Beaten, forced to work up to 18 hours: Seven children from Bihar escape Jaipur bangle factory
Jaipur: In a harrowing case of child labour, seven children from Bihar, allegedly forced to work in inhumane conditions at a bangle factory in Jaipur, escaped late Monday night and were found hiding in a graveyard by local residents, police said.
The children, visibly distressed and frightened, were found on Tuesday morning in the Bhatta Basti area. Locals alerted the police control room, after which officials from the Bhatta Basti police station and members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) reached the spot to rescue them, as reported by The Indian Express.
The children had reportedly been trafficked from their villages in Bihar two months ago under the false promise of a trip. Instead, they were made to work for 15 to 18 hours a day in exploitative conditions, allegedly receiving just one meal a day and facing physical abuse if they fell ill.
Initially unwilling to speak due to fear, the children later told the police that a man named Samsad Miya had brought them to Jaipur. Police quoted by TIE said that Miya has since been taken into custody and booked under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Police officials mentioned that child labour remains a prevalent issue in Jaipur’s bangle manufacturing sector. Factory owners exploit children for their small, nimble hands suited to intricate glasswork — and for their lower cost, as they can be paid far less than adult workers.
Vivek Sharma, director of Aasra Foundation Jaipur, which offers legal aid to rescued children, revealed that this is not an isolated incident. “Bangle factory owners in Jaipur traffic children from Bihar for a few thousand rupees. Every year, around 4,000 children are brought to the city to work in these factories, but only 20% are rescued,” TIE quoted him as saying.
Sharma described severe abuse faced by many children in captivity. “We have seen cases where children’s feet were cut with blades to prevent them from escaping. Many children had severe spinal injuries due to working for long hours without a break. It is important for the governments of both Rajasthan and Bihar to come up with a solution to this widespread issue,” he added.
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
