Editor,
Apropos the article “Of NGOs, Child Labour and Tall Claims (ST 1st June, 2012) by Patricia Mukhim, where the writer has voiced her concern over the report of Impulse NGO Network published in 2010, even though the report was shared in 2010 itself, we are happy to share the details of the report with her and other media personnel, Government, semi-Government departments, self-help groups, SHRC, NHRC and the public at large. Our report is available at our website.
To the question about how the BBC was the first to air the news about the report by Impulse NGO Network published in 2010 after a research conducted in the coal mines of Jaintia Hills and the claims that 70,000 children are working as bonded labourers in the mines and that they were mostly front Bangladesh and Nepal, we would like to inform that we had sent an email to all media personnel to join us in the mission – to which many of them replied and carried it forward. We are surprised to learn about the BBC coverage about the child labour issue in coal mines as we had not worked/informed them. We presume that BBC had taken the information from our website or from some other media house. We have no information about this published article/clipping/any coverage by BBC and would ask the writer to send us the details regarding this BBC coverage.
The writer had questioned why the research work carried out in Meghalaya was not shared with the State Government and thereby take it to task. Our response is that we had sent emails to all media, including local and national media houses and to the State Government Departments inviting them to join/giving us suggestions regarding the research. Details of email sent are available with us.
The writer also asked why the report was not sent to the National Human Rights Commission (NRHC) since the Chairman of the Commission took suo-moto action only on a report in a news magazine. As a matter of fact we had a meeting with Mr Jaideep Singh Kochher, Joint Secretary (Training) Training and Research, NHRC on 11th October 2011 in Guwahati concerning the children working in the coal mines of Jaintia Hills. As a follow up, we sent him the media links and research studies in this regard for reference and necessary action. Further the writer questions how if only 979 children were interviewed, did the research arrive at the figure of 70,000. Questions were also raised about methodology used and aspersions cast about whether the research was funded by some foreign organisation.
We had used the rapid assessment methodology, which we found most appropriate, considering the vulnerability of the children. The estimation of 70,000 children is based upon the Census of India, 2001. The figures show that there are 1, 22, 992 children below 18 years in the Jaintia Hills. Out of those there are 90,368 children in the age group 5- 14 years. Numbers of working children who are below the age of 18 years are 95,365. Therefore, 77.5% of the children in Jaintia Hills have been categorized as Main Workers (i.e. working full- time) in the Census of India, 2001. As per the chart provided by Health Department, Government of Meghalaya there is a population of around 1,15,463 migrant children in the Jaintia Hills who are in the age group of 5- 10, 10-16 and 16 -18 years. As per the estimation, there are 5000 coal mines in Jaintia Hills. If we take an average of 15 to 20 children working in each of the mines and if we calculate the number of mines with that of the number of children working in them we will find that approximately 1, 00,000 children work in the coal mines of Jaintia Hills. Hence after an analytical study based on the statistics, IMPULSE estimated that there are minimum 70,000 children working in the coal mines of Jaintia Hills. In the first phase we interviewed 907 children and in the second phase 200 children working in different mines making a total of 1107 children,
The writer had also stated that the report should have been authenticated by a local credible university like NEHU for counter verification. We had an expert from the Northeast (Assam), Ms. Priyam Saharia (lawyer) who is doing her PhD on Child Labour in India from University of Kentucky to conduct a thorough research for us. The report was sent to all the media and the concerned departments of State and Central Government. If the writer has any expert in mind it could help us in improving the report.
To the question on NGOs and rights-based approach as being a World Bank jargon we state that Impulse has a rights-based approach-vision. If someone questions this approach, it is totally up to the person concerned. We have never been funded by any US Funding Agency for rights based programme other than Aide et Action’s based in Guwahati. We are a transparent organization and would be pleased to share information of the organizations that have funded our work. We stand by our report and our funding system.
The writer has dared Impulse NGO to call a press conference to clarify the issues raised on 70,000 child labourers. We would be happy to answer any further queries and will respond to each one of the questions and substantiate the same.
Yours etc.,
Rosanna Lyngdoh
Team Leader
Impulse NGO Network
Patricia Mukhim replies: While my article was in the range of 1200 words and with specific queries, the Impulse rejoinder ran to five pages (approx 2000 words). Verbosity does not lend credence to tenuous claims. It took time to edit and shorten what was almost a legal document. Letters are normally in the range of 200 words only. The question of space to accommodate a lengthy rejoinder of over 1200 words should also be considered. Impulse has threatened to complain to the Press Council of India for not publishing their rejoinder post haste. Let the readers be the referee.