India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has produced a damning report on the use of child labour in Gujarat’s GM cotton farms following a fact-finding visit to the state. Led by commission member Dr Yogesh Dube, the three-person team visited cotton fields, settlement areas and a children’s home, as well as meeting with international NGOs, civil societies, state and national government officials. The report concluded that the human trafficking of tribal children from Rajasthan was an issue that needed addressing.

India is second only to China in cotton production with 22% of the global market. Use of the Bt toxin to genetically modify cottonseed began in India in 1995. By the time the government approved Bt cottonseed production in 2002, thousands of illegal Bt cotton seeds had already been sown in Gujarat. The state ranks third highest in India for cotton production, bringing considerable prosperity to the region.

As much as 70% of India’s estimated 100,000 child labourers work in agriculture. The report claims that ‘several hundred thousand children – mostly girls – sacrifice their education and health to produce hybrid cottonseed for a thriving industry’.

Appalling work conditions

Many of the children – aged between eight and fifteen – working on Gujarat cotton farms are being trafficked from the Udaipur, Banswara and Dungarpur districts of Rajasthan. They are engaged in artificial pollination, often working in appalling conditions, not least the extremely hot weather, for over 12 hours a day. The children are subjected to physical, verbal and sometimes sexual abuse, and are at risk of exposure to chemicals used in pesticide sprays.

The fact-finding team found child labourers in the cotton fields they visited. Sometimes the children tried to hide to avoid questioning. Others claimed to be children of workers - something the team was unable to verify. Some investigators were threatened and chased away by landowners and local youths during the visit.

The commission has called on Gujarat’s Home Ministry to assess the status of Anti Human Trafficking Units in the state, and to ensure that both these units and other police are alerted to keep watch for child trafficking into the cotton farms. The commission also issued guidelines to the Rajasthan government to prevent the migration and trafficking of child labourers to Gujarat.

Healthy approach to prevention

Tribal and Dalit girls from the villages of Rajasthan are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking, largely due to their extreme poverty and lack of opportunities as a result of their position in society, falling outside India’s caste system. Dalit Freedom Network recently launched an initiative to raise funds for a healthcare project in the state as part of an holistic approach to lifting Dalits and Tribals out of the cycle of poverty and exploitation. The project targets preventable diseases that are a contributory factor to the economic pressures that often result in trafficking and child labour. To find out more and make a donation, visit the project’s Virgin Money Giving page.