The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Child labour

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Monday, Jul 07, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Child labour

This has reference to the report ‘U.K. firm snaps ties with three exporters for engaging children’ (June 18).

British fashion retailer Primark dropped three of its Tirupur suppliers for sub-contracting embroidery work to companies that use child labour. BBC alerted the retail major.

While the media, law-enforcing authorities, entrepreneurs, and society are not very serious about this crime, it is heartening to see some ethical concern from the British retailer and the BBC.

Another serious issue in the textile centres at Tirupur, Erode, Karur and Namakkal is the destruction of ecology. Noyyal River is dead.

Orathupalayam dam does not irrigate even one acre of land. Amaravathy is in dire straits.

Kalingarayan Canal, Pugalur Raja Vaikkal and River Cauvery face severe pollution from TNPL and garment and leather industries.

Water and land at SIPCOT in Perundurai are thoroughly spoiled.

Villagers on river banks and in fertile canal belts cycle miles to collect potable water.

It is unfortunate that such a serious crime by the garment exporters is ignored by the American and European Union buyers.

P. Sankaranarayanan,

Erode.

Modify syllabus

Syllabus after the fifth standard should be modified to suit job requirements of students in future.

Cramming textbooks and notes to score high marks in public examinations will not help the students when they start hunting for jobs after education.

The syllabus should be job-oriented - motor mechanism, computer, electrical wiring, repairing of mixie, grinder, washing machine, typewriting, shorthand, fashion design etc. which will enable them to stand on their own legs.

G.N. Devaraj,

Bhavanisagar.

Kotagiri’s charm

I refer to the news item ‘Kotagiri’s tourism potential needs to be tapped’ (July 2).

While Ootacamund and Coonoor, to some extent, are in the priority lists of the tourists, Kotagiri is an ‘after-thought’.

Ootacamund can boast of its botanical garden, boat house etc and Coonoor has its Sim’s Park.

Kotagiri, too, is as charming as Ootacamund or Coonoor and can occupy a permanent position in the tourist map if there is enough publicity about its view points apart from its natural charm and historic spots

Care should be taken not to encourage high rise buildings in the name of urbanisation.

P. U. Krishnan,

Udhagamandalam.

Unnecessary strain

Some days ago a few constables from Singanallur police station came in search of my father-in-law who is 80 years old and bedridden.

They were holding a notice from BSNL, Coimbatore, demanding arrears in its telephone bill for Rs. 10.

This telephone (Number 2318642) connection was surrendered in 2004 and full settlement made.

However, I went to BSNL’s Mettupalayam Road office to pay the outstanding amount and complete formalities.

But to my surprise, an official informed that BSNL had not sent any notice as my father-in-law’s account showed ‘nil’ balance.

I have collected a certificate from BSNL and submitted it to the police station.

This incident, however, caused unnecessary strain on us.

R. Chandramohan,