Education takes back seat as weavers pull out children from schools

“It is not that they are being directly stoked into weaving carpets for their parents. But in the absence of any environment for education,they run the risk of losing their way back into the same vicious cycle,” said Dr Rajni Kant of HWA.

A pilot project,called Muskan,was launched by the association in which NFE centres were set up in various villages. At least 730 students,including more than 400 girls and 300 boys,were enrolled in eight villages. Out of them,at least 124 students have been “mainstreamed”.

“It was difficult convincing the families,usually from poor Muslim community and other backward castes,to send their children,especially girls,away from home. We,therefore,decided to set up such centres within their surroundings. And it was they who came forward to help.”

Good Weave,an international agency that certifies that the carpets being sold are “free from child labour” and was earlier known by the name of Rug Mark,which is supporting the project,said that it was just a beginning.

Director (Central Inspection Unit) of Good Weave,Matthew John,said: “There are more than a couple of organisations,who are active in this field and we are planning similar projects in other areas like Mirzapur. There is no doubt that the number of bonded labourers involved in carpet industry have gone down considerably. But we want to break the vicious cycle of ignorance and poverty among the weavers’ families,who are mostly from backward Muslim communities.”

John added that there were many who felt that “we were depriving the families of a wage-earning hand by removing children from the carpet industry”. “But you would be surprised to know that there were weavers,who have been earning Rs 50 per day for the last 40 years and their children are also being drawn into the same trade,under similar conditions. This is not permissible and the cycle has to be broken,” said John.

Members of the carpet industry also welcomed the initiative. “The number of weavers has declined over the years. We need trained weavers. It has been our long standing demand that the government provide education to the young women and girls,along with proper training in carpet weaving,” said Abdul Hazi,Secretary of the All-India Carpet Manufacturers’ Association.