Stone crusher children tell their woes

By Bishnu Prasad Aryal

DHADING, Oct.25: All the children, who crush rocks into gravel on the banks of Agara and Mahesh rivers in Dhading, about 40 kilometers north of Kathmandu, have tales of woes and sufferings, but also hope for the future. Many of them, especially boys, go to school during the day and work in the quarry in the morning and after the school.

"Our house collapsed a year after my father died six years ago. Since then we have been living in a hut under the bridge," said 10-year-old Murali Pariyar of Thakre. He is studying in Class 3 at the local Jana Jagriti Primary School. "I break the stones in the mornings and evenings so that I can buy pencils and copies." Pariyar wants to study up to Class 12 and join the army to serve the nation.
The boy lives with his 43-year-old mother and an elder sister, who also work on the quarry. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to keep our body and soul together," said his sister, 17, who quit her studies after primary school.

Bikash Lama, 12, was barely five when his mother eloped after his father died. An old woman has been looking after him and his younger sister. His sister dropped out after one year in school. Now she looks after others' children, and he studies in Class 3 at the local school.

"Sometimes, I cry when I think of my father," said Lama. But he expressed remorse at his father who used to beat him until she ran away with another man. He hopes to become a good teacher some day.

Punya Kumar Shrestha, 14, of Mahadev Besi is another stone crusher. He studies in Class 7 at Mahakali Secondary School, Simle. He is also a member of the Rhedodandrum Child Club, which works to raise awareness about girl trafficking and educate children. The club was opened by the working children themselves.

His family had migrated to Kathmandu from Ilam in east Nepal, unable to stand the hard times. The family has made the stone quarry their home. Other members of the family work on the owner's land and get half of what is produced.

Shrestha edits the wallpaper published by the club. Says he, "What I earn by working in the quarry in the mornings and evenings pays for my stationery." He has even stood first in his class. He wants to become a journalist.

There are a total of 1,367 children like Lama, Pariyar and Shrestha who crush stones for a living in Dhading. But despite the hardship, most of them have an opportunity to attend school, thanks to some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating here.

The Jana Jagriti Primary School, established two years ago by Child Development Society (CDS) with the assistance of ILO/ International Program for Elimination for Child Labour (IPEC), for instance, has 515 students. Most of them crush stones before and after the school.

The stone quarries here have become the centre of attraction for not only the poor people of Dhading, but also from other parts, including the Terai. Some have even come here from as far as India. Apart from children, there are 2,500 adults who work here. "Around 50 per cent of these people are migrants, while the rest are from the surrounding areas", said Gokarna Rupakheti, a local social worker.

"What worries us is how these children will continue with their studies as they get older," said Gunjeshwar Neupane of the CDS. At present the children are compelled to spend their childhood on the banks of the rivers, which are known to overflow during monsoon. As they grow older, others will take their place that is until and unless poverty is tackled.

The Rising Nepal, a national daily
Kathmandu Saturday October 26, 2002 Kartik 09, 2059.