Authors: Nita Bhalla, Rina Chandran, Anuradha Nagaraj, Thomson Reuters Foundation

KODERMA/BHILWARA/SYDAPURAM, India, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation)-In the depths of illegal mica mines in India, children as young as 5 years old work with adults, hiding a dark secret-covering up child deaths , 7 of them were in the past two months, according to a survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

A three-month survey in major mica producing states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh found that child labor is rampant, and small hands are very suitable for picking and sorting make cosmetics and car paint sparkle Of valuable minerals.

However, interviews with workers and local communities found that children not only risked their health in abandoned “ghost” mines outside of official radar, but also died in unregulated, crumbling mines. There have been 7 people since June. die.

In Chandwara, a mud-brick village in Bihar, eastern India, the grief of a father exposed the ugly reality of illegal mining, which is estimated to account for 70% of India’s mica production.

On June 23, Vasdev Rai Pratap's 16-year-old son Madan and two other adult workers were killed in a mica mine in neighboring Jharkhand State.

"I don't know how dangerous the work in the mine is. If I knew, I would never let him go," Pratap said, sitting on a small wooden bed outside his house-a traditional woven bed. ——All around are friends and family members who came to mourn the death of the teenager.

"They said that after the mine collapsed, it took almost a day for his body to be exhumed. They cremated him without telling me. I didn't even see my boy before they ignited him. "

Pratap, like the other victims’ families and mine operators, did not report any deaths. He chose to accept compensation for his losses instead of risking an end to illegal mining on protected forest land, which has brought some of the poorest areas in India. Income.

The farmer stated that the mine operator promised him a payment of 100,000 rupees (US$1,500) but has not yet received it.

The mine where Madan works is illegal, and no one can comment on the teenager's death.

Indian law prohibits children under the age of 18 from working in mines and other dangerous industries, but many families living in extreme poverty rely on children to increase their family income.

The findings of the Thomson Reuters Foundation investigation, supported by Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi’s child protection organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA)-or Save the Children Campaign-recorded more than 20 mica-related deaths in June-including Madan And the deaths of two other children-double the monthly average.

The BBA found that 4 children were killed in July.

India is one of the world's largest producers of silver crystalline minerals. In recent years, this mineral has attracted attention as an environmentally friendly material and is used by major global brands in the automotive and construction industries, electronics and cosmetics.

A spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Mines said that the safety of mica mines is a matter for state governments, and they are facing increasing pressure from the mining industry to issue licenses to illegal mines.

Social activists also support these calls, claiming that it will help combat the booming black market of mica, worker exploitation and abuse, and child deaths.

"The central government has no mechanism to inspect or control mines," spokesperson YS Kataria told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

BBA workers have been trying to prevent child labor in the mica mine in Jharkhand for nearly ten years. They said that the deaths of Madan and six other people in the past two months are just the tip of the iceberg. It is estimated that less than 10% of the deaths in the mica mine were reported to the police. .

Raj Bhushan, project coordinator of the BBA Jharkhand State, said: “Although there is no official figure on the deaths of children in mines because they are all illegal, we heard about them through the network of the village where we work.”

"Normally, we hear about 10 deaths a month on average. But in June, we recorded more than 20 deaths, including two boys around 15 years old."

Officials from the Indian Mining Safety Agency were unable to comment on the number of child deaths.

The National Committee for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a government organization, conducted a fact-finding survey in the Koderma and Giridih districts of Jharkhand in June and found that children as young as 8 years old were mining mica.

"We have not received any reports of children being injured or killed in landmine accidents such as collapses, because this is illegal and there is no public report. But it may be happening," said Priyank Kanoongo, head of the NCPCR fact-finding team.

A senior official of the Ministry of Labor of Jharkhand State responsible for ensuring compliance with child labor laws stated that there have been no reports of children having died from mica mining.

SKG Rahate, chief secretary of the Ministry of Labor of Jharkhand State, said: “First of all, if people mine without any approval, if they employ child labor, they commit a double crime, which violates the land law.”

District officials acknowledged that child labor is a problem in some mines, but said it was limited to remote areas, and government services and welfare programs failed to benefit the poor through training in new industries and school education.

“Mica is being mined in some places and children are involved. We are working hard to launch programs to support families in generating other income, such as training goat farming, building masonry and making kimchi,” said Uma Shankar Singh, Giridih’s regional collector.

The Dutch sports organization SOMO estimates that as many as 20,000 children are involved in mica mining in Jharkhand and Bihar.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation conducted a three-month investigation and found that there were children working in and around mica mines in northern Jharkhand, southern Bihar, and Rajasthan in northwestern India.

In a huge open-pit mine in Jharkhand, children as young as 6 squat amidst sparkling rocks, searching for shiny, fragile mica flakes with bare hands, while older children descend along rickety ladders Look for better quality silicate in the shaft.

In the Tisri area of ​​Giridih, Basanti searched for mica fragments in the reddish soil, while her 10-year-old son Sandeep climbed into a mouse hole dug on a hillside, then descended 3 meters (10 feet) and hit the mica. There is a pickaxe on the wall.

His mother said that this thin boy in plaid shorts and a white T-shirt has been working in the mine since he was 7 years old. Through his contributions, the family can earn 300 rupees (4 US dollars) a day.

"I know it's dangerous, but this is the only job," she said, squatting on the ground next to a metal plate partially filled with mica.

"I know Sandeep doesn't want to do this, but it is the case. If he can go to school to learn and become something, that's great, but first we need to eat."

"Even adult miners are not safe​​"

In the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, a 5-year-old boy was seen climbing down a narrow, crumbling shaft and cutting mica with a hammer and chisel, working for up to 8 hours a day.

Their sisters sifted and separated the mica on the surface, squatting on their buttocks, with bare fingers. The older girl also separated the mica and brought it to the collection point.

"The mine owner said that the children are not working in the mine, they are outside. They are just making a little more money for the family," said Ranasangup, chief executive of the non-profit mine labor protection movement in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Ta said.

"But children are of no avail anywhere near the mine, whether inside or outside. Even adult miners are not safe​​.

In a mine in the village of Tiloli in Bhilwara, two young girls sit on a pile of dirt, sorting mica fragments next to a mine partially filled with rainwater.

"I don't enter the mine. It's too deep and I'm scared," said Pooja, who appeared to be about seven years old. "I picked the larger pieces from the smaller ones. It's not that difficult."

A few feet away from her sits 9-year-old Payal, who also sorts out mica fragments with bare hands.

Dhanraj Sharma, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Labour of Rajasthan, stated that he was not aware of child labor in Bhilwara or "anywhere else in the state" mines.

"Their parents work in the mine and the children are with them. They may play there, they may be doing little things for their parents. This does not mean they are working," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The recent surge in demand for mica has revived India’s sluggish industry, which dates back to the late 19th century, when the British were in Kodma, Giridi and Hazaribagh across Jharkhand and Bihar. Mica was found in the Nawada, Jamei, Gaya and Bagalpur regions of the state.

The industry used to have more than 700 mines and more than 20,000 workers, but the 1980 legislation restricting deforestation and the discovery of alternatives to natural mica forced most mines to close due to cost and strict environmental regulations.

According to data from the Bureau of Mines of India, there were only 38 reported mica mines in India in 2013/14.

But with the prosperity of the Chinese economy and the global enthusiasm for "natural" cosmetics, people's interest in mica has rekindled, and illegal operators have poured into hundreds of closed mines in India and created a lucrative black market.

Data from the Bureau of Mines in India show that the country produced 19,000 tons of mica in 2013/14.

But the same data shows that the export volume is 128,000 tons, of which more than half or 62% are exported to China, followed by Japan, the United States, the Netherlands and France.

Despite receiving numerous emails and phone calls, anyone who was unable to reach the Bureau of Mines commented on the digital discrepancies.

According to Sudarshan, India's leading color and pigment manufacturer, experts estimate that about 70% of India's mica production comes from illegal mining in forests and abandoned mines.

This mica is sold to various traders, processors and exporters, and traded via mobile phones because it leaves India to overseas manufacturers, so no written records will be left.

“We sold the mica to an agent in the town, who sold it to a big buyer in Kolkata, who exported it to China, the United States, Germany, and Brazil,” said mine operator Dhara Singh, who said he and his The brothers own six Bilvara mines.

When asked about the two young girls sorting mica at the scene in the village of Tiloli in Bhilwara, he said they were volunteers.

But a few minutes later, four men arrived at the scene on two motorcycles, forcing all tourists to leave the scene.

The abuse of workers and violent threats and intimidation to the industry have increased the need for government intervention in the industry to ensure that all mines are legally operated and to help poor communities find new sources of income.

“The inventory is there, the demand is there, but the government has not issued a license,” said a Giridih businessman who exports mica to China, Germany and the UK.

"Exporters continue to work and buy mica from here and there. But there is a general sense of insecurity that the government can suppress at any time. It is best if they grant licenses and collect royalties."

Although the industry is not economically viable due to manual labor, it is still the main source of income in India, where labor costs are low, especially when child labor is used.

Child rights activists say that the authorities have ignored these child labor for years, but hope that drawing attention to the deaths of children in mica mines may highlight the danger and force the government to take action.

Occupational hazards include head injuries, cuts and abrasions, skin and respiratory infections such as silicosis, tuberculosis and asthma-but the risks of mining in poorly maintained, unregulated mines have also proven to be fatal.

Bhushan of the BBA said that he and his workers met with the families of most of the people killed in mining accidents in June and discovered that their only way to survive is this kind of undocumented mining.

Bhushan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation: "They are all poor families who rely on mica mining for their income."

"They fully understand that these places are death traps, but they also realize that they have no choice but to return there the next day. The authorities must solve this problem before more children die."

In a huge open-air quarry in the dense forest of Domchanch in the Koderma district of Jharkhand, Sushila Devi struck the sparkling gray rock with a hammer, breaking the large mica and throwing it into a large plastic basin.

The 40-year-old mother of six children has been collecting mica every day for more than a decade, but she-like most other workers-doesn't know what it is or its price on the global market.

“We don’t know what mica is, where it goes and what it is used for. All I know is that if I work hard and collect it, I will get some money,” she said, adding that she collects about 10 kilograms a day Of mica, her income is 80 rupees (1 U.S. dollar).

"We took it to a mica storage yard nearby, and the dealer bought it at 8 rupees per kilogram. I don't know how much he sold for it. He would never tell us. Why did he risk losing more profits? "

Activists said the fare increase was substantial. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the highest price of mica purchased from miners is 25 rupees (40 cents) per kilogram, but high-quality flake or "ruby" mica can be sold for as high as US$2,000 per kilogram, which helps Yu boosted the demand for synthetic mica.

The British cosmetics company Lush is proud of its handmade products and ethical trade. It switched from natural mica to synthetic mica in 2014 due to concerns about child labor.

Simon Constantine, Lush's head of ethical transactions, said that when armed guards were required to accompany the auditor to a mica mine in India, he knew something was wrong.

But the retailer with stores in nearly 50 countries/regions discovered this year that the synthetic mica it uses also contains traces of natural mica. The company said it is solving this problem.

"Mica caught us a bit by surprise because it is a new material that we have never actually used before," Constantine told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview at the Lush headquarters in Poole, a coastal town in southern England.

"But the purchase is an imperfect system and it will not end... it is always more important than the finished product."

Up to 10% of mica in the world is used in cosmetics.

Estee Lauder Cos Inc is another cosmetic company that uses mica in its products, but said that only 10% of its mica comes from India and is working with BBA to solve child labor issues and help fund schools in villages in the mica area.

Estee Lauder said in an email statement: "We firmly believe that education is the cornerstone of this work. It helps young people stay in school and provides skills that will enable them to find jobs outside of the mica industry in the future."

"Although the plan has not yet ended child labor in mica mines, it shows that responsible business practices and continued cooperation can create better prospects for children living in mica mines."

L'Oréal said that more than 60% of its natural mica comes from the United States, and the rest comes from other countries including India.

The company stated on its website: “In India, mica comes mainly from social and economically challenging areas where there are risks of child labor, unsafe working conditions and multiple participants in the supply chain.”

L'Oréal stated that it is important for all participants to work together. The Responsible Mica Sourcing Summit organized by the French non-profit organization Natural Resources Management Committee (NRSC) in Delhi in February is a good start.

Catherine Peyreaud, executive director of the NRSC, said that child abuse in mica has been going on for many years, but it wasn't until the news about mica's use in cosmetics made global headlines two years ago that the action really started.

She said that the NRSC is now completing a five-year plan that contains specific steps to address child labor and improve living conditions in mica areas so that children will not return to the mining industry.

In Dhab of Koderma, one of the approximately 45 villages where BBA works, the 13-year-old Pooja proudly flaunts the run-down school that she has attended for nearly two years since she left the mica mining industry.

Wearing her school uniform-a rustic white short-sleeved shirt and a navy blue skirt-the barefoot girl pointed excitedly at her classroom, in a row of blue doors in the whitewashed building.

"I like to go to school. I have friends here, I can play, and I can learn and learn. I am very happy that the arrival of BBA helps our parents understand that it is not good to let children work," said Pooja, who dreams of becoming a teacher .

"Mining is dangerous. When we were there, we always looked up and the earth and rocks might fall on us. It happened to me once, but with the help of my friend Munni, I managed to escape. That time I Severely injured."

Pooja is one of the lucky ones. More companies that source mica from India are trying to prevent children from working in mines and provide alternatives.

German drugmaker Merck KGaA discovered in 2008 that children were collecting mica from mines used for its supply, so it cut some suppliers and now only purchases mica from Jharkhand and child-free legal mines.

The company stated in a website statement that it has also established mica sources in the United States and Brazil, and is producing some effect pigments based on synthetic mica.

Another major buyer, Chinese pigment manufacturer Fujian Kuncai Material Technology Co., Ltd., said that although it admitted that this was a complex challenge, its audit did not find child labor in its supply chain.

A spokesperson for Fujian Kuncai said that the company is setting up its own company in India to purchase and audit directly from the mine.

It also teamed up with the children's rights organization Terre des Hommes and helped fund a plan to save 10,000 child laborers in Koderma and Giridih districts in Jharkhand.

The spokesperson said: "One person alone cannot make an impact. We look forward to working together to achieve our common goal: no child labor in the mica supply chain."

Because companies that need mica are willing to fund community initiatives, activists believe that legalizing the industry could disrupt the black market of mica, and help improve health and safety standards and combat child labor.

However, environmentalists will not welcome the reopening of these mines. Many mines are now located on protected forest land and cannot be operated legally.

Sengupta from the Mine Labor Protection Movement in Rajasthan stated that the first step to combat child labor is to require all mines to have an operator to report to the state to ensure the safety and income of workers, and there is no child labor.

"In many cases, children are forced to work because their parents are not properly paid, or because their father is sick and lacks medical care," he said.

"If there are operators in every mine, we will be of great help in checking child labor."

Some legal mines have tried to solve the problem of child labor.

The Sri Venkata Kanakadurga and Uma Maheshwari mica mines in Talupur, Andhra Pradesh, are the oldest and largest licensed mines in the area, but mine manager Syed Ismail said that children no longer work at the mines.

“In these places, mica has always been a traditional job that the whole family does. My father works in a mine, and we will visit,” said Ismail, who has been in and out of the mine since he was five.

"For many years, going to school has ensured that children are no longer in the mine. Now the children here say M means Mica."

Although activists hope that a renewed push to clean up the mica industry will help generations of children, it is too late for Pratap, who lost his youngest son Madan.

The last time he saw Ma Dan was in April, when the teenager left the village to find a life other than farming and raising cattle, full of dreams of returning home as a businessman.

Pratap said: "He told me he was going to do something with his life. I was happy for him, so I let him go." "How do I know that the work he is doing will kill him?"

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