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Koderma, Giridih (Jharkhand):Â Earlier this month, when the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) began probing a complaint against cosmetics brand âFenty Beautyâ, owned by pop star Rihanna, for allegedly using mica from mines in Jharkhand that use child labour, it shone the spotlight on a dark, illegal but thriving business in two remote districts of eastern India.Â
Mica, the shimmery, translucent mineral, is used in cosmetics and automobile paint among other sectors.
The illegal trade of scrap mica has been an open secret in Jharkhand since 1980, when mica mining was banned by environmental laws. A global appetite for the mineral and its abundance in mica-rich districts, however, has kept the practice going unregulated.Â