Child-labour shadow over 'American Almond'

NEW DELHI: While US citizens may savour Indian mangoes in that country, the 'American almond' has come under the shadow of 'child-labour' here. About 2,000-3,000 children are believed to be employed in the job of cracking 'American almond', as it gets sold at anywhere between Rs 340-400 per kg in the capital's markets.

At a place called Karavalnagar, which falls at the border of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, thousands of children, believed to be employed in about 25 godowns, work for close to 12 hours everyday, NGO activists working against child labour say.

Their job is cracking and removing the unwanted outer covering of the almonds, which come in gunny bags loaded by trucks everyday. In few cases, their parents, mostly mothers also work.

The wages, as workers tell, are paid according to the gunny bags of almonds (called 'kattas') cracked by an individual.

"The rate is Rs 30 per bag (full of almonds), which weighs close to 22 kgs. Normally, we are able to finish (cracking of almonds in) two bags a day" says Jyoti, an eight-year-old girl. In any case, a child hardly ever earns above Rs 60 a day, she adds.

The local contractors employing these children claim that the almond in question is 'American'. "This is (an) American almond. It is sent here everyday by the seths (traders / wholesalers) who import it from US. After cracking, we load it in trucks and send it back to them. We do only the cracking part" says a local contractor, who didn't wish to be named.

The claim of American-origin of the almonds is reaffirmed by wholesalers and retailers operating in Khari Baoli market near Chandni Chowk, where the 'cracked' almonds from Karavalnagar godowns are sent.

While claiming to supply 80 per cent of India 's almond import, US rejects any role for it to ensure legal practices in processing of 'American almond', once it reaches India.
"Once the almonds are sold, ownership is transferred. Then Indian laws apply. Almonds are bulk commodity and not a manufactured product" say US embassy sources.

The practice, continuing for quite some time now, has also caught the attention of the NGOs. "While the employment of children is illegal, it gets worse when they are made to work at a stretch for long hours and in rooms full of harmful dust" says Rakesh Senger of Bachapan Bachao Aandolan. "If cracking of cashews is regarded as a hazardous activity, why not cracking of almond?" he asks. The state Labour Department, on its part, says it hasn't received any complaint of child-labour from the Karavalnagar as yet.

"Once we surveyed this area but only found some women working on ad hoc basis" says a senior official, who didn't wish to be named. However, he promised to take action in case the reports on referred practice were true. "If children are working there,
action can be taken under Child Labour Act. Besides, if the number of workers is more than 20, then it's a violation of Factory Act" he added.

While cracking almond is not harmful to health, Article 7 (1) of The Minimum Age Convention, 1973 of International Labour Organisation says - National laws or regulations may permit the employment or work of persons 13 to 15 years of age
on light work which is not such as to prejudice their attendance at school, their participation in vocational orientation or training programmes approved by the competent authority or their capacity to benefit from the instruction received. This is where children are clearly affected.