Child labourers of India appeal to FIFA
Tuesday June 27 2006 00:00 IST, IANS
NEW DELHI: Children employed in India's football manufacturing units on Monday
appealed to the FIFA to bail them out of their pitiable conditions.
Led by Bachpan Bachao Andolan ('Save Childhood Campaign'), a non-government
organisation, 17 children working for football manufacturers in Uttar Pradesh's
Meerut district assembled at the Gandhi Peace Foundation here and shared their
experiences with media persons.
In a memorandum sent to the world football governing body on the occasion of
World Cup 2006, these children appealed: "We wish that football becomes an
instrument of pleasure, harmony and unity for all in the world. However, we
appeal that this should not happen at the cost of our childhood, education and
development."
Kailash Satyarthi, chairman of the voluntary group, said big companies
outsource work to small contractors who take unfair advantage of the poor
people in places like Meerut.
"They are employing these tender hands but pay only between Rs 3 and Rs 5 for
stitching a ball - it is almost 40 times less than its retail price. Apart from
cruelly exploiting them, they are also taking away their childhood.
"FIFA must issue proper guidelines to all football exporters to stop employing
child labour in this industry. Last year, India earned Rs.4 billion by
exporting sports goods, and 38 percent of it came from exporting footballs
alone," Satyarthi said.
Said Bobesh Kant, a 12-year-old who stopped stitching footballs after
working in a unit for two years: "We want to study and become successful
in life. I appeal to all my friends not to work for football companies. It
kills their childhood and makes us labourers."
Uma, a nine-year-old girl who helps her mother, sister and brother in
stitching balls, said she was enrolled in Class 3 but was not able to go
to her school.
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