Aavin doesn’t seem to stop courting problems day after day. Just a couple of months ago, there were problems with milk shortage. Now in a shocking revelation, reports have emerged alleging the use of child labour at Aavin which is owned by the Tamil Nadu government.
This issue has been brought to light in a video released by Red Pix Youtube channel.
These claims of child labour have raised concerns as it is the same government that has enacted strict laws against child labour and actively enforced them. However, the Minister in charge of Milk and Dairy Development of Tamil Nadu, Mano Thangaraj, has continuously denied the allegations, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
Field research conducted by the Red Pix team has shed light on several distressing facts, contradicting the Minister’s claims. The evidence provided indicates that minors were indeed employed at Aavin and no compensation was provided for their work. Testimonies from the children themselves support these claims, proving that they were employed as labourers as recently as April.
The affected children, some as young as 16 years old and studying in the tenth and eleventh grades, have come forward to provide evidence that they were forced to work at Aavin. They highlighted that they decided to work since they needed money to purchase clothes for school, indicating dire financial circumstances. The lack of salaries received by these young workers has further exacerbated the situation.
Minister Mano Thangaraj, however, vehemently denied any knowledge of child labour within the organisation. He has questioned the authenticity of the records and the credibility of the children’s testimonies. Despite their efforts to expose the truth, the Minister’s sudden denial has left the children puzzled about his motivations.
The Minister says that the matter has been reported to the local authorities, including the concerned collector. He threatened that legal notices will be sent to the news portal which first published this news of Aavin hiring child labourers. Watch this interaction with the members of the news media:
Now here comes the confusion. First, the Minister denied that children were hired at Aavin but he then he goes on to say that the Child Action Committee will be brought in to launch an investigation into the allegations. Watch this video by Jambavan TV:
.@TvJambavan asking the right questions.. Full video here – https://t.co/rgaT3lOfWD pic.twitter.com/Q7Th5E5Lck
— H.Y.D.R.A (@hailhydra_01) June 9, 2023
Watch full video here:
The affected children and their advocates express their disappointment at the Minister’s dismissal of their claims and emphasize the need to bring attention to the exploitation they have endured. They assert that their intention is not to defame the company but to shed light on the unethical practices and demand justice for themselves and others in similar situations.
This disturbing revelation has cast a shadow on Aavin, tarnishing its reputation and calling into question the government’s role in allowing such practices to occur.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.