Bitter Truths in Maharashtra’s Sugar Fields

Context: 

Recently, the High Court of Bombay has taken suo motu cognisance of the exploitation of the intra-State workforce that migrates seasonally from the drought-affected and water-scarce regions of Marathwada to the sugar-belt region of western Maharashtra. 

Seasonal Migrant Workers:

• These are the workers who temporarily migrate from one region to another for work during specific seasons or periods of the year for the demand of high labor and work opportunities.

Reasons for These migrations:

• Environmental & Unemployment Challenges:
  • Prolonged drought conditions, repeated crop failure, debt, and acute unemployment create an end-most situation for Marathwada’s rural labor, and, ultimately, they have to migrate seasonally. 
• Mukadam System:
  • The Mukadam or labor contractor has a contract with sugar factories to supply ‘Koytas’ (labor couples) and takes an advance to pay workers. 
  • This system assures sugar factories a supply of a large volume of temporary, cheap, reliable, and efficient workforce, which creates adequate space to control migrant workers, violates labor laws, and is unfavorable to establish any relationship between the factory and workers.
• Inadequate Data:
  • Inadequate data is one of the major resistance in framing meaningful policies for seasonal migrants, especially when women migrants and children are largely invisible and unenumerated. 
• About the Migration Tracking System (MTS) Application:
  • It was launched in 2022 by the Women and Child Development Department of the Maharashtra Government.
  • A first-of-its-kind project in the country, aimed to track and enumerate seasonal migrants in the tribal districts to enumerate and track children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers at source and destination areas to ensure nutrition, immunization and early childhood care, and continuity of the Integrated Child Development Services.
  • However, the MTS falls short in providing a comprehensive picture of seasonally migrating families, including their employment status, wage structure, and entitlement coverage.
• Plight of Women:
  • As per Oxfam India 2020:
    • Women working in the sugar cane industry face strenuous and hazardous tasks, such as headloading cane bundles and carrying heavy weights on trucks or trolleys.
    • Their work adversely impacts their bodies, causing musculoskeletal disorders and several gynecological issues.
  • As per UNESCO:
    • Early and forced marriages among migrant women lead to problems for adolescent girls, resulting in early pregnancies (15-17 years), deliveries without trained birth attendants, frequent childbirth and many other problems.
  • In Mukadams System:
    • Studies have also reported various cases of violence and sexual harassment linked toMukadams and male workers, further exacerbating the vulnerabilities faced by migrant women.
• Plight of Children:
  • Though the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes equitable and inclusive education for all, the Right to Education of children who accompany their parents to sugar cane fields is violated blatantly.
  • The lack of sufficient alternative schooling models affects their education, potentially forcing them into child labor.
  • As per a joint study by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and UNICEF (2022), despite these children being physically absent from school, school records do not acknowledge this in many cases.
• Job Opportunities in the Sugar Cane Industry:
  • The sugar-belt districts of western Maharashtra, such as Sangli, Kolhapur, Pune, Satara, Solapur, and Ahmednagar, are known for their sugar cane industry.
  • During the sugar cane harvesting and processing seasons, there is a high demand for labor in the sugar factories and fields, making it an attractive destination for seasonal migrant workers seeking employment.
• Lack of Diversified Livelihood Options:
  • Limited livelihood diversification in the home region may prompt individuals to seek employment opportunities in other regions with more robust economic activities.

Challenges Faced by These Workers: 

• Exploitative Labor Practices: Mukadam is the exploitative system that allows sugar factories to obtain a large volume of temporary, cheap, and efficient workforce.
• Low Wages and Job Insecurity: Migrant workers often receive low wages for their labor, and their work is typically temporary and seasonal. As a result, they face uncertainty about future employment opportunities.
• Lack of Social Protection: Seasonal migrant workers may lack access to social protection schemes, such as health insurance and other benefits, leaving them financially vulnerable in case of illness or injury.
• Strenuous Work by Women: Workers, including women, may engage in strenuous work, such as head loading, leading to accidents.
• Challenges for Children: Children accompanying their parents may face disruptions in their education due to migration, and there may be insufficient alternative schooling models, impacting their learning and development.

The Path Ahead:

• Data Collection and Migration Tracking System (MTS): 
  • The government should conduct a periodic and time-bound enumerating exercise to create a credible databank of seasonal migrants. There is a need to expand the scope of this MTS.
• Strengthening of Labor Laws: 
  • Strengthening labor administration and enforcing labor laws is essential to protect the rights of migrant workers with regular and strict inspections.
  • There is a need to keep a strict vigil on the destructive Mukadam System.
• Collaborative Approach: 
  • There is a need to formulate comprehensive policies in collaboration with different Ministries and Departments to address the multi-dimensional challenges faced by migrant workers and their families.
• Addressing Women’s Plight: 
  • Implement long-term intervention strategies to address the challenges faced by women migrant workers. 
  • Provide training and opportunities for skill development to enhance their economic independence and ensure their health and safety in the workplace.
• Ensuring Children’s Education: 
  • Implement alternative schooling models for children accompanying their parents to sugar cane fields. 
  • Protect their Right to Education and prevent them from being forced into child labor.

News Source: The Hindu

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