Honoring
Labour Day with a Heavy Heart
While going
through my photo archive, I came across two powerful stories captured years ago
in the interiors of North and Central Bihar. As a photojournalist, some of the
most compelling and heartbreaking images I’ve taken come from the everyday
lives of people in rural India — especially the children.
One such
memory is from Muzaffarpur district, North Bihar — widely known for its
luscious lychees. But beyond the orchards lies a different story. I witnessed
young children, some barely 10 years old, toiling away in the sweltering heat
of May, crafting Lac bangles in small cottage industries. Instead of being in
school, these children were melting and shaping bangles beside their parents,
helping to keep the household running. Their innocent hands, meant for books
and play, were working beside furnaces, often under exploitative conditions and
for meager wages.
During my
visit, a few locals objected to my presence with a camera, but thanks to a
local acquaintance, I was able to take the photographs without incident. The
reality I saw was heart-wrenching — children robbed of their childhood in
exchange for a few coins and the hope of a meal.
In another
instance, I was on assignment in the deep jungles of Rajauli, near the
Bihar-Jharkhand border. There, I met children carrying heavy loads of mica
scraps on their heads through rugged forest paths. They collected the scraps to
sell in Koderma’s wholesale markets, some 30 kilometers away, all for a
pittance after an exhausting day under the sun.
On this
Labour Day, I share these images not to shock, but to remind us that behind our
progress, there are still countless children enduring exploitation, hazardous
work, and lost dreams.
As per
Indian labor law:
- No child below 14 should be
employed in any hazardous occupation. - Children and youth must be
protected from exploitation and abandonment.
Despite
this, 79% of working children are still in rural areas, most between the ages
of 12–15, with many even younger. Child labor not only robs them of education
but places them in environments that are physically, mentally, and morally
harmful.
Labour Day,
or International Workers’ Day, observed every May 1st, commemorates the global
struggle for workers’ rights. Its origins trace back to the 1886 Haymarket
affair in Chicago — a pivotal event that led to the establishment of the 8-hour
workday. Today, while we celebrate this day with wishes and tributes, it’s also
a time to reflect on those still fighting for the most basic of rights —
especially children.
Interestingly,
the term “May Day” also holds another meaning — a universal distress call
derived from the French phrase m’aider (help me). It’s a poignant
reminder of the cries for help we often overlook in our own communities.
To all the
workers across the globe — I salute your resilience and dedication. And to the
world, let’s not forget those tiny hands still bearing the weight of survival.
Happy
Labour Day.
Photos:
1.
Child
laborers working in Lac bangle units, Muzaffarpur, Bihar.
2.
Children
carrying mica scraps in Rajauli forest region.
Text
& Photos by: Ashok
Karan
👉 ashokkaran.blogspot.com
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