match

industries in Virudhunagar District.

Sivakasi block which is a main center of the match industry in Virudhunagar

district of Tamil Nadu where the bulk of the population seems dependent on the

* Lecturer, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Manamai Village, Kancheepuram

District, Tamil Nadu, India, 603 102.


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industry and in almost every home can be seen men, women and children engaged

on some process of match manufacture such as box making, box-labeling, etc. It

was impossible to make an intensive survey into the working conditions in all these

factories but a good few at Sivakasi were personally inspected. In these factories

were found working many children who were obviously under 12 years of age

although they seemed to be in the possession of badges showing that they were

certified. They are complaints that many of the workers in these factories are made

to work for about ten hours a day without being paid any overtime allowance. The

unskilled labour in these factories consists mostly of women and children. They are

usually engaged in frame filling, box making, box filling and labeling.

II Methodology

Study Area

Villages in Sivakasi block of Virudhunagar district were selected for the

household survey. As this is proposed as a study to understand the fallout of

legislation, the sampling of villages was purposive. Match industry is spread in

almost all villages of Sivakasi block. Villages in this block are selected on the basis

of an earlier Census Survey conducted in the entire blocks of child labour during

2001.

Sample Design

In order to examine the above objectives of the study, 300 households that

supply child labour were selected on a random basis. In fact, 300 working children

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belong to these households. These children were selected because of two reasons.

Firstly, they work in different match factories and at the household and secondly, it

was difficult to conduct survey of the working children in different factories because

of the refusal and non-cooperation of the factory owners for us to do so. All these

households are working children were surveyed on the basis of Structural

questionnaire schedules. Moreover, 20 match factories were selected on the basis of

stratified proportionate random sampling and structured questionnaire schedules

were canvassed to collect desired and relevant information from them. Some

relevant data from the secondary (published and unpublished) sources were also

collected for the study purpose.

III Results and Discussion

3.1 Physical Development

Weight and Height are taken to be good enough to measure the physical

development of the working children. The age-wise medically prescribed standard

norms of weight and height were taken fromDavidsons Principles and Practice of

Medicine, edited by John Macleod, 1975 were taken for presenting the children

with or below standard weight and height having their actual weights and heights

through the field surveys.

In Table 1 the classification of working children according to weight is

presented.

TABLE 1

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CLASSIFICATION OF WORKING CHILDREN

ACCORDING TO WEIGHT

Age Sex Standard

Weight

No. of working children

(Years (kgs) With Std

weight

Less than

Std weight

More than

Std weight

Total

6 M 22 - 7 3 10

F 21 - 2 1 3

7 M 25 1 5 1 7

F 25 1 2 - 3

8 M 26 1 9 - 10

F 26 - 10 1 11

9 M 30 - 16 - 16

F 27 - 9 1 1010 M 32 - 18 1 19

F 33 - 12 - 12

11 M 35 2 22 - 24

F 37 - 10 - 10

12 M 39 - 59 3 62

F 43 - 9 - 9

13 M 42 3 72 2 77

F 49 - 6 - 6

14 M 45 1 10 - 11

F 54 - - - -Total 9 278 13 300

Source: Survey data

Note: M Male

F Female

It could be observed from Table 1 that only nine children in the sample have

the standard weight prescribed medically for various ages out of which 7 are males.

Of the 13 children there are 10 male children above standard weight showing again

the indifference of the society towards the health of the working female child as 93

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per cent of the society children in the sample have less than the prescribed standard

weight. This shows a some what negative correlation between the work of the child

and his / her physical development in terms of weight. The analysis of data related

to weight of the working children reveals that a majority of them are underweight

which highlights the physical condition of the children engaged in hazards industry.

Perhaps the health of the working children is deteriorated by working in the match

industry and the poor food lacking adequate nutrition given by their parents due to

poverty.

In Table 2 the classification of working children according to height is

presented.

TABLE 2

CLASSIFICATION OF WORKING CHILDREN

ACCORDING TO HEIGHT

Age Sex Standard

Height

No. of working children

(Years (Inches) With Std Less than More than Total

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Height Std Height Std Height

6 M 46.85 - 9 1 10

F - - - - 2

7 M 48.43 - 7 - 8

F 48.43 - 2 - 3

8 M 50.39 - 11 - 9

F 50.00 - 9 - 8

9 M 52.76 - 16 - 14

F 51.97 - 12 - 10

10 M 54.33 - 19 - 21

F 54.72 - 10 - 16

11 M 56.30 - 14 - 19

F 56.69 - 11 - 8

12 M 58.66 - 36 13 49

F 59.06 - 9 - 12

13 M 60.63 - 110 - 93

F 61.02 - 8 - 7

14 M 62.99 - 11 - 11

F 62.99 - - - -

Total 286 14 300

Source: Survey data

Note: M MaleF Female

Table 2 explains the classification of working children according to height.

In Sivakasi block no working child in the sample has the standard height as

medically prescribed for various ages. 95.33 per cent of the children are below

standard height while only 14 male children in the sample are above the prescribed

standard height for their ages. This is indicative of the fact that among the working

children below the age of 14 years retard physical development in terms of height.

3.2 Health Hazards

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Data pertaining to immunization of children below six years in the sample

households is given in Table 3.

TABLE 3

CHILDREN BELOW SIX YEARS OF AGE AND THEIR

IMMUNIZATION STATUS IN THE SAMPLE HOUSEHOLDS

Level of Name of item

Immunization DPT Polio BCG Measles Total

Total Number of Children below 6 years

Male 129 - - - -

Female 101 - - - -

Total 230 - - - -Children Immunizes

Male 32 29 30 34 125

Female 22 18 19 16 75

Total 54 47 49 50 200

Percentage of Children Immunized

Male 24.81 22.48 23.26 26.36 96.90

Female 21.78 17.82 18.81 15.84 74.26

Total 23.48 20.43 21.30 21.74 86.96

Source: Survey data

Table 3 reveals that out of the 230 children below six years of age 86.96 per

cent have been immunized. This shows the growing awareness of parents regarding

immunization of their children against various diseases. Sex-wise figure shows that

about 97 per cent of the total male children have been immunized while 74 per cent

of the total females have been immunized. Parents are more concerned about their

male offsprings and their health while females are forced to take the back seat in

such matters. Polio drops are given to 20.43 per cent of the children below six years

while 23.48 per cent children have been immunized from DPT.

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Data pertaining to illness and centre of treatment in the sample households is

given in Table 4.

TABLE 4

ILLNESS AND CENTRE OF TREATMENT

Sl. No Description Number Percentage

1 Sample Households 300 100.00

2 Households reporting illness forlast six months

282 94.00

3 Centre or place of treatment

i) PHC 3 1.06

ii) Dispensaries 3 1.06

iii) Pvt. Practitioners 189 67.02

iv) ESI dispensary 2 0.71

v) District Hospital 31 10.99

vi) Not taken treatment in these

places

54 19.15

vii) Others - -

Source: Survey data

It is observed from Table 4 that the usual practice of people regarding the

treatment when they fell ill. Out of selected sample in the study area, 67 per cent

have gone to private practitioners for treatment. Few people go to dispensaries or

district hospitals for treatment. The reason for the massive popularity of private

practitioners could be the effective treatment and attention that the people in the

sample receive here. The hospitals responded that the district hospitals neither give

due attention to patients or supply medicines.

Illness and method of treatment in the selected household is presented in

Table 5.

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TABLE 5

ILLNESS AND METHOD OF TREATMENT IN THE HOUSEHOLD

Sl. No Description Number Percentage

1 Sample Households 300 100.002 Households reporting sickness

for last six months

282 94.00

3 System of medicine availed 236 83.69

i) Allopathic 236 83.69

ii) Ayurvedic 30 10.64

iii) Homeopathic 16 5.67

iv) Unani - -

v) Native - -

vi) Home Remedies - -

Source: Survey data

Table 5 examines the analysis of data regarding the method of treatment in

the sample household. It reveals that the treatment is done through allopathic system

of medicine. Out of selected respondents 94 per cent of the sample households

reporting illness for the last three months, 84 per cent have used the allopathic

medicine. Ayuervedic medicines are next in order of popularity while some people

also used the homoeopathic medicine. The reason for the enormous popularity of

allopathic medicines could be the easy availability and quick relief that they give.

In Table 6 the health status of the working children is shown.

TABLE 6

HEALTH STATUS OF THE WORKING CHILDREN

Sl. No Problems related to Health Working children having

problems

Number Percentage

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1 Dispigmented hair - -

2 Bleeding gums 3 1.00

3 Dental caries 5 1.67

4 Crack in lip / Soared mouth 22 7.33

5 Ulcer on skin / scabies 4 1.33

Total 31 10.33

Source: Survey data

Table 6 highlights that out of selected sample, 10.33 per cent of the working

children having problems related to health. Of them 7.33 per cent are inflicted with

cracked / sore mount, 1.33 per cent of the children are inflicted with ulcers or

scabies while some children have bleeding gums and dental caries also. On the

whole, few children in the sample have health problems related to external diseases.

But our informal interviews with some medical practitioners indicated that most of

the working children suffer from back pain, eye sight problems, and inherent

tendency for T.B, if they continue to work for five years or more without a break.

The morbidity among working children during past six months is presented

in Table 7.

TABLE 7

MORBIDITY AMONG WORKING CHILDREN DURING

PAST SIX MONTHS

Sl. No Frequency of sickness Working childrenNumber Percentage

1 Fallen sick often (more than 5times)

23 7.67

2 Fallen sick occasionally (lessthan 5 times)

86 28.67

3 Number of fallen sick 191 63.66

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Total 300 100.00

Source: Survey data

It is inferred from Table 7 that out of selected sample, 109 working children

(36.34 per cent) reported sickness during the past six months from the time of the

survey. Among those sick, the percentage of working children who fell sick

frequently was recorded higher. This high rate of morbidity can be attributed to low

calorie diet leading to malnutrition coupled with hard labour. The two together

reduce body resistance making the child susceptible to frequent illness. However,

63.66 per cent of the working children never fell sick for the last six months.

The information related to type of morbidity among working children is

given Table 8.

TABLE 8

TYPE OF MORBIDITY AMONG WORKING CHILDREN

DURING PAST SIX MONTHS

Sl. No Type of Sickness Working children

Number Percentage

1 Fever 150 79.37

2 Diseases related with the

stomach (pain, cholera, etc)

36 19.05

3 Skin diseases 3 1.59

4 Jaundice 2 1.06

5 Small pox 1 0.53

6 Cold and cough (Asthma) 20 10.587 Polio 4 2.12

8 TB - -

Source: Survey data

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It is observed form Table 8 that morbidity attacks children in many forms.

Most (79.37 per cent) of the 150 children are prone to frequent bouts of fever. Lack

of sense of hygiene and clean drinking water makes 19.05 per cent children

susceptible to stomach-ache, cholera, etc. and 1.06 per cent to jaundice. Working in

close proximity to furnaces, which emit harmful gases and smoke leads to other

ailments as colds, cough asthma (10.58 per cent) and skin diseases (1.59 per cent).

Exposure to high temperatures and poisonous gas weaken the childs delicate body

balance thereby making him an easy prey of all kinds of illness.

During survey of the child workers engaged in match manufacturing process,

it is found that not only the child workers fall ill due to poor quality of their food

intake and unhygienic conditions around them but they become sick due to working

in the industry and the nature of work. The sickness related to their industry is a

common phenomenon among the working children.

3.3 Social infrastructure and awareness

The level of infrastructure related to health, education and welfare measures

and their utilization are the basic factors responsible for the development of children

in an area. According to the information collected from the working children

regarding the above-mentioned facilities in their areas, it was found that health,

education and welfare facilities are available near their homes. But the level of

utilization by the working children is extremely low.

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The level of infrastructure related to health, education and welfare measures

and their utilization are given in Table 9.

TABLE 9

TYPE OF MORBIDITY AMONG WORKING CHILDREN DURING

PAST TWELVE MONTHS

Sl. No Description No. of child

working giving

positive answer

Percentage of child

working giving positive

answer

1 Educational facilities provided

i) Near Home 190 63.33

ii) Near Factory - -

2 Child workers use the educational facilities 72 24.00

3 Health facilities provided

i) Near home 112 37.33ii) Near factory 19 6.33

4 Child workers use the health facilities 15 5.00

5 Welfare facilities provided

i) Near home 10 3.33

ii) Near factory - -

6 Child workers use the welfare facilities 4 1.33

Source: Survey data

According to Table 9, 63.33 per cent of working children reported that near

their homes, the educational institutions are located but only 24 per cent use them.

However, the educational facilities are not provided near the factory. Health

facilities near to their homes are available in the case of 37.33 per cent of the

working children and about 6 per cent of them reported availability of such facilities

near their factories. Due to one reason or the other only 5 per cent of the working

children make use of the health facilities. Welfare facilities for the development of

children are rarely provided in the areas where the survey was conducted. Hardly

3.33 per cent of the working children reported about the welfare facilities near their

homes.

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Reason for the not using the educational, health and welfare facilities are

given in Table 10.

TABLE 10

REASONS FOR NOT USING THE EDUCATIONAL, HEALTH AND

WELFARE FACILITIES

Sl. No Reasons for not using facilities Working children

Number Percentage

1 Medicine does not give relief 40 13.33

2 Medicine not available 121 40.33

3 Due to poverty, work becomesessential, no time to study

146 48.67

4 Parents ill / dead 9 3.00

5 No child welfare programme - -6 Nobody cares in government

hospitals

7 2.33

7 Not interested in studying 12 4.00

8 Presents compel to do work 30 10.00

9 Schools are far from home 26 8.67

10 Hospitals are too far 20 6.67

Source: Survey data

From Table 10 it is observed that a majority of the child workers are not

using the educational, health and welfare facilities that exist near their homes. The

working children for not using these facilities have given various reasons. As far as

medical and health facilities are concerned, 25 per cent of the working children

reported that medicine is not made available to them in the hospitals and

dispensaries. It was also felt 3.33 per cent of the working children that medicines

provided by hospitals do not give relief and are not effective. Due to poverty and

illness of their parents, about 49 per cent of the working children could not avail of

the educational facilities because of them work becomes essential to earn money for

their livelihood.

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The awareness of rehabilitation centres is presented in Table 11.

TABLE 11

AWARENESS OF REHABILITATION CENTRES

Number of

Child workers

Awareness of Rehabilitation Centres Percentage of

child workers

who are awareAware Not aware

300 90 210 30.00

Source: Survey data

Information collected from the working children about the types of facilities

provided in the rehabilitation centres indicated that 30 per cent of the children in the

sample are aware about the health, medial and educational facilities being provided

by the centres. This kind of information is clearly known form the Table 11.

The type of facilities in the rehabilitation centres reported by child workers is

reported in Table 12.

TABLE 12

TYPE OF FACILITIES IN THE REHABILITATION CENTRES

REPORTED BY CHILD WORKERS

Source: Survey data

Sl.

No

Type of Facilities No. of child workers

Reporting facilities

Percentage of child workers

Reporting Facilities

1 Health and Medical Facilities 90 30.00

2 Education and School 90 30.00

3 Shelter and Home 30 10.004 Food and Nutrition 90 30

5 Entertainment and recreation 90 30

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In Table 12 the facilities of entertainment and recreation provided by the

rehabilitation centres as reported by 30 per cent children. The information about the

provision of food and shelter in these rehabilitation centres was known to 7 per cent

of the working children. Only 90 working children (30 per cent) were aware of the

rehabilitation centres at Sivakasi block. Of the 90 children who were aware of the

facilities provided by the rehabilitation centres, very few (only 7.78 per cent) of the

children availed them. Among the working children who aware about the

rehabilitation centres and the facilities provided by them about 92.22 per cent of the

working children were not using the facilities. It is inferred from Table 13.

TABLE 13

UTILIZATION FACILITIES PROVIDED BY REHABILITATION CENTRES

Sl. No Description Working children

Number Percentage

1 Facilities are being used 7 7.78

2 Facilities are not being used 83 92.22

3 Facilities were used but dropped - -

Total Number of Award 90 100.00

Source: Survey data

Out of the 90 child workers in the sample who were aware of the facilities

provided by the rehabilitation centres 83 were not using them.

The reasons for not using the facilities provided by rehabilitation centres are

presented in Table 14.

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TABLE 14

REASONS FOR NOT USING FACILITIES PROVIDED BY

REHABILITATION CENTRES

Sl. No Description Working children

Number Percentage

1 Not Interested 5 5.95

2 Due to poverty it is necessary to

earn money

28 33.33

3 Recently come to know about

center

10 11.90

4 Tried but could not get

admission

18 21.43

5 Those centres are recently

opened

18 21.43

6 Parents do not allow and compel

to do work

3 3.57

7 Centres are located at

considerable distance

2 2.38

TOTAL 84 93.33

Source: Survey data

It is inferred from Table 14 that due to poverty, 33.33 per cent of them could

not utilize the facilities, as they could not get time. Some of the working children

tried to get admission in the centres but they were not admitted as reported by 21.43

per cent of the working children admitting awareness. Moreover, a similar

proportion of the working children out that these centres were opened recently and

they have not yet decided to join. Similarly, 11.90 per cent of the non-users reported

that they received knowledge about the centres recently.

The awareness of Labour Laws among the selected households is presented

in Table 15.

TABLE 15

REASONS FOR NOT USING FACILITIES PROVIDED BY

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REHABILITATION CENTRES

Sl.

No

Legislation No. of

households

who are

aware

No. of

households

who are

unaware

Percentage of

Aware Unaware

1 Minimum Wages 75 255 25.00 75.00

2 Accident

Compensation

71 229 23.60 76.40

3 ESI 83 217 27.60 72.40

4 Provident Fund 76 224 25.40 74.60

5 Child Labour 77 223 25.60 74.40

6 Others 1 299 0.40 99.60

Source: Survey data

It is inferred from Table 15 that the success of any Law or Act depends on

the awareness about it to a great extent. The level of awareness determines

implementation of Law or Act. Awareness of labour laws is not widespread among

sample households. Of those aware maximum know about ESI. Other Laws ranked

according to awareness were Child Labour Act (26.50 per cent aware), Provident

Fund (25.40 per cent aware), Minimum Wages Act (25.00 per cent), and Accident

Compensation Act (23.60 per cent aware). Ignorance among the majority paves the

way for exploitation of the labour force. Moreover the concerned Government

officials do not motivate the child workers in this regard. This apathetic concern is

also one of the reasons for the lack of awareness among the children about all this.

In Table 16, the awareness and benefits of Governmental Programmes is

given.

TABLE 16

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AWARENESS AND BENEFITS OF GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMMES

Sl. No Governmental

Programmes

Aware Unaware

Number Percentage Number Percentage

1 IRDP 91 30.20 46 15.23

2 TRYSEM 10 3.40 - -3 JRY 53 17.60 78 26.13

4 ICDS 74 24.80 73 24.19

5 Adult Education 53 17.60 61 20.45

6 Others 3 1.00 - -

Source: Survey data

Table 16 reveals that the Government has proved successfully in spreading

awareness regarding its programmes in general. The Integrated Rural Development

Programme is known to 30.20 per cent of the sample households. But only 15.23 per

cent (91) of the households being aware of it derived benefits from the programme.

Just about a quarter (24.80 per cent) of the households know about ICDS. Of these,

only 20.19 per cent availed the benefits of the scheme. 3.40 per cent and 17.60 per

cent of the households knew TRYSEM and adult education programmes

respectively. But none of them availed benefits of TRYSEM whereas only 20.45 per

cent attended the adult education courses.

IV Concluding Remarks

The first effect that follows from the abuse of child labour in the match

industry is the retarded physical development of the working children. The weight

and height of most of the children were below the medically prescribed standard

norms. This reflects their poor health and physical fitness.

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About 86.96 per cent of the working children were found to have been

immunized but 94 per cent of the sample households were reported to have suffered

from illness during the previous six months. A majority of the sick households

consulted private practitioners for treatment and they preferred the allopathic system

to the Ayurvedic or Homoeopathic or Unani or other indigenous system. As many

as 109 working children reported to have fallen sick during the last six months.

Among those sick, the proportion of working children who fell sick frequently was

quite high. This high rate of morbidity may be attributed to hard work of long

duration but with low calorie intake value leading to malnutrition. The working

children do not use educational and health facilities, whatsoever are available in

their vicinity. There is a complex of reasons expressed by them. Among them

notably are their poverty and non-availability of medicines.

There are certain centres to rehabilitate the working children and to

discourage them from working as child labour. But only 30 per cent of the working

children were aware of the existence of such centres. However, of 90 children

admitting awareness of these centres and facilities available there, only 10 child

workers used the facilities available at the centres. Those who could not use the

facilities put forward a number of reasons for it. Among the reasons expressed by

them were notably their poverty and their compulsions to earn money and non-

accessibility to the centres for using the available facilities.

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A majority of the working children were also not aware of labour laws and

other legal provisions concerning the minimum wages, accident compensation, P.F

etc., etc. This shows the failure of the concerned government officials in making the

existing laws or act or legal provisions popular among the parents and the working

children at Sivakasi Block.

The working children were also not aware of the various schemes and

programmes launched by the Government. Table 16 shows that only 30.20 per cent

of the children were aware of IRDP and few derived benefits from this programme.

About 25 per cent of them were aware of ICDS and gained from it. So far other

programmes such as TRYSEM, JRY and Adult Education, etc. are concerned, they

were known to a small proportion of the working children and they derived benefits

from these programmes. Lack of awareness among the working children about the

operation of different government schemes and programmes refers to the apathy of

the concerned officials towards those who desire special attention in this regard.

All this shows how the working children suffer from health hazards leading

to their physical under development and ill health, which is a slur on the society

and polity. The apathetic attitude of the concerned officials in particular and the

government in general towards the working children is deplorable.

References

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1). Becker, G. and Lewis, H.G, On the Interaction Between the Quantity and

Quality of Children,Journal of Political Economy, April 1973, vol.81.

2). Cain, Mecd .T, The Economic Activities of Children in a Village in

Bangladesh,Population and Development Review, 1977, vol.3, No.3, pp.201-229.

3) Report of the Committee on Child Labour, Ministry of Labour, Government of

India, 1979, p.11.

4) Schultz, T.W., The Value of Children: An Economic Perspective,Journal of

political Economy, April 1973, vol.81, No.2, pp.502-513.

5) G.P.Mishra and P.N.Pande, Child Labour in Glass Industry, A.P.H.

Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 1996.

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Documents

Childhood's Blood on Matchestics– A Case study of Virudhunagar District,Tamil Nadu