Children - Terre des Hommes

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Table 2.05: Bal Shikshan Kendras with children (1997–2007)
Year Pune Ahmad Nagar Kolhapur Satara Sangali Total
Cnts Childn Cnts Childn Cnts Childn Cnts Childn Cnts Childn Cnts Childn
1997-98 1 35 - - - - - - - - 1 35
1998-99 2 51 - - - - - - - - 2 51
1999-2000 5 123 - - - - - - - - 5 123
2000-01 9 320 - - - - - - - - 9 320
2001-02 12 362 - - - - - - - - 12 362
2002-03 15 375 1 30 - - - - - - 16 405
2003-04 28 516 1 24 - - - - - - 29 540
2004-05 17 464 1 18 1 26 - - - - 19 508
2005-06 17 475 1 20 2 20 - - - - 20 515
2006-07 18 469 - - 3 88 1 31 3 42 25 630
Total 3,190 92 134 31 42 3,489
Source: Dagad Phool, Santulan, 2007-08
A Pashan Shala teacher also observed that many of the
children have stunted growth and during summer, due to
increase in dust, children suffer from more allergies. In
Wagholi there are more than 60 private medical practitioners,
which speaks for the high flow of patients from the mining
area. They take advantage of the workers’ ignorance as
well as their desperate plight. A major spending of mine
workers’ families is reported to be on private medical
services and is also the main cause for indebtedness. Dr.
Shitre also informed that more than 40 per cent of children
are suffering from anaemia and women are suffering from
anaemia and prolapsis of uterus. The women constantly
complain of back pain, joint pains and dizziness. He stated
that TB is mainly found in adults but due to this debilitating
condition, children are forced to work in the mines. A lot
of the cases of TB are suspected to be/likely to be silicosis,
but as there are no facilities for diagnosis, and as there is a
lot of arm-twisting by the mining companies to manipulate
records, it is difficult to prove this. He also commented that
the workers and their children also look much older than
their age because of the harsh conditions and poor health.
The PHCs are too far from the mine sites and the workers
have to forego their wages for the day and also spend money
for the travel and hospital charges. During the field visit, the
researchers found atleast three women, in advanced stages
of their pregnancy, working in the mines, and all of them
reported that they did not get vaccinated as the PHC is too
far for them to walk. Dr. Shinde, Medical Officer of Bosri
Hospital expressed that it was difficult to provide data for
HIV/AIDs and other illnesses of mine workers as most of
them are migrant workers.
Migration: A Lack of Identity
Migrant labour is synonymous with quarrying. It creates a
nameless community with no certainty of life, with the mine
workers’ greatest stress being lack of identity, stability and
security. This lack of permanency deprives them of many
of the basic amenities that are the rights for all citizens.
Foremost among these is the problem of ration cards and
below poverty line (BPL) cards. Very few own ration cards
as they do not belong to the village community and do not
have a proper proof of residence. In some sites, the workers
informed that the mine owner keeps their rations cards
(perhaps with the intention of keeping them bonded)
and the mine workers have to purchase their ration in
the open market. A 60 year old woman informed us that
she finally got her ration card 4 months ago, but the PDS
dealer has asked her to come back after 6 months as her
name was not yet entered in his records. So mine workers
end up spending heavily on paying the revenue staff but
wait interminably to get their share of ration. This is also