Southern States
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Tamil Nadu-Chennai
A fleeting moment of joy for child labourers
By Karthik Subramanian
CHENNAI, DEC. 9. Thirteen-year-old Ramu is a pint-sized dynamo. He appears like just another school kid, but a closer look at his hands and feet reveals grease stains.
Three years at a mechanic shop in Pudupet has made Ramu an expert in `fixing' autorickshaw meters. ``Just adjust ten teeth out of the gear and you get the desired results,'' he says without batting an eyelid. He `fixes' at least two meters daily and is paid Rs. 250 every month.
One of the 20 children to gather at the Madras School of Social Work on Sunday, Ramu's character sketch will be included in a project on ``migrated child labourers in Chennai'' by the first year Social Work students. The children gathered for a one-day entertainment programme, that included a trip to a beach resort.
And even if it was just a fleeting moment of joy, the children just lapped it up. They sang songs with glee and mimicked the actions of the lead singer at a classroom session in the School. Later, they geared up for a trip to the beach. Also most of them were conscious that they have to return to work on Monday.
The children were identified by a batch of six first year students of the School for the study. Most of them were observed over a period of time in Pudupet and Egmore areas, with the help of NGOs such as Nesakkaram. All the children were in the age group of eight to 14 years.
``The aim of the study was to draw inferences about the children who migrate from other parts of the State and the country to Chennai and earn their livelihood,'' the students said. The children had come to the city along with their parents from areas including Dindigul, Vellore and even Andhra Pradesh.
Of the identified children, 10 students had not been to school at all, while others were drop-outs. ``As the children cross the age of 12, they come to be viewed by their parents as good income-generating sources,'' according to a study of the students.
The daily wages ``under normal conditions'' varied from Rs. 15 to Rs. 30. With malnutrition and overwork, the kids do not seem to grow and look much younger. This seems to be the case with Parvathy, a thirteen-year-old girl who has been working as a domestic help along with her mother. Every day, she travels from Pudupet to Choolaimedu for her work.
Even injuries are common. Madhavi, who is just eight years old, injured her foot recently while helping her parents at a construction site on Anna Salai.
The students will complete the project and present their conclusions shortly.
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