Mica mines to the united nations' summit: inspirational story of bal mitra gram's kajal kumari

About Mica Industry

Mica, a mineral abundant in Bihar and Jharkhand, is widely used in various industries across the globe. The automotive, electronics, chemical, and cosmetics industries are some of the top consumers of mica.

However, the darkest secret of the mica industry is the involvement of child labour in procuring the mineral. Notably, mica mining was banned in Jharkhand in 1980 when the Forest Conservation Act came into effect. However, illegal mining continues to be a concerning issue in the region.

The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF) has been addressing the serious problem of child labour and exploitation in the mica regions of Bihar and Jharkhand since 2005. Our vision of a child labour-free mica industry can be achieved if we keep children at the centre, involve relevant stakeholders, engage the government at all levels, and rope in the industry bodies and civil society. We aim to unite and leverage the collective power of all stakeholders locally, nationally and globally to end all forms of child labour in the region.

Understand the Problem

The thriving mica industry in the states of Jharkhand and Bihar has put thousands of children in the area at risk of exploitation and losing their childhoods. Widespread poverty and impoverishment have led to large numbers of children dropping out of school to supplement their family incomes by working in illegal mines under inhuman conditions.

Robbed of their childhood, armed with tools and collection baskets, children are often involved in collecting mica embedded deep in the ground as they can easily access rathole mines. With every hammer strike, however, the danger of being buried alive due to a mine collapse only gets aggravated. Many deaths go unreported.

Challenges

Mica collection is the primary source of livelihood in the region so there is a lack of options to earn a living
Adults are not paid adequately for the mica collected by them so they involve their children to make ends meet
It is difficult to identify if the mica being sold is procured through illegal means
Due to the nonavailability of livelihood options, trafficking of children is common in the region
The unavailability of teachers in schools near the villages leads to high dropout rates and the involvement of children in collecting mica
Basic facilities like clean water and mid-day meals are also not available in many schools, which contributes to the dropout rate
Lack of infrastructure including toilets and proper roads connecting the villages to schools is also a major reason for high dropout rates
Lack of awareness amongst villagers regarding the ill effects of child labour and government welfare schemes
The Naxalite challenge leads to slowed growth and development in the region

About Child-Friendly Villages

The Bal Mitra GramTM (BMGTM) or Child-Friendly Village is a one-stop solution for holistic child protection.

The four pillars of BMG are:

We ensure there is no child labour, child trafficking, or child marriage in the Child-Friendly Villages

Child leadership is established through Bal Panchayats (Children’s Councils)

All children receive compulsory and quality education

Bal Panchayats (Children’s Councils) receive recognition from the Gram Panchayats (Village Councils)

Child-Friendly Villages in Bihar and Jharkhand

Our Interventions

Since 2005, KSCF has been working with the Gram Panchayat, local and district administrations and the community in Koderma and Giridih districts of Jharkhand for child-centric community development including withdrawal of children from labour and ensuring access to quality education to them. The selected villages for this intervention are well known for their rich reserve of mica mineral where many children are involved in collecting mica. The villages are situated in the interior parts of the districts surrounded by forests and are almost 100% dependent on revenue from mica collection.