Today is Deepavali in the North India. We celebrated it yesterday as the South Indians celebrate it for the killing of Narakasura by Krishna.
The fire crackers are being burst enthusiastically by the children. My neighbours were murmuring that the firecrackers should be banned. Child labour, they are saying.
For me the issue of child labour was brought home by my aunt, the writer long time ago when I was maybe 7 or 8 years old. She visited us one year either after visiting Sivakasi or after writing her novel "Koottukkunjugal". I remember she told us the horrors of child labour in Sivakasi and how children were maimed after accidents in the fireworks factory. It was the first year when, if memory serves right, my brother refused to buy firecrackers. My mother was upset because she felt we were breaking away from the tradition. She purchased few sparklers and persuaded me to light them but it was no fun without my brother participating. In the subsequent years we completely gave up purchasing firecrackers as it was always associated with child labour for us.
I am forever grateful to my aunt for making me aware of these issues.
Happy Deepavali!
The fire crackers are being burst enthusiastically by the children. My neighbours were murmuring that the firecrackers should be banned. Child labour, they are saying.
For me the issue of child labour was brought home by my aunt, the writer long time ago when I was maybe 7 or 8 years old. She visited us one year either after visiting Sivakasi or after writing her novel "Koottukkunjugal". I remember she told us the horrors of child labour in Sivakasi and how children were maimed after accidents in the fireworks factory. It was the first year when, if memory serves right, my brother refused to buy firecrackers. My mother was upset because she felt we were breaking away from the tradition. She purchased few sparklers and persuaded me to light them but it was no fun without my brother participating. In the subsequent years we completely gave up purchasing firecrackers as it was always associated with child labour for us.
I am forever grateful to my aunt for making me aware of these issues.
Happy Deepavali!
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