tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007509643610309350.post4319370646489444396..comments2024-01-22T10:47:38.507+05:30Comments on As I Please: The BBC and Child LabourRahul Basuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07751088048215388592noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007509643610309350.post-6439451186223219172008-07-14T19:15:00.000+05:302008-07-14T19:15:00.000+05:30Rahul: this is one of the problems of running AMOK...Rahul: this is one of the problems of running AMOK. Let me clarify. I, Amok, hereby AGREE with the following statement from the blog. "My purpose in writing this post is to just highlight the fact that sting operations of the kind that the BBC carried out, with the immediate and fixed purpose of demonstrating its existence and nothing more, do little if anything in ameliorating the child labour problem in India. In particular, as I said earlier, it only serves to <BR/>squeeze off desperately needed income to poor and destitute families. <BR/>"AmOKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17351322682932613136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007509643610309350.post-67838714551066189392008-07-14T09:48:00.000+05:302008-07-14T09:48:00.000+05:30Correction: It's Primark and not Primack. Sorry fo...Correction: It's Primark and not Primack. Sorry for the error.<BR/><BR/>Sunder and Sonati: I would not blame outsourcing. Outsourcing has provided jobs to millions in India in IT, banking as well as manufacturing like garments and so on. Most of these jobs are well-paid (too well paid if you take the IT sector) and in many ways transformed the economy. The problem comes when the issue gets conflated with child labour, when families need as many hands as possible to make a decent living. This clearly is at odds with expecting the child to go to school. Economic incentives (what kind?) to families who send their children to school is presumably one answer. There are no doubt others.<BR/><BR/>AMOK: I can never figure out whether you are agreeing or disagreeing with the point of the post!Rahul Basuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07751088048215388592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007509643610309350.post-74771682106420619532008-07-13T23:42:00.000+05:302008-07-13T23:42:00.000+05:30Absolutely abominable. My view is this. The BBC ...Absolutely abominable. My view is this. The BBC and the media profited from the young children in exactly the same way as did Primark. Anyone who does a titillating story about prostitution is guilty of indulging in the same. I wonder which one is worse -- child labour or child malnutrition. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps the story was instigated by the competitors of Primark. By cutting off their low-cost supply base, Primark's competition would benefit as Primark would potentially have to raise prices, in the long run. In the short run people would buy from the "untainted" competition. This is the way of the world.AmOKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17351322682932613136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007509643610309350.post-10672212102434619782008-07-13T20:50:00.000+05:302008-07-13T20:50:00.000+05:30We second your take on this: For the sake of a sto...We second your take on this: For the sake of a story, livelihoods are lost. This is not going to make a whit of an impact on the problem of Child labour in dangerous industries in India.<BR/><BR/>Moreover, if you look at the ethics of the thing, it is surely as bad for an 18 year old (or a 45 year old or...)to be exploited as for a 14 year old. So then one should look at the whole business of outsourcing which is an issue of the Power of Money.<BR/><BR/>The other point you make is also valid: Surely it is the height of (depth of?) dishonesty to pose as a buyer to get the children to talk to you when you are just after a story.<BR/><BR/>If Primack is to be held accountable for Child labour in its products, the BBC should be held accountable for playing around with children's livelihoods (and perhaps lives).sunder and sonatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09692374898514058410noreply@blogger.com