More than 50% of the sampled child labourers in the hosiery industry of Ludhiana belonged to families below the poverty line. In 20.44% of the cases, the child was the sole wage earner. Most of the children, it was found, work in congested and crowded places, which affect them physically and psychologically. They are exposed to different types of pollutants like fibers, dyes, wool and cotton fluff, which have an adverse effect on their health. 31.11% of the children reported that they were ill treated by their employer. The children are also exploited by the parents for short and narrow gains - the parents usually secure loans from employers and surrender their children as security.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Burra, N.1998. Born to Work- Child Labour in India. New Delhi : Oxford University Press.
2.
Government of India, 2002. Agricultural Statistics at a Glance. Agricultural Statistics Division. Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi.
3.
Government of Punjab, 2003. Economic Survey of Punjab-2002-03. Economic Advisor, Chandigarh.
4.
Kumar, Manoj, 2002. Survey on Labour in Punjab Soon. The Tribune. August, 5.
5.
Kumar, Rahul, 2004. Punjab Per Capita Income Moving at a Snail's Pace. The Economic Times. Vol. 31. No. 150. June, 24.
6.
Raja, A, 2003. Nine Kids Below Three Years in Punjab Malnourished. The Tribune. April, 24. •
