A theme park that showcases Rajasthani culture and folk arts has drawn the ire of child rights activists for allegedly employing child labour. A closer look at its cultural activities shows what is seen can be misleading.
Chokhi Dhani is a cultural park at Thandalam, near Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district, not far from Chennai. Men and women clad in traditional Rajasthani attire greet visitors by applying ‘thilak’ on their foreheads, to the accompaniment of a welcome note played by a group of artists with musical instruments.
It is a theme park-cum-restaurant where tourists and others can get a hang of the cultural splendour of the Land of Rajputs. But traditional culture, too, comes at a cost.
A variety of artists and artisans re-create the cultural magic of a traditional Rajasthani village. They include ‘kalbeliya’ dancers, puppetry performers, ‘banjaras’ (travelling tradesman and artisans) and ‘bhopa’ singers.
Furthermore, visitors get a ride on a camel or a bullock cart or a horse-drawn ‘tonga’. The show culminates in Rajasthani food served at the dining hall of the restaurant.
Every evening, the coming alive of the folk arts is enhanced by an aesthetically landscaped area, which includes replicas of traditional Rajasthani huts and small temples for Ganesh and Hanuman.
Social predicamentsHowever, the presence of the children of some artisans and artists has brought to the fore the attendant social predicaments, creating an impression about the existence of ‘child labour’ or ‘bonded labour.’ More so for visitors championing the cause of child rights, who see even in a camel or ‘tonga’ ride an exhibition of cruelty to animals.
The charges got accentuated with Chennai-based NGO Mary Anne Charity Trust, started in 1996, lodging a complaint with the State government recently. In it, the NGO said children were employed to run errands, made to perform along with adults, pull the carts and ask money from the visitors after each performance. The NGO urged the government to stop such violations, even demanding the closure of the park.
Nonetheless, a visit to the park and an interaction with the artisans and artists revealed other facets of their lives. Some of the artisans, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they moved around in small groups on a short-time assignment.
Interestingly, the group includes a few priests who perform pujas at the temples and a couple of astrologers who assuage the frayed nerves of tourists with their soothsaying. They are shuffled around seven or eight centres in the western and northern regions, where Chokhi Dhani has set up similar parks. The management takes care of their accommodation and other facilities, including medical assistance.
Some of the artisans, who do not have elders or families back home to take care of their children, bring them along. And the presence of the young ones along with their parents has given rise to charges of child labour. But no child is used for any activity at the park, they claim.
InspectionMeanwhile, an inspection conducted by officials of the District Labour Department has shown only those who have crossed the age of 18 are employed at the park and the charges of child or bonded labour could not be established.
( With additional reporting by M.R. Venkatesh
in Chennai )
