area of study and respondents - a brief...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter - III
Area of Study and Respondents - A Brief Profile
• Introduction
• A Brief Profile of Davangere District
01. Geographical Area 02. Population 03. Agricultural Land Holdings 04. Education 05. Health Care Facility
• A Brief Profile of Taluks selected for the Study
01. Davangere Urban Area 02. Davangere Rural Area 03. Harihar Taluk 04. Harapanahalli Taluk 05. Channagiri Taluk 06. Honnali Taluk
• A Brief Profile of Respondents
01. Composition of Respondents 02. Taluk-wise Distribution of Beedi Workers 03. Composition of Sample Size - Rural Vs Urban 04. Taluk Wise Distribution of Respondents 05. Size of the Family 06. Number of Child Workers Engaged in Beedi Rolling
Activities 07. Level of Education of Respondent Workers 08. Monthly Income of Respondent-workers from Beedi
Rolling 09. Indebtedness and Bondage 10. Reasons for Borrowing Loan 11. Mother tongue (and Religion) of Respondent-workers
• Conclusion
Introduction
Beedi Industry plays an important role in the economic growth of the country. It
has provided employment opportunity to laklis of people and it is earning foreign
exchange by exporting its products to foreign countries. Beedi is exported to gulf
countries and UAE. It contributes to the state exchequer substantially in the form
of excise duty. Beedi workers in India account for the third largest component
of the work-force in Indian economy next only after agriculture and textile
industry. However, beedi workers live and work in conditions of poverty and
exploitation. The Industry is perhaps the only industry that possesses a unique
feature (which is of course inherent to its nature) of workers sitting and working
at home on part time and fiill time basis.
Beedi rolling as an industry has undergone considerable organizational changes
during the last the century from factory system to contract and household
systems. Till 1948, beedi rolling was undertaken in the premises (factories) of
manufacturers. But v/hen the Factories Act, 1948 was passed, and the term
factory was defined as any premises or precincts thereof wherein a
manufacturing process is being carried on with the aid of power and
employing more than 10 persons or where the manufacturing process is
carried on without the aid of power by employing more than 20 persons, the
beedi manufacturers stopped engaging the workers on their premises to avoid the
enforcement of the Provisions of Factories Act as well other Legislations. They
started contracting out beedi manufacturing to their agents, sub-agents, and to
69
some of their trusted and loyal employees, relatives, etc on commission basis.
They also invented the household system of beedi manufacturing under which ?.
beedi roller was supplied with the rav/ materials by the manufacturer and v/as
required to deliver the rolled beedies to the manufacturer before collecting fresh
quantities of raw materials.
This new system enabled the manufacturers not only to be free from all statutory
obligations towards the workers but also to exploit the workers to the maximum
exient. The exploitation of beedi workers is stretched too far by the contractors,
sub-contractors, agents and sub-agents. These middlemen are acting like a
double edged sword getting handsome commission from the principal
marmfacturers and paying low rates of wages to the beedi workers. The plight of
beedi workers forced the Government of India ((JOI) to enact the Beedi and
Cigar Workers' Act in 1966 giving statutory protection to the workers by
bringing them within the scope of the term "employee". Because, the term
employee is defined in the Act to include any labourer who is given raw
materials by an employer or a contractor for being made into beedi at
home, and termed such a person as a home-worker. And the beedi
manufacturers challenged this Act and got stayed the implementation of the Act
on the ground that an out-worker is not a workman and they are not obliged to
provide benefits to out-workers. But to their ill-luck, the Supreme Court of India
upheld the Act and gave the verdict stating that an out-worker is also a
workman. Even after this decision of the Supreme Court, the beedi
70
manufacturers have continued the contract and household systems of
manufacturing as these systems have proved to be more advantageous to them.
It is important to note that the majority of the workers are out-workers. A CSIR
Survey conducted way back in 1973 revealed that out of 36 lakh beedi workers,
only 1.8 lakh were employed in the factory sector while 28 lakli were in the non-
factory sector (the remaining 6.2 lakh, worker were engaged in the collection of
tendu leaves).
Beedi Industry, by and large, has remained in the unorganized sector providing
employment to a large number of persons. Beedi Industry has several
advantages over agriculture - the most significant among them being that
employment in beedi manufacturing need not be on full lime basis. It gainfully
contributes to individual and family income by providing supplementar>' work to
the entire family of the beedi workers. More importantly, women from
traditional muslim families (who do not go to work outside the four walls of
their homes due to their social customs), the old and the infirm, the unmarried
and the married women, and the disabled can all take to beedi rolling to cam
either a supplementary income or a livelihood. Beedi rolling is also taken up as
a part-time job by agricultural labourers during off-seasons. It is the only
industry where no machinery, major equipment, power, other infrastructural
facilities, and foreign exchanges are required. What is needed is tobacco and
kendu leaves, cotton thread, a scissor, a tin plate, a needle and a basket/tray for
each worker. While tobacco and leaves are supplied by the manufacturer-
71
employers, the tools are purchased and/or owned by the workers themselves.
This is a peculiar feature of employment in this industry.
In this industry, more than 4.5 million workers are employed all over the
countr>'. But the industry is heavily concentrated in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,
Gujarat, Kamataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Tamil Nadu ib one of the major beedi manufacturing states though the raw
materials are, by and large, obtained from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Kamataka. During the last 25 to 30 years, there has been a considerable increase
in the number of beedi manufacturing units and beedi workers since the beedi
manufactures from Kerala shifted their business activities to this state due to
unionization of the workers and stringent statutory regulations.
After 1990s, Beedi Industr>' itself has been under pressure due to economic
liberalization policies - entr)' of tobacco multinationals and changing consumer
preferences towards non-beedi tobacco products. Beedi manufactures also claim
that changes in the taxation policy have led to competition between machine-
made-mini-cigarettes and labour intensive beedies. Kamataka is one of the
states in India wherein the beedi activities are predominant. According to an
estimate, there are 6 to 7 lakh beedi workers in the state.
In the light of above, a brief profile of the geographical area of the study and that
of the respondents is presented in this chapter. As already stated, the area
72
selected for the present study comprises of five taluks of Davangere district viz.,
Channageri, Davangere, Harihar, Harapanahalli and Honnali taluks.
A Brief Profile of Davangere District
There are six taluks in Davangere district. Out of these six, respondents are
selected from five taluks and one taluk viz., Jagalur taluk is excluded as the
beedi workers are very few in this taluk. The five taluks selected for the study
are Channageri, Davangere, Harihar, Harapanahalli and Hoimali. Many beedi
workers are residing in these taluks. Therefore, a brief profile of Davangere
district with an emphasis on its labour force is presented in the following
paragraphs.
Davangere, which is at the centre of Kamataka State, has the history of over
1,200 years. This was the capital city of the Chalukya's according to the
inscriptions of 1121 AD. The historical evidences show that this was ruled by
the great Hoysala's. Till late 1997, it was one of the taluk headquarters of
Chitradurga district. It became a district headquarters on December 2, 1997.
The distance from this district headquarters to Bangalore is about 270 kms. The
major railway line and NH 4 connecting Bangalore and Pune (Maharashtra) pass
through this city. Davangere is known for its trade and commerce, and other
taluks are depending mainly on agriculture. The district consists of 57.99 square
kilometers of geographical area.
73
01. Geographical Area
The district has a geographical area of 5,97,597 hectares of which 89,918
hectares are forest area and 93,286 hectares of land is not available for
cultivation. Because, it consists of 38,936 hectares of non-agricultural land,
20,533 hectares of barren land, and 33,817 hectares of non-cultivable land. That
means, out of 5,97,597 hectares of land in the district, only 4,14,393 hectares of
land (69.34%) is suitable for cultivation.
Out of 4,14,393 hectares of cultivable land, only 1,24,672 hectares of land is
irrigated (30.09%) with different sources of water such as bore wells (44,799
hectares, 35.93% of irrigated land), wells (2,101 hectares, 1.69%), lift irrigation
(7,669 hectares, 6.15%), tanks (917 hectares, 0.74%), canks (68,542 hectares,
54.97%) and other sources (644 hectares, 0.52%). As only little less than one-
third of the cultivable land is irrigated, the district is predominantly a dry area
depending on the monsoon. The major crops grown in the district are paddy,
jo war, ragi and maize.
02. Population
Population of the district, as per 2001 census, is 17,90,952 and it is
predominantly rural in nature with an average annual rainfall of 659 mm
(normal) and the district has experienced drought frequently.
74
Table-3.1: Taluk-wise Population of Davangerc District
SI. No
Taluk Population as per ...
Increase (%)
SI. No
Taluk 1991 Census
2001 Census
Increase (%)
01 Chaniiagiri 2,57,300 2,92,507 13.68
02 Davangere 5,14,100 6,02,523 17.20
03 Harapanahalli 2,32,000 2.68,793 15.86
04 Harihar 2,16,700 2,45,6.54 13.36
05 Honnali 2.00,000 2,22,592 11.30
06 Jagalur 1,36,700 1,58,883 16.23
Total 15,56,800 17,90,952 15.04
Source: Census of India, 1991 and 2001
It is obvious from the above that Davangere taluk is the highest populated taluk
in the district with 6,02,523 population. This taluk has also registered the
highest growth rate in the population with 17.2% which works out an annual
increase of 1.72% (simple). This growth rate is higher than even the average
growth rate for the whole district of 15.04% (annually, 1.504%). And the less
populated taluk is Jagalur taluk with a population of 1,58,883. However, the rate
of population growth is lowest in Honnali taluk with 11.3% (annual increase,
1.13%).
03. Agricultural Land Holdings
Though Davangere city is known for trading activities in the state, in Davangere
district agriculture is the primary occupation. However, majority of the families
in the district possess less agricultural land each. This becomes evident from the
following table.
75
Table - 3.2: Agriculture Land Holdings and Area
Category of Agricultural Families Number of
Family
Total Land Area Ov/ned
(hectare)
Marginal Fanners (below 1 hectare) 1,06,864 55,928
Small Farmers ( 1 - 2 hectares) 73,211 1.03.406
Semi medium Farmers ( 2 - 4 hectares) 44,353 1,18,965
Medium Farmers ( 4 - 1 0 hectares) 17,267 97,718
Large Farmers (more than 10 hectares) 2,057 28,157
Total 2,43,747 4,04,175
Source: District Statistical Office, Government of Kamataka, Davangere District At a Glance, 2004-05, p. 21
It is obvious from the above that the total agricultural land is 4,04,175 hectares,
and the total number of land holders is 2,43,747 out of which the marginal land
holders (below one hectare each) is 1,06,864 (43.84%) and small land holders (1
- 2 hectares each) is 72,2111 (30.04%), and the semi-medium land holders (2-4
hectares each) is 44,353 (18.20?/o). W^at is more important is majority (43.84%)
of the farmers are marginal farmers who are owning, on an a\'erage, 0.52 hectare
of land each. This 43.84% of marginal farmers are owning just 13.84% of the
total agricultural land. On the other hand, 0.84% of large farmers own 6.72% of
total agricultural land.
76
04. Education
Davangere district achieved 58.38% literacy as per 2001 census. Literacy rate
among males is 66% and it is 51% in the case of females. One of the reasons for
this reasonable rate of success is the higher number of educational institutions
established and functioning in the district. The following statistics give an idea
about the number of educational institutions, number of students, etc.
Table <• 3.3: Educational Institutions, Students, < Davangere District
JtC,
SI. No
Schools/Colleges Number of Institutions
Number of
Students
01 Primary Schools 1,762 2,81,245
02 High Schools 417 74,664
03 Pre-university Colleges 96 26,802
04 General Colleges (Graduate Studies)
28 10,450
05 Polytechnic Colleges 03 1,835
06 Engineering 03 1,215
07 Medical 01 11,000
08 Dental 01 1,673
09 Ayurvedic 01 175
Total 2,312 3,99,627
Source: District Statistical Office, Government of Kamataka, Davangere District At a Glance, 2004-05, pp. 43-5
77
It can be seen from the table that the district has almost all types of educational
institutions starting from Primary to Higher Educational Institutions. Further, the
number of students is very impressive. As a result, the District has achieved
58.38% literacy. Still it is not satisfactory. Because, another 41.62% of the
population of the district are illiterates. In addition to these educational
institutions, the district has 1,300 Anganawadi centers.
05. Health Care Facility
A few details pertaining to the health care facility available in the district are
presented below.
Table - 3.4: Health Care Facility
Kind of Hospitals Number of Hospitals
Number of Beds for Patients
State Government Hospitals 078 1,200
Private Hospitals (including Nursing Homes)
196 1,834
Primary Health Centers 66 396
Allopathy Hospitals 07 1,194
Communit>' Health Centers 04 NA
Dispensaries 30 NA
Total 381 4,624
Note: NA = Details are not available/not applicable
Source: District Statistical Office, Government of Kamataka, Davangere District at a Glance, 2004-05, pp. 46-9
78
It can be seen from the above that the district is having both the government
hospitals and private nursing homes catering to the medical requirements of the
people.
A Brief Profile of Taluks Selected for the Study
A few details pertaining to the taluks selected for the present study are presented
below .̂
01. Davangere Urban Area
The geographical area of Davangere urban part is 994.10 square-kilometers (sq-
kms). The total urban population is 3,64,523 of which literates are 2,50,342
(male 1,38,505 and female 111837). Hence, there are 1,14,181 illiterates (male
49,481 and female 64,700) in Davangere urban area. A total of 1,24,000
workers (comprising of 98,945 male and 25,055 female) are working in urban
parts of Davangere taluk. Of the total, 1,14,480 are main workers and 9,520 are
marginal workers. The number of non-v/orkers having no regular income is
2,40,523. The main industrial units are bakeries, agarbatti, carpentry, hotels and
restaurants, shops and establishments, etc. The literacy rate is, as per 2001
census, 69%. This area provides employment to about 6,000 beedi workers.
02. Davangere Rural Area
Davangere rural area has 2,38,000 population of which 1,01,205 are illiterates
(male 41,730 and female 59,475) and the remaining 1,36,795 (male 79,925 and
79
female 56,867) are literates. The total number of workers are 1,08,890 (male
71,181 and female 37,709) of which the main workers are 89,536 (male 64,168
and female 25,368) and marginal workers 19,354 (male 7,013 and female
12,341). The total number of non-workers are 1,29,110 (male 50,474 and
female 78,636). The literacy rate is 57% (male 66% and female 49%) as per
2001 census. The main profession of workers is cultivation and agriculture.
03. Harihar Taluk
Harihar is situated on the river bank of Tunga-Bhadra in Davangere district.
This taluk has 498.66 sq-kms of geographical area, population of about 2,45,654
(male 1,26,128 and female 1,19,526) and it is predominantly rural in nature with
an average aimual rainfall of 566 mm and the taluk has experienced frequent
drought. The literacy rate, as per 2001 census, is 60% (male 67% and female
53%). The total number of workers is 98,438 (male 70,610 and female 27,828).
Harihar is at a distance of 14 kms from Davangere towards Pune-Mumbai on the
National Highway (NH 4). Harihar has a railway junction connecting Bangalore
and Pune-Mumbai. There are a few major industries in Harihar and they include
Harihar Polyfibres, Gwalioi Rayon, etc and the infrastructural facilities are
suitable for large and medium scale industries. The town attracts entrepreneurs
and outside investors. There are 34 industrial units providing employment to
950 employees. Main industrial units are in the area of poundry, workshops,
hotels and restaurants, shops and establishments, etc. Barring the Harihar town.
80
the remaining areas of the taluk are depending on the agricultural activities and
petty business.
04. Harapanahalli Taiuk
Harapanaballi is another taluk of Davangere district. It is 45 kms away from
Davangere city towards Hospet. This taluk is predominantly a rural taluk
depending mainly on agriculture. It has 1,430.24 sq-ms of geographical area, and
population of about 2,68,793 (male 1,37,608 and female 1,31,185). The literacy
rate, as per 2001 census, is 48% (male 57% and female 38%). Among the other
taluks in Davangere district, this is the most backward area. This taluk has an
average annual rainfall of 657 mm and has been experiencing drought regularly.
Cultivation is foujid to be the main profession as the number of cultivators and
agricultural labourers are more.
05. Channagiri Taluk
Channageri is another taluk of Da>'angere district. It is 55 kms away from
Davangere city. This is totally a rural area and agriculture is the main
occupation. This taluk has 1,209.76 sq-kms of geographical area with population
of 2,92,507 (male 1,49,796 and female 1,42,711). The average annual rainfall is
808 mm and the literacy rate is 58% (male 65% and female 50%)). As there are
no industrial activities in this taluk, the main source of income is from
cultivation and agricultural activities. A small group of Muslim population in
rural area is involved in household works like beedi rolling and fishing.
81
06. Honnali TaHuk
Honnali is another taluk of Davangere district and it is at a distance of 50 Icms
from Davangere city towards Shivamogga. This taluk has 887.94 sq-kms of
geographical area with population of 2,22,592 (male 1,13,577 and female
1,09,015). Tlie average annual rainfall is 620 mm. The literacy rate is 58%
(male 67% and female 49%). This taluk has no railway facility and the major
occupation of this area is cultivation and agriculture. A small group of
population is depending on household production including beedi rolling.
From the above analysis, it can be inferred that Davangere city is the central
place for other taluks of Davangere district. It is one of the flourishing trade and
commerce places of the district. Harihar, Harapanahalli, Channageri and Honnali
act as satellite centers having connection with Davangere.
Besides Davangere district, beedi manufacturing activities are undertaken in a
few more taluks in the state. The details are presented below.
82
Table - 3.5: Districts having Highest Concentration of Beedi Workers in Karnataka
SI. No
District Taluks
01 Dakshina Kamataka Ol.Mangalore
02 Nippani 01. Nippani
03 Tumkur 01. Tumkur
02. Sira
03. Kunigal
04. Gubbi
04 Dharwad 01. Dharwad
05 Haveri 01. Haveri
02.Ranebennur
03.Hirekerur
06 Davangere 01. Davangere
02. Harihar
03. Harapanahalli
04. Channagiri
05.Honnali
It can be seen from the above that the beedi v/orkers are found only in six
districts out of 29 districts in the State. Further, within these six districts, beedi
activities can be found only in one or few taluks. But in Davangere district, it is
spread over five taluks. This is one of the reasons for concentrating on
Davangere district for the present study.
83
A Brief Profile of Respondents
With the above details about the geographical area selected for the present study,
a brief profile of the beedi workers selected for the study is presented below.
01. Composition of Respondents
For the purpose of the present study, a sample of 200 beedi workers has been
selected. These 200 beedi workers are selected from five taluks of Davangere
distnct. The respondents are selected giving representation to both urban and
rural area, both male and female, both adults and children, both Hindus,
Muslims, etc. Based on the concentration of beedi workers, the areas in different
taluks of Davangere district have been selected. And the beedi workers have
been selected by a Random Sampling Method.
02. Taluk-wise Distribution of Beedi Workers
An estimation made on the basis of the data gathered from different sources
(both government and other sources) revealed that there about 18,000 beedi
workers in the district spread over five of its six taluks. The details are presented
below.
84
Table - 3.6: Number of Beedi Workers in Davangere District
SI.
No Taluk
Number of SI.
No Taluk Beedi
Contractors Beedi
Workers 01 Channagiri 02 600
02 Davangere 30 11,000
03 Harapanahalli 08 2,000
04 Harihar 16 4,000
05 Honnali 02 400
Total 58 18,000
Source: Beedi Contractors' Association and others
It can be seen from the above table that majority of beedi workers in the district
are in Davangere taluk (11,000 beedi workers out of 18,000 working out to
61.11%). Another important taluk wherein one can find more persons engaged in
beedi rolling is Harihar taluk with 4,000 beedi workers (22.22%) followed by
Harapanahalli taluk with 2,000 beedi workers (11.11%). In each of the
remaining two taluks (viz., Channagiri and Honnali), only a few hundreds of
beedi workers can be found.
03. Composition of Sample Size - Rural vs Urban
The analysis made and presented above brings the point to fore that the beedi
workers are more in urban area (e.g., Davangere and Harihar) than in the rural
area (e.g., Honnali and Channagiri). Hence, more representation is given to
urban area. The relevant data are presented below.
85
Table - 3.7: Distribution of Respondent-workers - Rural and Urban
SI. No
Area Number of
Respondenl-Beedi Workers
%age
01 Rural 80 40
02 Uiban 120 60
Total 200 100
Source: Survey Data
That means, out of 200 respondent-beedi workers selected for the present study,
120 (accounting for 60% of total number of respondent-beedi \vorkers) are from
urban area and the remaining 80 (accounting for 40%) arc from rural area.
Distribution of Respondent-Beedi Workers - Rural vs Urban
D Rural • Urban
Rural Urban
Figure -3.1
86
04. Taluk-wise Distribution of Respondents
Number of beedi workers selected for the present study from different taluks and
the nature of the place are presented below.
Table - 3.8: Number of Respondent-workers and their Area
SI. No
Taluk Place Urban or Rural
Number of Workers Selected
%age
01 Davangere Davangere Urban 100 50 01 Davangere
Davangere Rural 10 05
02 Harihar Harihar Urban 20 10 02 Harihar
Malebennur Rural 20 10
03 Charmageri Channageri Rural 10 05
04 Harapanahalli Harapanahalli Rural 30 15
05 Honnali Honnali Rural 10 05
Total •
200 100
Source: Survey Data
Considering the difference in the number of beedi workers in different taluks of
Davangere district, respondents are selected from each area/taluk. It can be seen
from the above that 100 workers are selected from Davangere urban area since
there is greater concentration of beedi workers in this area. It can also be seen
from the table that 20 workers are selected from Harihar urban area. The
remaining 80 workers are from the rural areas of Harihar, Charmagiri,
Harapanahalli, Honnali and Davangere taluks.
87
It can be noted at this stage that the beedi rolling activity is highly female
dominated. However, the engagement of male workers is also found in certain
areas. Out of 200 respondents, 186 (93%) are female workers and the remaining
14 (7%) are male workers.
05. Size of the Family
Family environment exerts tremendous influence in shaping the personalit>' of
the individual. Because, it is the family wherein an individual spends most of
his/her time and wherein his socialization, early education and training take
place. Family size, number of dependents in families, kind of family
envirormient, family discipline and control, etc play a significant role in
moulding the personality. If the size of the family is small, needs of the family
members are likely to be satisfied in a more effective manner than in a family
with more number of members. If the number of earning members in a family is
more, the needs of the family members are likely to be fulfilled in a better
manner than in a family in which there is a lone earning member having more
number of dependents to support. If the environment in a family is free from
diseases and is healthy, it proves to be conducive from the standpoint of
inculcation of good habits. Conversely, if it is immoral and unhealthy, it is
likely to give rise to varied kinds of deviant behaviour among the members of
the family. If the atmosphere in the family is democratic, it is helpful for the
development of democratic values and creative abilities. If it is autocratic,
family members are not able to express their views freely and even their genuine
needs are likely to be remained unfulfilled. The absence of discipline in the
family is likely to lead to the emergence of different kinds of deviations. If the
family disciplined, it may be instrumental in generating a tendency among
family members to adhere to behavioral norms.
With the above details about the size of the family, he details pertaining to the
size of the families of beedi workers (i.e., number of members in the family) are
presented below It may be noted here that for the purpose of the present study,
the families with four or less-than four members each are considered as small
families. And the families with five or more members each are reckoned as
large families.
Table - 3.9: Size o Fthe Family of Respondent-workers 1
Number of Members in the
Family
Number of Respondents
"/'oage
1 -2 04 02
3 - 4 62 31
5 - 6 76 38
7 - 8 48 24
9 and above 10 05
Total 200 100
Source: Survey Data
It is obvious fi-om the above that 33% of respondent-workers have small families
with 1 - 4 members each. A sizeable portion of respondent-workers (76
89
respondents, 38% of the total number of respondent-workers) have families with
5 to 6 members each. Another 24% of the respondent-workers have 7 lo 8
members each. The rem.aining 5% of the workers belong to a very large family
of 9 members and above each.
06. Number of Child Workers Engaged in Beedi Rolling Activities
Due to a number of reasons sach as economic backwardness of the family, the
children (i.e., children in the age group of upto 15 years) are also forced by the
family to work to support the family. However, it may be noted here that the
psychological and environmental influence of the family on the child is so deep
and takes place so rapidly that the child acquires all the traits of his/her
personality and character of his adulthood before the child attains the age of 15
years and in some cases, even earlier. In this background, the survey reveals that
only a very few children are engaged in beedi rolling activity which is evident
from the following.
Table-3.10: Number of Children in ieedi Rolling
Area Number of Children
Percentage
Urban Area 04 02
Rural Area 02 01
Source: Survey Data
It is obvious from the table that in Davangere district, there are only 6 children
engaged is beedi rolling activity which is a satisfactory one.
90
07. Level of Education of Respondent-workers
Education is a good index of human resource development. Investment on
education is a more powerful instrument for the socio-economic development
and cultural transformation of the people. Illiteracy causes ignorance which is
responsible for the narrow socio-economic attitude of the people. Narrowness of
socio-economic atdtude of the people hampers their productive capacity and
keeps them away from the formal organized sector. In this background, the
details about educational qualifications of the respondent-workers are collected
and presented below.
Table - 3.11: Level of Education of Respondent-workers
Level of Education Number of Workers Percentage
Illiterates 110 55
Primary School Education 78 39
Middle School Education 12 06
Matriculation and abo '̂e - -
Total 200 100
Source: Survey Data
It is obvious from the above that 55% of the respondent-workers are illiterates.
They were not admitted to any school. As many as 90 (45%) respondent-
workers had some school education out of which 39% had primary school
education and a meager 6% had middle school education. One of the reasons for
91
this illiteracy and lower level of education is the economic backwardness of the
families forcing the members to take beedi rolling instead of education.
08. Monthly Income of Respondeni-workers from Beedi Rolling
ITie details about the monthly earnings of the respondent-workers from beedi
rolling are presented below.
Table - 3.12: Monthly Income of Respondent-workers from Beedi Rolling
Monthly Earnings
(Rs)
Number of Respondent-
workers Percentage
Upto 300 18 09
301-500 114 57
501-700 28 14
701-900 20 10
901-1,100 08 04
1,101 - 1,300 04 02
1,301 - 1„500 04 02
1,501-2,000 02 01
2,001 and above 02 01
Total 200 100
Source: Survey Data
It is evident from the above that the beedi workers are earning very trivial
amount from beedi rolling. It may be noted at this stage that most of the families
of beedi workers are suffering from economic poverty. And the beedi workers
are paid on piece rate basis. Hence, there is no guarantee of minimum income.
92
Since the poverty is rampant, the families are compelling even the children to
take up beedi rolling activity.
The monthly income from beedi rolling is, as evident from the table, very low.
Majority of the respondent-workers (114 out of 200 accounting for 57%) are
earning a monthly income ranging from Rs.301 - Rs.500 each. Another 48
workers (24%) are ean.ing a monthly inco.ne of Rs.501 to Rs.900 each. In the
case 18 workers (9%), it is Rs.300 or less each. The remaining 10% of the
respondent-workers are earning slightly higher income of Rs.901 or above each.
09. Indebtedness and Bondage
Economic hardship and poverty are the common features associated with the
problems of beedi workers. During the survey, it was observed that respondent-
workers have borrowed from all available sources like Banks, Private Moriev
Lenders and Businessmen. Many a number of respondent-workers received
advances from their employers and in some cases, they had surrendered their
children as security.
93
Table - 3.13: Amount of Loan Borrowed by the Respondent-workers from the Employers
Amount of Loan (Rs)
Number of Respondent-
workers Percentage
50 25
Upto 500 40 20
501-1,000 30 15
1,001-2,000 40 20
2,001-5,000 30 15
5,001-10,000 10 05
Total 200 100
Source: Survey Data
It can be seen from the table that only 50 respondent-workers (accounting for
25% of the total number of respondents) have not borrowed loan from their
employers. All other 150 respondents (75%) have borrowed loan upto Rs.
10,000 each. 40 of the respondents (20%) have borrowed a loan upto Rs. 500
each from their employers. 10 respondents (5%) have borrowed loan ranging
from Rs. 5,001 to Rs. 10,000 each. Others (100 workers, 50%) have borrowed
loans from Rs.501 to Rs. 5,000 each. What is important is their repaying
capacity. With their negligible monthly income, they find it very difficult to pay
the interest and a part of principal amount after meeting their household
expenses. Hence, they are in debt trap.
10. Reasons for Borrowing Loan
The details pertaining to the important reasons as to why the beedi workers are
borrowing loans are presented below.
94
'able - 3.14: Indebtedness and Reasons for Borrowing Loans
Reasons for Borrowing Loans
Number of Respondent-
workers Percentage
Daily Expenses 20 10
Marriage 80 40
Sickness 44 22
Maternity 16 08
Festivals 16 08
Purchasing Site/Plots 04 02
Education of Children 20 10
Total 200 100 1
Source: Survey Data
As income of these families is veiy low, they are compelled to borrow loans.
The loans are used mainly to meet their daily expenses, expense relating to
marriage, sickness, death and community festival, etc. The loans are returned by
the workers in the form of deduction in their wages every month/week. Some
times, the problem of repaying the loans and the interest thereon becomes more
difficult as the major portion of their earnings is spent on daily expenditure.
11. Mother Tongue (and Religion) of Respondent-workers
The respondents were also selected by giving weightage to their mother tongue
(and religion). The details are presented below.
95
Table - 3.1S: Mother Tonijue of Respondents Workers
Mother Tongue Number of Workers Percentage
Kannada 60 30
Urdu 110 55
Tamil 14 07
Telugu 06 04
Others 08 04
Total 200 100
Source: Survey Data
It is very obvious fiom the above that majority of the workers are Urdu speaking
persons. This also shows that majority of the respondent-workers (numbering
110 accounting for 55% of the respondent-workers) belong to Muslim religion.
In the case of another 60 respondents, Kannada is their mother tongue.
Conclusion
There are six taluks in Davangere district. Out of these six, respondents are
selected from five taluks and one taluk i.e., .fagalur taluk is excluded as the beedi
workers are very few in this taluk. For the purpose of the present study, 200
beedi workers are selected from five taluks. The respondents are selected giving
representation to urban and rural areas, male and fem.ale, adults and children, etc.
The data revealed that beedi workers are more in urban area (i.e., Davangere and
Harihar) than in rural area (Honnali and Channageri). Out of these 200
96
respondent beedi workers selected for the present study, 60% are from urban
area and the remaining 40% are from the rural area.
The beedi rolling activity is highly female dominated. Out of 200 respondents,
93% are female and the remaining 7% are male workers. 33% of the
respondent-workers have small families with 1 - 4 members each and 38% have
families with 5 - 6 members each, another 24% have 5 to 8 members each and
the remaining 5% belong to large families with 9 members in each family. In
Davangere district, there are only 6 children engaged in beedi rolling activity.
It is noticed that 55% of the respondent-workers are illiterates, 39% had school
education upto primary education and 6% had middle school education. The
monthly earnings axe very lov/. Hence, the families are compelling even their
children to take up beedi rolling activity. It is observed that 75% of the
respondent-workers have borrowed loan due to inadequate earnings from beedi
rolling. Further, it is observed that the majority of beedi workers are belong to
Muslim religion.
97