Thursday, July 09, 2009

When fireworks are no more fun

Some of my most memorable memories of Diwalis of childhood have been the fireworks. However learning of the inhuman conditions in most of those factories make those memories tainted. While kids like me enjoyed their festivals with fireworks, other kids worked their days and nights making those crackers in sweaty little huts, without protection and with harmful chemicals. Hence Chindu's editorial on the recent explosion in a cracker factory in Madurai is timely.
While the details of the article quote facts and regulations like a schoolboy writing an essay, the thought is what counts here.
Where Chindu could really put its power to good use is to avoid publishing ads from companies (especially those making firecrackers) who use child labor to make their products. But that is probably wishful thinking.

2 comments:

kutychathan said...

DD,,, I don't remember seeing an advt for firecrackers in chindu, in the recent times.When all newspapers are through a drought season, so far as advts are concenred, it is unlikely that chindu will give priority for principles over money.

But, to be fair to Ram, I remember reading a report about child workers in firecracker factories of Sivakasi, in an old issue of Frontline.

kuttychathan said...

Let me point out another report which got an out-of-proportionate coverage in chindu. The scandal involving the News Of The World owned by Murdoch. There is a prominent report in the front page. Then, there is a quarter page report in Page 15. What could be reason for such a prominent coverage.