A Research study conducted to examine the conditions of workers and

children living at the Commonwealth site with a special emphasis on

Migration and Child Right Violations.

(A Summer Internship Report)

Under

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the course

Post Graduate Diploma in Management

(Session: 2009-2011)

Project Guide
Ms. Smita Sinha

Faculty Guide
Mr. Avijit Chakravarti

Submitted By
Lalit Singh
Roll No.29047
PGDM (2009-2011)

NIILM Centre for Management Studies

Plot No- 53, Knowledge Park 5, Greater Noida, UP

1
A Research Study conducted to examine the conditions of

workers and children living at the Commonwealth site with a

special emphasis on Migration and Child Right Violations.

2
 INFORMATION SHEET

1) Name of the Organization:- CRY India (Child Rights and You).

2) Address of the Organization- CRY India, DDA Slum Wing [Barat Ghar], Bapu Park,
Kotla Mubarakpur, New Delhi 110 003, India

3) Phone No. of the company- 24693137/3159/4790

4) Date of internship Commencement-15st May 2009

5) Date of internship Completion- 30th June 2009

6) Signatures & Name of the industry Guide- Ms. Smita Sinha

7) Designation of the industry Guide- Advocacy Manager

8) Student’s Name- Lalit Singh

9) Student’s Roll Number-29047

10) Student’s E-mail ID- singhlalit4@gmail.com

11) Student’s Mobile/ residence numbers- 9911100446

3
 CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

August 12, 2010

This is to certify that dissertation report on “A Research study conducted to examine the
conditions of workers and children living at the Commonwealth site with a special emphasis
on Migration and Child Right Violations”. Prepared by “Lalit Singh”, Roll No.29047 of
PGDM 2009-2011 Batch is his original work under my guidance and supervision.

Signature of the Faculty Signature of the Student

(Ms. Avijit Chakravarti) (Lalit Singh)

NIILM Centre for Management Studies

Plot No- 53, Knowledge Park 5, Greater Noida

4
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project is the outcome of sincere efforts, hard work and constant guidance of not only me
but a number of individuals. First and foremost, I would like to thank NIILM-CMS, New Delhi
for giving me the platform to work with CRY and understanding Non-Profit Sector. I am thankful
to my faculty guide Mrs Avijit Chakravarti, NIILM-CMS for providing me help and support
throughout the internship period.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my company guide Ms Smita Sinha who not only gave me valuable
inputs about the industry but was a continuous source of inspiration during these two months,
without whom this Project was never such a great success.

I would also take the opportunity to thank the entire staff of CRY who helped and shared their
knowledge about the industry for which I am highly grateful.

Last but not the least I would like to thank all my Faculty members, friends and family
members who have helped me directly or indirectly in the completion of the project.

Lalit Singh
PGDM 2009-2011
NIILM-CMS, New Delhi

5
INDEX

INFORMATION SHEET............................................................................................................................3
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION...........................................................................................................4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...........................................................................................................................5
Executive Summary:...................................................................................................................................9
Abstract:-...................................................................................................................................................10
Purpose and Scope of study:-....................................................................................................................11
Introduction :-............................................................................................................................................12
Commonwealth Games-............................................................................................................................12
Child Rights and You:-..............................................................................................................................15
Vision:-..................................................................................................................................................16
Mission:-...............................................................................................................................................16
Areas of Work:-.....................................................................................................................................16
Delhi :- CWG Promise for Indians............................................................................................................17
Social Sector or Non Profit Sector:-..........................................................................................................19
Social sector in India:-...........................................................................................................................19
Migration:-................................................................................................................................................22
Official estimates of migration:-............................................................................................................23
Other patterns revealed by the census were:....................................................................................23
Past Research:-..........................................................................................................................................24
Research methodology:-............................................................................................................................25
Findings:-..................................................................................................................................................27
Labor Classification...............................................................................................................................27
Data sheet of 18 in-depth and valid Interview...........................................................................................28
Set :-2....................................................................................................................................................30
SET 3:-..................................................................................................................................................32
Set 4:-....................................................................................................................................................34
Key Findings:-.......................................................................................................................................36

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Case Studies framed out of the above data:-..............................................................................................37
CASE 1.Meet Real hero..."ANIL KAPOOR"........................................................................................37
CASE-2 I COOK FOR EVERYONE.....................................................................................................38
CASE 3:- DJ by nature..........................................................................................................................38
CASE 4:- NOOR JAHAN.......................................................................................................................39
CASE 5:- Manoj....................................................................................................................................40
CASE 6:- Kamlesh.................................................................................................................................41
CASE 7:- Suraj......................................................................................................................................41
Findings after Interviewing Children at the Site:-......................................................................................42
Education...............................................................................................................................................45
Health....................................................................................................................................................45
Hygiene.................................................................................................................................................45
Housing.................................................................................................................................................46
CASE STUDIES.......................................................................................................................................46
Case 1:- She is just nineteen and mother of five....................................................................................46
Case 2:- Tired of babysitting her siblings, Chameli wants to play again...............................................47
Case 3 :- Gomti who is scared of chocolates….....................................................................................48
Case 5 :- Sunita misses Miss Kanta from Mobile Crèches….................................................................49
Case 6:- Bonding of two brothers..........................................................................................................50
Case 7:- “Me yaha ayi kyuki seher me bade bade doctor hai”...............................................................51
Case 8:- Hindu Muslim is not really Bhai Bhai at CWG site................................................................51
Case 9:- Neelesh carries water for his parents.......................................................................................52
Limitation:.................................................................................................................................................54
Recommendations:....................................................................................................................................54
Bibliography:.............................................................................................................................................56
Weblography:-...........................................................................................................................................56
Appendix...................................................................................................................................................57
I .Child Right Questionnaire..................................................................................................................57
II Migration Questionnaire :-.................................................................................................................58

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8
9
 Executive Summary:

Commonwealth games is multi crore projects, around 6-7 lakhs labour are involved in this
directly or indirectly. Following research was undertaken to understand the condition of labours
and the children of these labour. Social Sector or Non Profit Organization are playing a vital role
in helping the government in policy formulation and contributing in the social development of
the country. Despite the best of intentions and trillions of dollars worth of assets, nonprofits
have been unable to solve many of society's worst ills. A new casebook by 4 Harvard Business
School professors argues that the social sector should take an entrepreneurial approach.

 Societal problems are increasingly large and complex, taxing the ability of nonprofit
organizations to solve them.
 A new model for the social sector based on entrepreneurship would allow organizations
to create more value with their limited resources and tap additional resources not directly
under their control.
 MBA students are increasingly interested in courses and careers related to social
enterprise.

Non-profit organizations have long played an important role in the lives of women, children,
underprivileged, orphans in many parts of the world.
In India, many important changes in orphan children’s lives are a direct result of the intervention
of NGOs (non profits often referred to as NGOs in India). NGOs in India dealing with
Children’s issues often focus on advocacy for children’s rights or are directly involved in
providing services and care for children. Although legislation in India does in most instances
protect and promote children’s rights (such as access to free education, prohibition of child
labor, etc) NGO intervention aids in enforcing such rights.
Many of the local NGOs that focus on issues related to children (and women) are
founded by women (Carr, Chen and Jhabavala, 1996). Common wealth games is one of the
billion dollar project.

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 Abstract:-
The study was conducted at the Common Wealth Games site Siri Fort Stadium. In this study I
investigated the conditions of workers working at Commonwealth sites and the conditions of the
children living in these construction sites, I also looked out the child right violations and
reported the cases of Child Labour. I used Personal interview and Observation as a research
methodology. We interviewed around 25 children and 30 workers. I found that all the children
were school drop outs, with some even not knowing what school is.

“I found children living in the workers’ temporary camps living without quality food, safe water,
sanitation, quality formal schooling or daycare, healthcare and a safe environment - basically
without a childhood”. The Housing conditions are very poor with tin and plastic sheets being
used as housing materials.

The workers compositions includes worker from UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal etc. The workers came to the site due to lack of
opportunities in village and some came to earn a extra buck during off-season of agriculture
reducing the burden of seasonal unemployment. Most of the workers earn Rs 100-150 per day
whereas skilled workers earn from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per day. Most of the skilled workers are
from Rajasthan and unskilled are from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Most of the workers
have come here through a contractor, were contractor use to give Rs 5000 for 50 days, which
includes their food expenses and tickets.

The ratio of male and female workers was almost 3:2. Most of the children was left alone the
whole day with no one to take care of them. Most of the children were suffering from sun burns,
and other skin diseases. The children eat just twice a day that too modest pulses and rice. With
veggies, milk and fruits clearly absent from their diet.

According to the Construction workers Act of 1986, Facilities such as First Aid, Clean Drinking
water, sanitation, Creches for Children, Safety Regulations and pension plans.

No clean drinking water facilities were available. One death has been reported of a worker of
jaundice at the site. Some workers claimed there is first aid facility available on the site other

11
workers did not know about it. Around five workers lost their lives due to accidents at the Siri
Fort Site.

Purpose and Scope of study:-

Purpose of the study was to analyze the problem faced by the workers working for
Commonwealth Games in the year 2010 are to be held in New Delhi, the capital of India. This is
an international event where many types of games are played by participants from different
nations. New Delhi is the city which had been the official host of the Asian Games in the years
1951 and 1982. So, there is a lot of expectations and excitement regarding this auspicious event
of Commonwealth Games in the same city. Highlighting the issues of migrations and child
rights violations are the major focus area.

Scope of study is very large ranging from policy formulation for the migrants worker to how
companies involved in the construction sites can have a great model for their CSR activities.
How the labour living with their family can have the permanent habitation and the programs for
their children.

Business Model can be developed keeping in view the strength of Migrants workers, according
to the official records around 4.5 lakhs workers are working in the commonwealth Games sites,
and according to a report in Delhi only around 8 lakhs labors are present. In my study on an
average a family of labour (labour, wife and 2 children) spends around Rs 1500-1700 per month
on food. Just taking the examples of providing meal to these labour at the rate of 10-15 rupees is
feasible, and with the availability of economies of scale the profitability of this model can be
measured.

A young labor spends around Rs 1500-2000 on food and other stuff like Cigarettes and Guttka.
Construction sites are the major area of child rights violation and the frequency is also very high.
In migrants worker demand for good meal and at the good rate was very persistent.

Great scope is there to understand the psychological behaviour of work and pressure on these
labour and their family.

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Introduction :-

Commonwealth Games-

The Commonwealth is an association of over fifty nations from around the globe, together
comprising a little under a third of the world’s population, that work together for the promotion
of democracy, good governance, human rights, rule of law, and world peace.
The Commonwealth Games is the world’s third largest multinational sporting event. It is held
once every four years by a Commonwealth host nation who invites top athletes from other
countries to compete in a number of sports. The 2010 games will be held in Delhi from October
3rd to the 14th, and will feature over a dozen sports, including archery, aquatics, badminton,
boxing, cycling, “elite athletes with a disability” (EAD) events, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls,
netball, rugby 7s shooting, squash, table tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.

The main motto of organizing Common Wealth Games is the spread of Friendship and Fraternity
among the Nations. The 19th Common Wealth Games 2010 are going far beyond the feeling
of friendship and fraternity, this time they are going to fight indirectly against the terror also. 

 None of the world’s country is left untouched from the demon of terrorism; it has extended its
feet everywhere. Threats of terror attack are very common on the occasion of any international
level mega event and same is the case with XIX Common Wealth Games 2010. 

13
India, the hosting nation for XIX Common Wealth Games 2010 has been continuously
threatened against the smooth organization of this mega event but as usual terror threats are
unable to shake strong determinations of participating nations and players of this mega event.

The Commonwealth Games and Construction Workers A study by Building and

Woodworkers International estimated that 300,000 workers will be needed for this level of
activity, over 3 years, for 300 days/year. Among them will be 100,000 unskilled construction
workers, at least 10,000 of whom will be women, and their 20,000 migrant children. In all, 5
lakh jobs are to be created (airlines, airports, tourism, transport, interpreters, etc.) 1
The Commonwealth Games are just one part of the bigger construction boom hitting India,
expected to grow the domestic construction industry from $70 to $120 billion USD a year by
2012. Source: “India’s Construction Industry: Growth, Opportunity & Constraints”,
ASSOCHAM). The boom is going to generate a huge amount of wealth for many. But if the
current trend continues, India‟s 32 million construction workers will find themselves no better
off in a few years when the boom slows than they do now, meaning they will still be working in
dangerous conditions for less than minimum wage without job security, and living without basic
living amenities such as maternity and child care.

The Building and other Construction Workers Act of 1996

In 1996, a Central Act was passed as a legal framework for provision of social security to
workers in the construction industry, and their families. Some of its measures include provision
for clean drinking water on construction sites, crèches for sites with over fifty female workers,
first-aid facilities, safety regulations, and pension plans. Following are details on the slow
implementation of the Act in Delhi (update April 2008).
 There are 6-8 lakh construction workers in Delhi. (Source: NMPS, SEWA Delhi - workers’
unions)
 The Central Act came into place in 1996 and the Delhi Construction Workers Welfare Board
was formed in September 2002. It held its last two meetings in October 2007 and February 2008.

1
Building and Woodworkers International report

14
 Worker registration started in Oct 2005 and today, 8,500 workers are registered in Delhi.
(Source: Labour Commissioner, Delhi, NCT)
 Cess collection stands at over Rs.130 crores. (Source: Labour Commissioner, Delhi, NCT)
 First time benefits were released on Nov 23, 2007 at the Thyagaraja Sports Complex to 90
workers (over a decade after the act was passed into law). They consisted of temporary ration
cards and life insurance policies.
The Commonwealth is an association of over fifty nations from around the globe, together
comprising a little under a third world’s population, that work together for the promotion of
democracy, good governance, human rights, rule of law, and world peace.

The commonwealth games 2010 are touted to be the biggest sports extravaganza of India ever.
With average investment being more than10,0000 crores. According to news report the
expenditure has crossed 30,000 crore which is around 525 times more than actual allocation.
Sports Authority of India, DDA, and NDMC are the major venue holders for commonwealth
games. The main stadiums for the games would be Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium where the
inaugural ceremony takes place, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Siri Fort sports complex, R.K
Khanna sports complex, Yamuna sports complex, Dr.Karni Singh Shooting Range, Major Dhyan
Chand National Stadium, Shivaji Stadium, Saket Sports Complex, Talkatora Stadium and Dr SP
Mukherjee swimming stadium. 2

Due to security reasons we could only manage entry at Siri Fort Sports Complex.DDA is the
venue holder.

DDA has delegated responsibility of construction to a private firm B.E Memorial. B.E Memorial
further employed several agencies working under them. Strangely B.E Memorial does not have
any web presence.

Around 500 laborers were staying at the site. The official estimates given out by B.E Memorial
were around 300 laborers.

2
CWG official report.

15
We found around 200 families staying on the site .Around 20 families were staying outside the
site on August Kranti road mainly doing street scraping work. Others stayed at Shahpur Jat in rented
rooms.

Child Rights and You:-

Child Rights and You (formerly Child Relief and You, till 2005), commonly abbreviated
as CRY is a non-profit organization in India that aims to restore children's rights in India. The
organisation was established in 1979. The organization partners with grass-roots Non
governmental organizations to uplift thousands of Indian children denied basic children's rights.
It works towards restoring basic rights to children, especially from India and works across levels
from direct action to advocacy, mobilizing public opinion and policy change.

It was started by Rippan Kapur, who died in 1994 at a very young age of 40.

It focuses mainly on the 4 basic rights of survival, development, protection and participation
which were defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), an
international human rights treaty which has been ratified by 192 countries. In 1979, seven friends
made a simple decision to change the lives of India's underprivileged children. Led by a 25 year
airline purser, Rippan Kapur, Rs. 50 and a dining table as their resources and a belief that each
one can make a difference in a child's life, they aimed to enable all children to realize their full
potential. This was how CRY began.

The founders of CRY choose not to fund a grassroots-level implementing organisation working
directly with and for underprivileged children. Instead, they opted to make CRY a channel or a

16
link between the millions of individuals who could provide resources and the thousands of
dedicated fieldworkers who were struggling to function for lack of them.

Vision:-
A happy, healthy and creative child whose rights are protected and honoured in a society that
is built on respect for dignity, justice and equity for all.

Mission:- To enable people to take responsibility for the situation of the deprived Indian child
and so motivate them to confront the situation through collective action thereby giving the child
and themselves an opportunity to realise their full potential.

To work in partnership with individuals and organisations, and support them financially / non-
financially as well as with people from all walks of life, who believe in the rights of children.
Within CRY too, each function works in unison towards ensuring the vision of equal rights for
all children.

Areas of Work:-
The key functions of Development Support (grant making) and Resource Mobilisation
(fundraising) along with the other support functions - Communications, Human Resources,
Youth and Volunteer action, Finance, Planning and Information Technology, Policy and
Research, Documentation, The CRY Shop - all play a critical role in our organisation building
efforts.

It works towards restoring basic rights to children, especially from India and works across levels
from direct action to advocacy, mobilizing public opinion and policy change. It focuses mainly

17
on the 4 basic rights of survival, development, protection and participation which were defined
by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The CRC is built on certain "foundation principles" that underpin all other children's rights.

Delhi :- CWG Promise for Indians

Delhi the capital of India is the host of forth coming common wealth games and has been
involved in its memorable organization since its declaration in 2006.Delhi which is also known
as the political center of Indian Politics had also been the proud organizer of Asian Games twice
in 1952 and 1981.
 The organization of 19th common wealth games has marked India, especially Delhi as the most
happening place in the world map. The developments and facilities available in Delhi will
indirectly depict the picture of developments in India in front of whole world.
The preparation of such a big event has not been a cup of coffee for any nation, and India cannot
be an exception to this. Since, the declaration of common wealth games, Indian government

18
started its endeavor to successfully organize this event without any social, political or
economical hurdle.
Special Games Village is being developed along the east bank of the River Yamuna near popular
Akshardham Temple by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and a Commonwealth Games
delivery partner. 
 This special Games Village will reflect the blend of traditional Indian hospitality and modern
comfort in front of all participants of XIX Common Wealth Games 2010. The Games Village is
stretched to the total area of 158 .4 acre covering 14 blocks, 34 towers and 1,168 air-conditioned
residential flats to comfortably accommodate 8,000 athletes and team official. The
total estimated construction cost is expected to be 40 million US dollars.  

No doubt wining is the desire of every player but more important is the spirit to participate in the
games and represent the nation. The organization of such large events does not only encourage
players to compete but also develops the feeling of friendship among them.

 Common Wealth Games are played in friendly atmosphere; there is no place for personal
differences. Every year number of participating countries is increasing in such events. This time
72 countries are going to mark their presence in the XIX Common Wealth Games 2010 without
discrimination of any continent, religion, region or size of the nation.

The successful implementation of Common Wealth Games 2010 lies in the hands of five
stakeholders who are accountable for an adequate happening of games. These five key stake
holders are:
•    Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) 
•     Indian Olympics Association (IOA) 
•    Organizing Committee (OC) 
•    Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD)
•    Government of India (GoI) 

These stakeholders are required to look after all necessary operations associated with the games.
The stakeholders will also get support from several ministries, departments and agencies

19
of Government of India and several local and municipal bodies of Government of the National
Capital Territory of Delhi.

Social Sector or Non Profit Sector:-

The social sector is big business. In the United States alone some 1.5 million nonprofits and
other social ventures have combined revenues of $700 billion and control assets valued at
$2 trillion—a seemingly substantial arsenal to tackle problems in crucial areas such as
education, poverty, and health care.

But the truth is that many of these efforts, despite best intentions, have not solved the issues
they target, says Harvard Business School professor Jane Wei-Skillern. "Traditional
approaches are still falling short, especially as the intensity and complexity of social
problems has grown."3

Social sector in India:- The social and development sector in India today gives you an
opportunity to not only contribute towards the betterment of the society but also allows
aspirants to explore the various career prospects that this sector has to offer. According to
Indivar Mukhopadhyay, Head-HR, Save the Children, Bal Raksha, Bharat, “India has had,
traditionally, a very vibrant civil society presence which is more than substantiated by the 
presence of lakhs of NGOs in the country. Today, awareness and consciousness about
human development issues concerning the country is gaining increasing significance. More
so, with the increasing ‘professionalisation’ of this sector, there are unprecedented levels of
interest from professionals from the mainstream corporate sector to come in, join and
contribute.” “In India, the social and development sector has been impacted significantly in
the last decade through the socio economic contribution of the IT/ITES industry. As the

3
HARVARD BUSSINESS REVIEW FEBRUARY, 2008

20
industry grows in stature and size, it will be expected to play an even larger role, especially
in contributing to the marginalised and vulnerable sections of the community,” expresses
Rufina Fernandes, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation (NF). For Neelam Makhijani, Programme
and Consulting Services Director, The Resource Alliance, “The social sector is one of the
leading sectors in India aiming at social welfare. It is considered as a passion rather than
a profession.” 

  “The Indian social sector is booming and currently, it is going at a phenomenal speed and
it’s time for people to consider a career in the social sector as a very viable option,” says
Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation. An
NGO/International Non Profit Organization (INGO) has to be run professionally as any
other organization to enable it to achieve its objectives and aspirations. “Keeping that in
mind, an organization like Child Rights and You, Save the Children, Bal Raksha, Bharat
offers a range of employment opportunities as common to most professionally run
organizations which include jobs in the marketing and fundraising, finance, HR,
administration and IT departments and some which are specific to the world of
NGOs/INGOs which in the case of Save the Children, Bal Raksha, Bharat revolve around
the principle of child rights, emergencies, advocacy and policy,” informs Mukhopadhyay. 4

***5Comprehensive Report on Commonwealth Games Launched in Delhi:

Panel of Experts Questions Secrecy and Undemocratic Nature of CWG Process

New Delhi, 13 May 2010: Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) launched a report titled,
"The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Wealth? Whose Commons?" Former Chief Justice,
Delhi High Court, Justice A.P. Shah, officially released the report at an event which was
followed by a Panel Discussion chaired by Miloon Kothari, former United Nations Special
Rapporteur on Adequate Housing. Other panelists consisted of Dr. Amitabh Kundu, Professor of
Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Dunu Roy, Director, Hazards Centre; Dr. Shalini
Mishra, Senior Researcher, HLRN; and Shivani Chaudhry, Associate Director, Housing and
Land Rights Network. The 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) will be held in New Delhi,

4
The times of India, Mumbai, Date: June 4, 2008, Section: Times Ascent
5
Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) launched a report titled, "The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Wealth? Whose Commons?"

21
India, from 3-14 October 2010. Given the many unanswered questions that have marked the
CWG process, HLRN undertook a study on various dimensions of the Games. The HLRN study
questions the rationale for spending thousands of crores of rupees on a one-time sporting event,
which instead of delivering any benefits to the masses is resulting in multiple violations of
human rights, especially of the most marginalized sections of society.
The main findings of the report include:-
 India's decision to bid for the Commonwealth Games 2010 was non-transparent and
undemocratic and cost the country Rs. 137 crore. India offered US $7.2 million to train
athletes of all Commonwealth nations - an offer which allegedly clinched the bid in
India’s favour.
 The Government of India and Delhi decided to underwrite costs and budget shortfall of
the Games, despite the fact that the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure,
Government of India, cautioned against it in 2003.
 The budget for the CWG has risen from an initial projection of Rs. 1,899 crore to an
official figure of Rs. 10,000 crore and independent expert estimates of Rs. 30,000 crore.
 The expenditure on sports infrastructure is already 2,160% of the initial projected budget.
 The increase in the Union Budget allocation for the CWG from the Ministry of Youth
Affair and Sports rose by 6,235% from 2005-06 to 2009-10.
 Total expenditure on infrastructure, beautification projects, and security is unknown but
likely to be hundreds of crores.
 A July 2009 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) raised
questions on certain financial aspects of the Games, including sponsorships and revenue
generation.
 Over one lakh families have already been evicted due to CWG related projects. 44 more
JJ clusters are to be removed before the Games and an estimated 30,000 - 40,000
families will be displaced.
 'Beggars' and homeless citizens are being arrested and arbitrarily detained under the
Bombay Prevention of Beggary Act 1959. The Department of Social Welfare has
announced 'no-tolerance zones' in Delhi and plans to send them back to their states of
origin.
 There is rampant exploitation of workers at CWG construction sites, including low pay,

22
 inadequate living conditions, and lack of safety equipment.
 Experience from around the world has demonstrated that mega sports events result in
losses for the host country, especially when security costs are factored in. India's
expenses for the CWG are likely to create a negative financial legacy for the nation, the
effects of which are already visible in the form of higher cost of living and taxes for
Delhi residents.
 The Games are unlikely to improve sports in India since investment is concentrated on
stadiums, which lie largely unused after the event, as in the case of the 1982 Asian
Games.

Migration:-
Migration in India is not new and historical accounts show that people have moved in search of
work, in response to environmental shocks and stresses, to escape religious persecution and
political conflict. However improved communications, transport networks, conflicts over natural

resources and new economic opportunities have created unprecedented levels of mobility.6

Although significant in recent years, growth has been unequal in India (Balisacan and Ducanes
2005), characterized by industry in developed states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab
drawing labour from agriculturally backward and poor regions such as eastern Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, southern Madhya Pradesh, western Orissa and southern Rajasthan. High productivity
agricultural areas (“green revolution areas”) continue to be important destinations, but rural
urban migration is the fastest growing type of migration as more migrants choose to work in
better paying non-farm occupations in urban areas and industrial zones. Delhi and the states of
Gujarat and Maharashtra are top destinations for inter-state migrant labour. Labour mobility has
grown and will probably continue to grow once the economy recovers from the current crisis.
Migrant labour makes enormous contributions to the Indian economy through major sectors such
as construction, textiles, small industries, brick-making, stone quarries, mines, fish and prawn
processing and hospitality services. But migrants remain on the periphery of society, with few
citizen rights and no political voice in shaping decisions that impact their lives (Kabeer 2005).
Unlike countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia, the bulk of the migrant workforce in India has
little or no education (Srivastava 2003). In fact migrants are poorly endowed all-round: they
come from poor families where access to physical, financial and human capital is limited and
6
United Nations Development Programme Human Development Reports Research Paper 2009/13 April 2009

23
where prospects for improving living standards are constrained by their inferior social and
political status. Historically disadvantaged communities such as the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes7 and Other Backward Castes are heavily represented in migration. Poor migrants are
absorbed in informal sector jobs, much maligned for being insecure, poorly paid and

unproductive but offering the only option for laborers to improve their capabilities.

Official estimates of migration:-

The two main sources of data on migration are the National Census and the National Sample
Survey (NSS) and most estimates of migration are based on these.
The total population of India at the last Census was over a billion. According to the National
Census for 2001 30% of the population or 307 million were migrants. Of these, nearly a third
had migrated during the previous decade. It is topical to note at the outset that both the National
Census and the National Sample Survey (NSS) use definitions of migration that are not
employment related. These are change in birthplace and change in last usual place of residence.
Secondly they give only the main reason for migration and thus miss secondary reasons which
are often work related particularly in the case of women, third they count migrant stocks and not
flows which are actually more important for policy and finally, they seriously underestimate
categories of work that employ migrant workers. The findings of the Census and NSS on

migration must be viewed against this backdrop.

Other patterns revealed by the census were:

• There were 65.4 million female migrants and 32.8 million male migrants. However a
majority (42.4 million) of female migrants had not migrated for work and had cited
marriage as the main reason for the change in residence. Among males the most
7
These groups accounted for more than 250 million people in India in 2001 (167 million SCs, 86 millions STs and
other minorities). Official statistics show that SCs and STs are more deprived than other social groups. At the all
India level, poverty among STs was about two times higher than non SC/STs, the poverty gap ratio being 2.10 and
1.7 times higher among SCs compared to non SC/ST groups. But there were variations across states. The disparity
between SCs and nonSC/ST groups was particularly high in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan with poverty disparity
ratios of 5.31, 3.98, and 3.72 respectively. Thus, poverty among the SCs was about five times higher in Punjab,
about four times higher in Haryana, and about two and half times higher in Rajasthan than the rest of the nonSC/ST
population (Thorat and Mahamallik 2005).

24
important reason for migration was ‘Work/Employment’ given b y 12.3 million male
migrants.

• Rural to rural migration still dominated and accounted for 53.3 million; Rural to urban
migration: 20.5 million Urban to rural migration: 6.2 million and Urban to urban
migration: 14.3 million.
• Interstate migration has grown by 53.6%. The total number of interstate migrants was
42.3 million. Uttar Pradesh (-2.6 million) and Bihar (-1.7 million) were the two states

with the largest net outmigration.

Table 1 The Economic Contribution Of Migrant Workers By Sector

Sector Number of migrant Value Added per Total
Worker in the Contribution
Unorganised Sector to the Economy
(millions)
AGRICULTURE At least 10,000,000 $ 385.73 (World 253057.50
Migrant farm workers Development
1000,000 cane cutters Indicators Database)
500,000 cottonseed = Rs 18745
workers 2,000,000
cashew processors
Ind. Division (NIC 1998)
Mining&Quarrying 6,000,000 21534 129204
Manufacturing 35,000,000 textile 21933 767655
workers
Electricity, Gas&Water 231186
Construction 40,000,000 38263 1530520
Trade, Hotels & 10,000,000 street 62923 629230
Restaurants vendors

Transport,Communication 8,000,000 rickshaw 77677 621416

& Storage pullers
FIREBS 102627 (1.91%)

Social,Community and 20,000,000 domestic 45155 (6.67) 903100

Personal Services workers
Total 4834182
Source ;- UNDP Report on Migration, 2009

The contribution of migrant workers to the Indian economy is at least Rs 4834182 Million ($
99,479 million). The total value of India’s GDP was Rs 47,131,480 million which means that
migrant labourers contribute 10% of the GDP.

25
Past Research:- Studies are conducted by the various organization and institutes on the
common wealth games, some focused on the money involved in the games, some studies
developmental cost, NGO’ s conducted many research to understand the re-habitation and
migration issues. Few organization conducted research to report the cases of Child labour
and irregularities made in the wages made to the labour working in construction sites.
Children who migrate on their own or migrate with their parents miss school. There are no
official estimates of the numbers of migrating children out of school but 6 million is now a
widely accepted figure for India (AIF 2006). The inability to educate children perpetuates
poverty beyond the present generation into the next one and the government of India
recognises the need to reach migrating children, at least through legislation. The underlying
assumption is that educating the children of poor workers will interrupt the intergenerational
transmission of poverty. The scheme for universal primary education, the Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan (SSA) and the Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative
Education (EGS & AIE) programme promise a number of facilities to make education more
accessible to mobile children. These include mobile schools, examinations on demand;
bridge courses, residential camps and drop-in centres for street and slum children. The goals
of the SSA are shown in Box 1. Within these programmes, three experiments are reviewed
across very different state contexts in terms of the political milieu.8

Research methodology:-
The study is a qualitative study. Personal interview were conducted on the pre determined
questionnaire.
The motive of the study was to study Migration of workers and its impact on child rights at the
commonwealth site at a predetermined questionnaire. The questionnaire of the children was framed
keeping in mind the four basic rights according to a child.

Child Rights and You defines the child rights as

1) Survival

8
UNDP report on Education, 2008-2009 and AIF (2006) Locked Homes and Empty Schools. Zubaan /America India Foundation,
New Delhi.

26
 2) Protection

3) Development

4) Participation

The questionnaire for migration was framed taking into account parameters such as

1) Education

2) Health

3) Income

4) Expenditure

5) Conditions in which their family was living.

We interviewed around 25 children and 45 adults. The sample does not qualify for a large sample size
qualitative data was more crucial for this study. In-depth interviews were conducted. In this research
I study the labours, their wife and children. We ask the following questions:

We framed case studies with the available data.

**The Study is entirely based on primary research.

1. Name of the Respondent.

2. Native place.
3. Education Background (literate/ illiterate).
1. Skilled or Unskilled.
2. Married or Unmarried
2.1 Where family stays?
2.2 How many children?
2.3 Do they go to school?
2.4 Where? If not then what they do in daytime?
2.5 Healthy/ Malnourished ?
2.6 Is doctor available on construction sites?
2.7 Awareness regarding polio vaccination, chicken pox, measles?
4. Working from the age of (victim of child labor or not).

27
5. Members in the family.
6. Daily Wages?
7. Expenditure on food and Other expenditure? ( Cigarettes, liquor, guttka) etc.
8. Regret for not studying?
9. How many time in a year goes back to home?

Findings:-

Children composition at CWG site

4%

20% UTTAR PRADESH

CHATTISGARH
BIHAR
MADHYA PRADESH
RAJASTHAN
8% 56%

12%

Graph 1 indicating migration details of children at the Siri Fort Stadium..

As the graph indicates out of total 25 interviews conducted 14 children migrated from Uttar Pradesh,
around 3 children migrated from Chhattisgarh, 2 from Bihar,1 child from Rajasthan and 5 from Madhya
Pradesh.

Most of the workers from West Bengal and Rajasthan did not bring their families to the site. We
interviewed some Bengali workers and asked about their families. Most of the workers said that their
wives made beedis at home and children do not go to school.

Labor Classification
a) Un-Skilled

28
b) Skilled

Most of the skilled workers came from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh whereas unskilled workers came
from West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Skilled Laborers Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh

Unskilled Laborers West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh

COMPOSITION OF LABOUR BASED ON 18 INDEPTH

INTERVIEWS
11%
22% UTTAR PRADESH
CHATTISGARH
BIHAR
MADHYA PRADESH
22% RAJASTHAN
6% WEST BENGAL

6%

33%

Graph 2 indicating migration details of labours at the Siri Fort Stadium..

Data sheet of 18 in-depth and valid Interview.

Set :-1

Se.No Questions S.1 S.2 S.3 S.4 S.5

1. Name of the Suraj Balram Phuli Jaghmoh Rajnesh

an
Respondent Kr Yadav

2. Native Place Rajasthan Rajasthan Jhansi UP Dadri, Bihar,

29
 (dholpur) UP samastipur

2.1 Age 17 23 20 22 19

2.2 Siblings 3 Sister Sister and 1 elder 1 bother 3 brothers

2 brother
3 brothers & 1 sister
borothers

3. Education Illiterate 7th pass Primary Illiterate Went to

level
school

3.1 Skilled or unskilled Unskilled Skilled Unskilled Unskilled Unskilled

3.2 Married/ Unmarried Unmarried Unmarried Unmarried Unmarrie Unmarried

d

3.2.1 Where family Rajasthan Rajasthan Sites Dadri Bihar

stays?

3.2.2 Where are the -------------- ------------- Nephew -------- -------

children? (site)

3.2.3 Do they go to -------------- ------------ No --------- -------

school?

3.2.4 Where? If not then -------------- ------------- Constructi -------- -------

what they do when on sites
you are at work?

3.2.5 Healthy or mal ---------------- ------------ Mal -------- -------

nourished? nourished

3.2.6 Is doctor available No No No No No

on the site?

3.2.7 Awareness -------------- ------------ No -------- -------

regarding polio
vaccination,
measles, chicken
pox?

4 Working from the 12 victim of 15 ( 7 year 16 Seasonal 12-13 year

age of (victim of child labour.. experience worker,
Rs 1800
child labor or not). first pay = back
90 Rs homes per month
present Rs work in
to Rs 6000
250-275 fields.

30
 5 Members in the Father, 3 Father Father, Father, Mother,
family. sister mother, mother, mother 3brothers
married, 2 sister, 2 brother, brother. n 1 sister
bother bothers bhabhi,
studying. studying. nephew

6 Daily Wages? Rs 190 per Rs 250 100 2500+ Rs 200

day. -275 food
monthly

7 Expenditure on 40 Rs per 1500 per 1000 per Rs 100 1200 Rs

food and others day and Rs months months
( Cigarettes, liquor, 20 on others.
guttka) etc.

8 Regret for not yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

studying?

9 How many time in 2 times in a From last Once in a Twice in Twice in a

a year goes back to year 5 year year a year
year
home? working
in Delhi.

Set :-2

Se.No Questions S.6 S.7 S.8 S.9 S.10

1. Name of the Prakash Shiv Ram Anil Surya Kishor

Singla kumar
Respondent

2. Native Place Dholpur Bharatpur Gaya, Muzzafarp Malda,

Rajasthan Rajasthan Bihar ur, Bihar Bengal

2.1 Age 24 38 33 year 26 year 40 year

2.2 Siblings None None Brother 3 Sister None

(married)
and two
brothers.

3. Education No 12th pass. 12th pass 5th class Illiterate

schooling

31
3.1 Skilled or unskilled Skilled Skilled Unskilled Skilled(DJ Cook
(security) )

3.2 Married/ Unmarried Married Married Married Married Married

3.2.1 Where family stays? Dholpur Family Brother in Muzzafarp Wife in

stays in delhi, n ur
malda
delhi. rest back
(Rented home. (beedi
room)
maker).

3.2.2 Number of kids and One (back 2 kids 3 kids, 1 kid at Son with
Where are they? home) Back constructi
him,
home on site.
work in
site.

3.2.3 Do they go to school? Yes Not now Yes No No

3.2.4 Where? If not then --------- Stays at ______ Stays with Work in
what they do when home with mother
CWG
you are at work? mother
site.

3.2.5 Healthy or mal Healthy _______ ______ Mal ______

nourished? nourished

3.2.6 Is doctor available on No No No No No

the site?

3.2.7 Awareness regarding Yes Yes Yes Yes No

polio vaccination,
measles, chicken pox?

4 Working from the age 12(12 year 9 year Lost his Last 5 From last
of (victim of child experience experience father at year. Was 20 year
labor or not). in stone . Back the early the DJ working
related home use age, left back under one
work). to work on school, home. But Tekhedar
fields. and left due to .
started seasonal
working. nature.

5 Members in the Father, Mother, Mother, Father, Wife and

family. mother, father, wife, 3 wife and 2 one son.
wife, one wife, 2 kids, one brother
kid) kids brother. and one

32
 kid.

6 Daily Wages? 275 Rs 300 Rs 250 Rs + 250 Rs Rs 100 +

food
food

7 Expenditure on food 1500-2000 2000 per Take care 2000 Rs 1500-

and others per month. of brother and sends
2000 per
( Cigarettes, liquor, months expenses money for
guttka) etc. and send brother month.
money education.
Sends
back
home. money
back
home.

8 Regret for not Yes ______ Yes, Yes Yes

studying? wanted to
become
lawyer.

9 How many time in a When During the Once in a Once in a When

year goes back to ever gets harvesting year. year
ever gets
home? time. .
time.

SET 3:-

Se.No Questions S.11 S.12 S.13 S.14 S.15

1. Name of the Kamlesh Sunder Noorjahan Nirmal Rakesh

Singh
Respondent

2. Native Place Bihar, Bengal Jabalpur Allahaba BilaspurC

Patna MP d UP attisgarh

2.1 Age 38-40 14-17 28-30 30-35 15-19 year

year

2.2 Siblings None None None None Two

33
3. Education Illiterate Till Went to No No school
primary madarsa education
level

3.1 Skilled or unskilled Unskilled Unskilled Unskilled Skilled Unskilled

3.2 Married/ Unmarried Married Unmarried Married Married Unmarried

3.2.1 Where family stays? Constructi No one in Constructi Stays in Bilaspur

on sites family on sites Allahaba
victim of d, 2 kids
Marxism.

3.2.2 Number of kids and 3 kids ______ 2 sons 6 2 kids One

Where are they? stays at year and 8 back
brother
the home. year. home.
studying n
sister
married.

3.2.3 Do they go to school? No ______ In evening Don’t go _______

Went to to school.
near by
madarsa.

3.2.4 Where? If not then They play ______ During Back _______
what they do when with other day time home
you are at work? kids at kids help stays at
site. their home.
parents.

3.2.5 Healthy or mal Mal ______ Weak _______ ________

nourished? nourished _

3.2.6 Is doctor available on No No No No No

the site?

3.2.7 Awareness regarding No ______ No Yes No

polio vaccination,
measles, chicken pox?

4 Working from the age 17 year Last 4 _______ From last From last
of (victim of child years 4 year he year he is
labor or not). is in Delhi.
Delhi.

5 Members in the Wife, None (got Husband, Wife, 2 Father,

34
 family. 2daughter, killed 2 kids, kids, mother,
1son. during brother in father, brother.
political law, father mother.
instability) in law.

6 Daily Wages? Rs 150 Rs 100 Rs 150 per 200 Rs 5000 Rs

day.
per month.

7 Expenditure on food 1500 Rs Takehedar 3000 Rs 1000 Rs Rs 2000+

and others provides on entire on food.
( Cigarettes, liquor, food. family.
guttka) etc.

8 Regret for not Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

studying?

9 How many time in a Once in _______ Twice in a Twice in When ever

year goes back to two year. year. a year.
gets break
home?

Set 4:-

Se.No Questions S.16 S.17 S.18

1. Name of the Manoj Hari Mohan Vijay Yadav

Respondent

2. Native Place Bastar Bihar Patna, Bihar Mirzapur UP

2.1 Age 16 year 32-35 year 30 years

2.2 Siblings 1 brother None None

3. Education Primary level Never went to Primary level

school

3.1 Skilled or unskilled Unskilled Unskilled Skilled

3.2 Married/ Unmarried Unmarried Married Married

3.2.1 Where family stays? Father is dead, At Construction Construction sites

35
 mother n brother sites. (juggis) (Juggis)
stays in bastar.

3.2.2 Number of kids and Brother 3 kids 3 kids. Stays with

Where are they? him.

3.2.3 Do they go to school? Yes No No

3.2.4 Where? If not then Bastar Stays in juggis and Stays in juggis
what they do when play with other kids. built near the
you are at work? construction sites.

3.2.5 Healthy or mal ______ Mal nourished. Mal nourished

nourished?

3.2.6 Is doctor available on No No No

the site?

3.2.7 Awareness regarding No No No

polio vaccination,
measles, chicken pox?

4 Working from the age 12 victim of child From the age of 13. 17-18. came to
of (victim of child labor. From last Father mother died delhi in search of
labor or not). year working in in young age. work with his
different Looked after by friends. Got
construction sites. grandmother. Who is married after
also no more. getting the work.
After the death of
both mother and
father he bring the
family to Delhi.

5 Members in the Mother and Wife and three kids. Wife and 3 kids.
family. brother

6 Daily Wages? 150 Rs Rs 150 Rs 250

7 Expenditure on food 1000 Rs per Rs 2000- 2500 per Rs 2000

and others month. month
( Cigarettes, liquor,
guttka) etc.

8 Regret for not Yes No (fate) (kismet Yes

36
 studying? main jo likha hai)

9 How many time in a When ever gets Once in year. But Once in a year to
year goes back to time. after dadi’ death do puja.
home? never been to his
village.

Key Findings:-

Mixed concentration of labors from different part of the country. Major states includes
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, Chhattisgarh. Using personal interview we tried to find
out the exact Number. We came up with following figures.

States Total people working at Sri fort Stadium

Bihar 200

Rajasthan 200-250

Uttar Pradesh 200

Chattisgarh 150

West Bengal 150-200

Madhya Pradesh 100

NOTE:- It is also required to take into consideration that Sri fort stadium work was almost 80 Percent was
completed at the time of study. So the labour demand and concentration was much lesser and different than the
demand at the beginning of the work.

Case Studies framed out of the above data:-

Case 1.Meet Real hero..."ANIL KAPOOR"

37
Anil is from Gaya, Bihar, 12th pass, working as a laborer at CWG site. He couldn't continue his
studies because he lost his father at a young age. He have been working since the age of 18
years. Today he is 33.

He is a nice and an intelligent man, he wants to continue his studies, says bahut lajjit hona parta
hai hume samaj me, hum shiksha se vanchit rahe.

He says he was a bright student in school wanted to become a Lawyer.

Anil’s family stays back home in Gaya, his mother looks after his wife and two kids, both goes
to school.
Includes lots of Ramayan and Mahabarata instances in his talk. He spent his entire life in earning
bread for his family and to make his brother study, and wanted to see his brother as an IAS
officer. Presently his brother cleared SCC exam. From last 4 years Anil's brother is in Delhi
Preparing for CS exams, Entire expenditure of his brother was carried out by him.

He speaks hindi very fluently.

This man inspired me a lot..... best thing about him was he believes in "Forgiving and
forgetting"," India is great country, all religions are followed", "smay hi bhagwan hai".

Anil is very religious man, he told me that “atma sai honi chaiye”, “sab lo prem rup se rahena
chiye”, “Sadhu wahi hai jo ek dusre ko sahara de”

Anil practices Yoga every day and he also told me that he created a medicine using
“JARIBUTITES” i.e.. Herbs, locally available in his village. This helps the aged couple in
bearing children.

38
He is very famous amongst his co workers, people recognize him by "Anil Kapoor", and his co-
workers told me that Anil is very neat n clean man by heart.

Anil took my G.K test, he asked me many question like Who made India Gate? When Second
World War came to an end? Who gave the slogan JAI JAWAN JAI KISAN? Etc..

Another interesting instance Anil taught me the real meaning of Hero. According to him HERO
Stands for- H=healthy, E=Efficiently, R= Rich, O= Obedient

Case-2 I COOK FOR EVERYONE

Kishore is a 40 year old man from Malda West Bengal. He has been working as a labourer for
more than 20 years. Kishore has worked in all places in India. He liked lucknow the most out of
all the places he visited.”Nawob ka seher hai”

Kishore is like an older brother to most young laborers working. Kishore cooks for all the 150
laborers working there at the site.

His family lives in Malda, wife makes bidi’s. Children do not go to school. One child work in the
CWG site along with him. Child age is somewhere around 15-16 years. Other child help his
mother in the bidi making. Age is around 10-12 year as told by Kishore. Both the kids never
went to school, couldn’t afford to sent them to the school.

He wants to set up his own tea stall and Bengali restaurant in Delhi.

He earns Rs 5000 for a 60 day contract with a local Tekhedar. He told us that he is going to his
village for elections. The local MLA contesting for elections had paid them Rs 5000 per family
for voting in favor of him. A clear case of VOTE BUYING.

CASE 3:- DJ by nature

These were the words of “Surya” young migrant labour from Muzzafarpur, Bihar. Studied till
primary level (class five).

Surya back home was the DJ, playing music during the occasions like Birthday, Weddings, etc.

Though in village he use to earn good amount but the earning was not continuous. Father took
the loan for mother’s Kidney operation; the repayment of loan was to be made by Surya and his
father. Surya lost her mother. They have to sell their Medical Shop to repay the loan, loan
amount was very big. So he came to Delhi for the work. Surya has 3 sisters all married and 2
brother, he aspires education for him. He regrets his studying days did not like studying because
he was in the bad company then, said Surya. Surya is married and live with his wife and one kid.
Kid’s age is around 4 year whom they take with them where ever they go for work. Surya and his
wife both work in the site. Family stays in the jugggi’s near the construction Sites.

39
He was quite upset while talking to me because he lost his cell phone last night. He hates Laoo
(Laloo Prasad Yadav) because he ruined Bihar. He likes Nithish, with the coming of Nithish
Bihar is progressing very fast and crime, law and order has improved a lot. He also stated that
States like Kerala and West Bengal are very good in terms of Education Standards. Bihar has
poor education standards. He also told me that no NREGA schemes are present in his Village.

“Mehangayi bahut hai jaan le rahi hai”, Man mohan ke Raj main bahut mehangayi ho gayi
hai”.

He enjoys cricket, and want to watch match in a stadium at Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi. He is a big
fan of Saurav Ganguly. Loves him, think he is the greatest Captain India ever had. He also told
me he won Rs500 through local betting.

He also said “Common Wealth Games is a waste”, they should have invested this amount in
generating employment and developing Villages.

He had seen India gate, Qutub Minar, Red Fort. And want to go to Mumbai.

Case 4:- NOOR JAHAN

Her personality is very true to her name; Noor Jahan is a graceful young lady. She is the mother of two
children Irfaan and Armaan.She is extremely soft spoken belongs to the city of Nawabs Lucknow.She got
married at the age of 18 in Jabalpur M.P.Her husband is an electrician working at Commonwealth site.
She along with her father in law and brother in laws works at the site.

Since Noor Jahan and her family are Muslims they do not stay where the other workers stay. They stay
separately. Ten family members staying under a single tent made of plastic sheets. The family is not
allowed to use the sanitation facilities available to workers at the site.

The children came here to visit parents on a holiday. The children go to school in village and their
grandparents take care of them. She says she misses her boys.

She tells me that a noble man who is also a member of the Siri Fort club gave the boys Rs 2000 for
purchase of new clothes. The boys were happy with their new clothes, so was Noor Jahan.

Noor Jahan claimed their individual earning per day was Rs 150 to Rs 200.Monthly expenditure on food
is Rs 3000. Noor Jahan was a caring mother. She made sure that kids eat well and always included milk
and curd in their diet.

40
 Picture showing Noor Jahan with Irfan

Case 5:- Manoj

Manoj hails from Buxsar Bihar. He is only sixteen . He lost his father at a very young age. His uncle who
worked in the city brought him.

He is the sole bread earner for his family after the death of his father 5 years back. His younger brother
and sister go to school. He had to discontinue his studies when he was class VI then.

He worked as a child laborer at the construction sites. He told us that he knew about child rights. He had
read them in school, but he himself did not live his childhood like a child.

He does not drink or smoke is very conscious about his health. He does not have a mobile. He earns
around Rs 150 per day spends Rs 1000 on food and living expenses rest of the money sends home.He said
he would like to study if given a chance. He loves wearing new clothes.

Picture showing Manoj taking a break from work.

41
Case 6:- Kamlesh
Kamlesh is around 38-40 years old. He has two daughters. None go to school.Kamlesh is new to Siri Fort.
He earlier worked in Rohini at the CWG site.

Kamlesh is extremely poor, daughters just move around the site in under garments and bare
footed.Kamlesh himself does not have footwear.

He lost his wife due to Dengue two years back. After which he came to the city after he lost his
agricultural land due to a loan he had taken for his wife’s treatment. Elder daughter is 9 years old and
younger daughter is 7 years old. Both do not go to school. Both the daughters spend their day doing
household activities.

Kamlesh earns Rs 150 per day; he says he would buy his daughters chappals next month.

Case 7:- Suraj

Suraj is around 18 years of age. He belong to Dholpur, Rajasthan. He earns around Rs 190 per day.He has
been working since four years. His only ambition in life is to earn money. It is his second time at the Siri
Fort site He has worked in other places in Delhi too. He has seen the India Gate and Taj Mahal.He visits
his home town thrice a year.

He is happy and contented at what he does and also very proud that he is a skilled worker. He studied till
seventh class later dropped out of school because he did not like studying. Two of his brothers work with
him at the site. Father also works at a stone factory in Dholpur.He has three sisters out of which one is
married.

Findings after Interviewing Children at the Site:-

42
 No of children in different age category

16%
28%
<5 years
5-10 years
>10 years

56%

Graph 3 indicating age details of children

Out of the total 25 children,7 were below 5 years of age,14 were from 5-10 years and 4 were above 10
years of age.

** There were many child laborers working on the site but they were given strict instructions to not to
talk to any stranger.And if anyone asks their age to answer its more than 14 years.But in some cases we
could clearly make out they were less than 14 years of age.

For the question no 3 in our questionaire” Since how much time you have been at the site”?

Most of the children were their on the site for less than one year.Maximum time was answered as one
year which only 3 children said out of 25.

43
 Since how much time you are at the
site.

Less than 6 months

40% 6 months-1 year

60%

Graph 4 Indicating time spent by the children at the site.

For question number 4 where we asked if both parents worked at the site or not?

Most of the children answered as both their parents worked at the site. We observed that there was no
elderly person available at home to take care of them

Older siblings took care of younger siblings and women came every hour to keep a check on the children.

Most of the children spent their day playing around the site.

Most the girls took care of siblings did cleaning and cooking to help their brothers.

Most of the boys accompanied their parents on the site and assisted them at work.

For the question “When do parents come back from work”?

There were largely two timings when workers got free from work 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM. The children
told us that workers got extra payment on working in the night.

44
 When do your parents come back from work.
When do your parents come back from work?
5:00pm
9:00pm

40%

60%

Graph 5:- indicating when do parents come back from work?

The graph indicates that around 10 children out of total sample size of 25 indicated that there parents
come back at 5:00 PM .And around 15 indicate parents return at 9:00 pm.

Some children indicated that they were scared of being alone especially when parents came late from
work. And some children were scared to get water alone which was a little far from where the workers
were staying.

When we asked “Did parents discuss migration with them”?

The older children said that migration was discussed with them. The reasons they told us were

 City is very big.

 Greater opportunities are available.

 Better medical facilities are available.

 More money could be earned.

 Cousins stay here.

 I can go to a better school.

 I can see the airplane staying in the city.

Migration was not discussed with the younger children.

To the question “Do you like being in the village or in the city”?

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Most of the children said that they liked being in the village more. They could play and study in the
village. Also had better houses in village.

The older children were more ambitious and liked the city more because they could earn big money here.

Education
Education is an extremely important parameter. One of the basic children’s right. We could see a major
violation of children’s right in terms of education.

Almost all the children were dropped out of school.

We asked a question “Do you know what school is”?

Almost all children knew what a school was. Thanks to a local NGO called “Mobile Crèches” operating
at the site. A lot of children who had never been to a school could go to school again.

The children loved going to the school that was operating at the site. The school was operating from
November 2009 to March 2010.The school was discontinued due to rapid construction work.

To the question “Do you want to study? /Do you like studying”?

The children loved studying and wanted to pursue higher studies further. We observed that none of the
children had any aspirations.

Health

There were no medical facilities available at the site. I saw most children suffering from skin diseases,
sun burns and other skin diseases.
No polio camp on 23rd may was set up too for giving polio vaccination to children.

Reportedly there was one death at the site due to jaundice.Manik from Malda died of jaundice at the site.
The workers told us 4—5 accidents at the CWG site which till today remains un-reported.

We asked a question if there was a doctor visiting them at the site?

All the kids said that no doctor visits them at the site.

However first aid facility is available at the site. Some workers said that they cannot afford a doctor, some
got unprescribed medicines from the shop and some waited to get back to the village to be treated.

Hygiene
There was lack of hygiene at the site. Most of the cooking was done outside the house. The children
hardly wore foot wears. Some did not wear clothes to beat the heat. In turn suffering from sun burns and
other diseases.

To the question “What do you eat”?

46
The children replied a modest diet of dal and roti.None of the children took milk in their diet non
vegetarian was only cooked by one Muslim family from Jabalpur staying on the site.

Most of the children eat just twice a day and skipped their breakfast. Some had samosa and bread pakora
in their break fast from the nearby shop operating at the site.

Housing
Most of the workers lived with their families at the site. Their houses were made of asbestos sheets.
However some families indulged in street scrapping work lived on the lanes of the road inside plastic
sheets.Some lived in rented rooms at Shahpur Jat (a near by colony)

CASE STUDIES
Case 1:- She is just nineteen and mother of five.
Ramvati came to Delhi from Jhumar, in Bihar a month back with her husband Hira Lal and 5
children, 2 girls and 3 boys.Hira Lal worked as an attendant in a local shop; he earned a meager
income of Rs 500. He migrated to Delhi along with his family for better opportunities.

Ramvati is now 27; she has never been to school. She got married at the age of fifteen. She is
mother to 5 children. Ramvati’s youngest boy girish who is just 8 months old suffers from
malnutrition.

Before coming to Delhi Ramvati had hopes that in the city she would find qualified doctors for
girish and send rest of her children to school. Today she says “Ek jani ki kamai, aur mehengai
kaise bheze bacho ko school, abi tak toh chote ki kamzori ke liye doctor bi nai dikha paye, yuhi
sab sikh jayenge jaise hum sikh gaye”

Picture 1:- Ramvati with her five children

47
Case 2:- Tired of babysitting her siblings, Chameli wants to play again
I met Chameli the very first day of my visit to Siri Fort Sports Complex. I saw four young
children loitering around the dustbin. I noticed that Chameli was the oldest one; I went closer to
her and asked her age she did not know her age; she seemed to be around seven. Both her parents
work at the site. She said that she had never gone to a school back in her village in Bilaspur in
Madhya Pradesh, but she went to a school operating at the site by a local NGO.

She tells me that she enjoyed school; she loved the skipping and counting. She says given a
chance she would go back to school again.

I ask her what she does the whole days, she tells me elaborately that she cleans up the house,
cooks for her siblings, helps them take a bath, feeds them and keeps a watch on them the whole
day.

She is so occupied with household chores and taking care of her siblings that she does not have
time to play.

She does not know why she came to the city, but she liked village more because she could play
more in village.

Picture 2 Chameli with her youngest brother Sandeep

Picture 3 Chameli with her younger siblings Deepak,

48
 Gomti and Sandeep

Case 3 :- Gomti who is scared of chocolates….

Gomti is a 4 year old child, chameli’s sister she does not interact with me. She has a very
uncanny behavior. I ask her for chocolates she refuses to take them. She gets scared, after which
she starts rolling on the road and cries I ask chameli about it she says she never eats chocolates.

Chameli says Gomti does not have friends and does not play with anyone.

Gomti is scared of her father and brother Deepak because she gets beaten up by them.

Next day I meet Gomti again, I greet her again. She is happy that I remembered her name. She
does not interact with me smiles and walks away.

Picture 4 Gomti who hates chocolates

Case 4:- Ruhan seven month old baby under the water tank….

In the scorching heat of 47*C a baby is lying alone under the water tank, as I walk up to him. He
cries for his mother. After ten minutes I see his mother coming hurriedly to pick him up.

Both his parents are from Jhansi, both of them are unskilled earning about Rs 100 per day.

Woman is 4 months pregnant with another child. Two older daughters are in Jhansi with
grandparents.

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I ask her why she is working, she says khane ko nai milta isliye is halat me kam kar na par raha
hai mazboori hai.

Ruhan has not been given polio vaccination even once. Mother says she does not know about
polio.

She says no medical facilities available for children on the site.

Picture 5 Little Ruhan with Mother

Case 5 :- Sunita misses Miss Kanta from Mobile Crèches….

Sunita loves to study; she has aspirations of becoming a teacher. She used to go to school back in
her village in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh. She is neatly dressed girl who has many friends at the site.

She tells me that she remembers all the tables by heart.

She loves to read stories. But her story is that of a girl who is being deprived of her basic right
i.e. Right to education.

She misses Kanta Madam who taught English at the site. The entire day she plays around at the
site while both her parents are at work. She has an older brother who studies at a private institute
in Lucknow. I asks her why she came here to Delhi; she says she is young so her mother did not
want to leave her alone in the village.

But she wants to go back to her village, to her school. Like her brother she too wants to study at
a private institute in the city.

50
 Picture 6 Little Sunita with big dreams.

Case 6:- Bonding of two brothers

I met two boys Dilip and Akash who were on a vacation to meet their parents at CWG site. The
boys belonged to village buduan district Son Bhadra.

The kids go to school in the village. Their grandparents take care of them back in the village.

Dilip is older to Akash and is very caring of him. Parents seem very caring too. They come in
every fifteen minutes to work at the site. I ask Dilip what he wishes to be after he grows up. He
says he does not want to be like his father.

Dilip and Akash love Sachin Tendulkar but they have never seen them. Only heard him playing
cricket.

Picture 7 Naughty Akash smiles as Dilip

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 shies away.

Case 7:- “Me yaha ayi kyuki seher me bade bade doctor hai”
Rashmi and Mukesh came from Bilaspur Chhattisgarh to the commonwealth site. Rashmi is 6
years old whereas Mukesh is 5 years old.

Rashmi dropped out school because she was anaemic. She said that she fainted thrice in school.
Earlier only her father worked in the city. She came to the city with her brother Mukesh and
mother for her treatment.

Her mother also joined work with her father. It has been 2 months that she has been in the city
but she has not visited any doctor. She says she liked village more. But she befriended Chameli
living next door.

Mukesh on the other hand seems to be a outgoing boy. He goes to school and loves studying. He
likes being at the site too because he plays “Catch Catch” with his best friend whose name is
Mukesh as well.

Picture 7 Little Rashmi with brother Mukesh

outside their house.

Case 8:- Hindu Muslim is not really Bhai Bhai at CWG site
Armaan Khan and Irfan Khan are two boys from Jabalpur M.P. Armaan and Irfan came here
with his parents, grandfather, and 5 uncles.

Armaan’s father does electric work at the site and he heads this ten worker team.

They do not live where the other workers live. They live together in a small tent made of plastic
sheets. Rest sleep in the field on the grass.

Noor Jahan Armaan’s mother cooks for everyone.

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Armaan is the older of the two boys and is 8 years onle.Irfan is 5 years old. Armaan says he
wants to be a contractor. He loves reading Urdu.

He says his father came here because of a family feud. He has seen all the CWG stadiums in
Delhi. He wants to see the airport. He says he liked his village more than the city.

He says he likes to draw the peacock and cheetah.

Irfan is naughty, says that he hates to study; he loves to eat chocolates and loves to play.

The family is prohibited to use the sanitation facilities on the site. They have no option but to
defecate openly.

Picture 8 Armaan and Irfan pose for me.

Case 9:- Neelesh carries water for his parents

Neelesh is a five year old boy. He comes from Bilaspur Chhattisgarh. He has never gone to
school. He is a shy boy and does not talk much.

His parents say that he only interacts with Pritam his best friend from Kanpur. He does not talk
to me but waves to me every day he meets me.

He wears the keys of his house around his neck and does the work of getting water for his
parent’s everyday at the site.

He does not wear slippers his parents say they would buy him one next month.

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 Picture IX Neelesh with his best friend.

Most of the children spend their time playing Ludo

Picture indicating older girls taking a break from household chores and play Ludo

I speak to some of the mothers of the children; they tell me that there is hardly anything for these
girls to do the whole day. They spend their time by playing.

Most of the girls went to school at the site and also at the village. They miss going to school.

Most of the girls have brothers who clearly have a better life than these girls. They go to the
school in the village. But the girls had to discontinue education to assist mothers in the
household activities.

A clear child right violation.

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Limitation:
1) Due to Security reasons we could not covered more commonwealth venues.

2) Sample size is small.

3) We carried out this study when 80 % work of Siri Fort was over.

4) Research is totally a QUALITATIVE, because we were told by CRY to carry out

Qualitative Study.

Recommendations:
1) Need for an investigation into the human rights violations related to the CWG.

2) Create awareness regarding construction workers act amongst general public, private
construction companies and workers.

3) Government could delegate the responsibility of worker welfare to respective venue

holders such as DDA, NDMC and sports authority of India.

4) Need for a post-games audit and detailed social and environmental impact assessment.

5) Another option is public-private partenerships. As most of the venue holders have

delegated construction responsibilities to private firms. This option is more sustainable as
private firms can incorporate worker welfare as part of their CSR.

6) Need for the government to have a long-term legacy plan based on principles of human
rights and environmental sustainability.

7) Government can also delegate responsibility to civil society groups like Mobile Crèches
which has been doing remarkable work towards the welfare of construction workers and
their children.

8) Food availability was a big issue at the site. Many workers who did not cook had a tough
time with no cheap restaurants available in surrounding areas.

9) Our recommendation will be that of a centralized Kitchen system per site which would
reduce expenditure workers spend on food to about 40%.Presently minimum expenditure
each worker spends on food is Rs 1000 per day eating twice a day ,with centralized
kitchen this cost can go down up to Rs 600 for two meals a day.

10) This would also reduce the burden of the working women at the site. For families too
centralized kitchen is a cheaper option. As far as appetite of workers from different
55
 regions is concerned our research validates the fact the most of the workers eat dal,
chawal and roti.

11) Companies dealing in the construction sector has huge opportunities for CSR, and
contributing in the development of the labours and their family.

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Bibliography:
 Citizens workers ,women and children report of the commonwealth games 2010,
by Mobile Crèches 2010

 Fisher, J. Non Governments: NGOs and The Political Development of the Third
World. Connecticut: Kumarian Press, 1998.

 Thorat and Mahamallik “Migration” 2005.

Weblography:-

 http://www.cpwdcommonwealth.in
 http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org
 http://www.cry.org
 http://www.hic-sarp.org
 http://www.un.org
 http://www.undp.org

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Appendix
I .Child Right Questionnaire
Q1Name of child/children

Q2Age/age group

Q3Since when you have been here at the site?

Q4.Do one or both your parents work at the site?

Q5.When do your parents come back from work?

Q6Who takes care of you when parents go out to work?

Is there and elderly person to take care when parents are away?

Q7Do you feel scared staying here?

Q8.How many siblings do you have?

Q9 Do you know what school is?

Q10.Do you go to school? /Have you ever been to school in your village/ was there a school in
the village

Q11.Do all/any your siblings go to school?

Q12 Do you want to study/ like studying

Q13.Do you like it more here or back in your village?

II

Q14. What do they do all day_?

Look after siblings

Prepare food

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Cleaning

Play

Work at sites

Other

III

Q15 what do you eat?

Q16 how many times do you eat?

Q17.Who prepares food for you? Who feeds you/ your younger siblings?

Q18.How often do you visit a doctor in a month? Who take scare when you fall sick?

Q19 Do doctors come to the site?

Q20.Where do you go to visit a doctor?

Q21 Is there a first aid box here?

IV

Q22.Where you knowing that you were leaving village? / did parent discuss their migration with
u?

Q23Did you want to leave your village?

Q24Who else is there back home?

II Migration Questionnaire :-

1. Name of the Respondent.

2. Native place.

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3. Education Background (literate/ illiterate).

1. Skilled or Unskilled.

2. Married or Unmarried

2.1 Where family stays?

2.2 How many children?

2.3 Do they go to school?

2.4 Where? If not then what they do in daytime?

2.5 Healthy/ Malnourished ?

2.6 Is doctor available on construction sites?

2.7 Awareness regarding polio vaccination, chicken pox, measles?

4. Working from the age of (victim of child labor or not).

5. Members in the family.

6. Daily Wages?

7. Expenditure on food and Other expenditure? ( Cigarettes, liquor, guttka) etc.

8. Regret for not studying?

9. How many time in a year goes back to home?

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