Kendrapara: As the demand of crackers swells on occasions like Diwali, children are forced to work in fire cracker factories in Kendrapara district of Orissa.

Villages like Putinga, Keruan Garapur and Sujanagar villages are the hub of locally-made palm-leaf fire crackers.

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The children are forced into the hazardous work of making crackers by their parents themselves, says Binayak Swain, a child rights activist. "Those who engage their children in cracker making are unaware of the legal embargo on engaging children in making of crackers. Employing children in fire cracker industry is a penal offence under Child Labour Restraint Act," he said.

Ghanashyam Jena, a cracker manufacturer at Keruan village, however, sees `nothing wrong` in employing children in the hazardous job.

"After all, it is (cracker making) is our source of earning. Why should we be penalised (for employing children)? They are our children. We have every right to engage them in family trade."

Jena is a landless and makes a living from making crackers for three to months a year. "For the rest of the year many of us work as farm labourers and earn more making crackers."
Cracker manufacturer Subal Jena says the age-old profession has now been reduced to a part-time job. "It`s only during the peak marriage season and Diwali that we have to work real hard and our children have to help us," he said.
PTI