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Indian move to eradicate child labour from carpet industry
NEW DELHI, July 5: The Indian government has made its first tangible move to erad kale child labour from the booming carpet industry but has run into opposition from a leading rights activist, reports AFP.
After denying for years the existence ot child labour in the industry, the government has announced that carpets for export would made by adults.
The industry, which in fiscal 1994-95 exported carpets worth 6(X) million dollars, is backing the move amid increasing worldwide concern, over the exploitation of Indian children in carpet-making.
India is the world's second largest carpet exporter after Iran.
Handicrafts Development Commissioner Ajai Shankar said carpets for export would be issued a kaleen' (carpet! label after verification to prove they were not made by children.
There has been an exaggerated campaign abroad about child labour in India, Shankar said. 'The government is committed to ending child labour.'
A committee which will include representatives from the government the carpet industry, prominent social activists, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEFl will monitor the system, Snankar said.
The initiative, however, h - drawn criticism from a k ।Jing child rights activist who charged that it would only cause confusion since a similar labelling system was already in force since January.
The new carpet labelling scheme would create confusion among Western consumers ana importers, said Kailash Stayarthi, who heads the South Asian coalition against child servitude.
The older rugmark' label has already become popular, he said. 'More than 50,000 carpets with rugmark labels have already been exported. Buyers abroad now look for rugmark. What was the need for kaleen'?
We don't oppose the government's role in this project'
he added. What we find strange is why the authorities should come up with another system when one is already operating?"
Rugmark, which has the backing of the Indo-German export promotion project, was started in January with the industry's half-hearted backing in the wake of widespread allegations of child labour.
Activists say thousands of children from poor families are employed in the manufacture of carpets. The children are paid poor wages and often beaten if they try to escape labour.
The government, which has been stung by criticism that it is not serious about child servitude, says it will
not discriminate between kaleen and ruemark. But Shankar said: ’Kaleen is unanimously supported by all or-ganisauons".
The semi-official Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC), which has some 3,000 carpet manufacturers and exporters as members, said the kaleen label will be introduced in August.
"Kaleen is a commitment of oiir member-exporters to eradicate child labour," said CEPC spokesman T S Chandha." It shows the industry and CEPC are concerned about the welfare of children.
He said CEPC members would give an undertaking not to employ children at their looms, agree to monitoring by an independent body.