Child Labor Down In India''s Diamond Industry

[mike04456]

Child Labor Down In India''s Diamond Industry

 

[strmrdr]

A big problem I have with the child labor issue is that it doesnt take into account a father teaching his children a craft.
Growing up I worked with my dad in his second job, heating and air conditioning business learning how to do it.
I didnt end up going into that field but still.
These days some do gooder would call child services.
I have fond memeries of working with him and in no way was it abuse.
But according to todays laws he could be jailed for doing it.

If a father is teaching his 12 year old child how to cut diamonds and sells the results because they cant afford to keep them is it abuse?
My answer is a firm NO.

There have been and will be abuses but it isnt as a black and white issue as some make it out to be.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Sanjay Kothari is a friend of mine.

He and his family are fine people as are most of those who run the many large diamond cutting businesses.

Some of these cutting companies run schools for the poor (one takes 5000 students a year) .

One firm has a 40 hour week and 6 weeks vacation for its thousands of workers. the diamonds they cut are regularly sold as the best quality stones by some internet traders (some dealers think they are cut in Antwerp).
Free restraunts are common, and the factory owners and management eat with the staff.

Most diamond cutting companies are Jain religion and these people maintain very high ethical standards.

We in the west might do better to mind our own business as this industry in India puts many western country business practices to shame (Enron?)

 

[pyramid]

Wow, the statistics are only 0.3% child labour as said above this could be children learning the trade. I have heard of child labour in India before and was thinking like 60% or something. It just shows it benefits to read the facts and not just take heresay for real.

 

[mike04456]

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On 1/16/2004 4:18:17 AM pyramid wrote:





Wow, the statistics are only 0.3% child labour as said above this could be children learning the trade. I have heard of child labour in India before and was thinking like 60% or something. It just shows it benefits to read the facts and not just take heresay for real.
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There is plenty of child labor in India (though, as strmdr points out, a lot of it is family business... one must be careful applying Western standards to other cultures), just not in the diamond business. Despite the hype, it's a silly proposition to anyone who knows what is required. Diamond cutting is just too difficult and skilled a profession to be conducted with child labor. It requires years of training, in addition to patience and persistence that very few children possess.

 

[niceice]

As with many headlines, "Child Labor Down in India" leads people to believe that it is a major problem when as Pyramid has mentioned the article indicates a 0.3% percentage of actual instance... Wouldn't it be nice if the headline read "Child Labor in India Only 0.3%" but then nobody would read the article, would they?

 

[pqcollectibles]

Glad you posted this, Ben. Garry's inside info was very enlightening.

Strm's thoughts are right on point as well.