The Working Life of Sugarcane Cutters
Prior
to every harvesting season, sugar mills specify their labor requirements to
middlemen known as 'Mukkadams,' who subsequently recruit workers through
verbal, informal agreements. These laborers are typically organized into
'Jodis,' or pairs, consisting of a husband and wife who remain under the
Mukkadam's supervision throughout their employment. After assembling the
necessary number of Jodis, the Mukadam signs a formal contract with the mill,
receiving an advance payment in return. From this sum, he pays each pair
between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh for their four-to-six-month commitment, a portion
of which the workers use to cover their migration to the worksite. The Mukkadam
acts as an essential intermediary, managing wages, overseeing medical needs,
and facilitating communication between the mill and the workers, all while
earning a commission based on output.
Cane
cutters endure grueling 12-to-18-hour daily shifts that begin at 4:00 AM. Any
absence due to health issues results in a penalty of approximately ₹500 per day
imposed on the Jodis by the Mukkadam. Although the Contract Labour (Regulation
and Abolition) Act of 1970 is intended to safeguard these workers and prevent
such exploitation, neither the mills nor the state governments enforce these
protections effectively, leaving laborers vulnerable. Additionally, beyond
their arduous field labor, the women in these pairs are responsible for all
unpaid domestic duties, including cooking, cleaning, and childcare.
When
the harvest begins, the Mukkadam directs each pair to their designated
location. Upon arriving with their belongings, families, and sometimes
livestock, these migrant workers reside in makeshift, tarpaulin-covered
shelters constructed near the mills or directly in the fields. These living
conditions are devoid of basic sanitation; lacking toilets, workers are forced
to defecate in open fields. Furthermore, these cramped, inadequate tents offer
little security or shelter. Access to electricity and running water is nearly
nonexistent. Women and girls face additional burdens, as they are responsible
for hauling water for the family from communal wells and are often forced to
bathe in public, open spaces.
The Rise in
Female Hysterectomies
In
2019, Maharashtra’s drought-prone Beed district drew national concern when
local reports highlighted an alarmingly high prevalence of hysterectomies among
its female population. This trend is deeply rooted in the social reality of
rural India, where menstruation remains a taboo subject. Within the context of
sugarcane harvesting, pregnancy and menstruation are perceived as impediments
that hinder a woman's ability to perform at peak capacity.
Most
female cane cutters in Beed are married between the ages of 12 and 16,
subsequently joining their husbands in the fields as part of a "Jodi"
(couple) unit. Because men typically manage the contracts, handle the wages,
and make major household decisions, these women have minimal agency regarding
their own labor and migration.
A
lack of formal education and limited access to healthcare contribute to poor
menstrual hygiene, with many women relying on unsanitary, damp rags that
heighten the risk of infection. Because sugar mills enforce strict quotas,
contractors (Mukkadams) often view a woman’s absence due to pregnancy or her
menstrual cycle as a barrier to fulfilling production targets. While Mukkadams
may not explicitly command women to undergo surgery, the intense pressure to
avoid job loss or daily fines creates a coercive environment. Often, Mukkadams
will even provide the upfront funding for the procedure, later recovering the
cost through wage deductions.
Beyond
external pressure, some women choose to have the surgery voluntarily, driven by
a cultural misconception that a woman’s uterus serves no purpose after
childbirth. Many hope that removing the organ will end their menstrual cycles,
thereby allowing them to work longer hours and increase their productivity.
Exploitative private clinics further fuel this trend; fraudulent doctors often
manipulate women suffering from common issues like pelvic pain or discharge,
using fear tactics to convince them that their condition is life-threatening
and requires surgery.
Data
from the Maharashtra State Commission for Women’s 2018 study indicated that
roughly 36% of female sugarcane workers in the state had undergone a
hysterectomy. Between 2016 and 2019 alone, about 4,600 women in Beed underwent
the procedure, establishing Maharashtra as a state with one of India's highest
hysterectomy rates.
Ultimately,
this surgery is often viewed as a financial investment costing approximately
₹35,000, or roughly a full season's wages for a Jodi made in the hope of
securing higher earnings. Yet, the expected gains in productivity are
contradicted by the severe outcomes reported by many women. Beyond the
financial burden, post-surgical patients frequently suffer from chronic
physical and mental distress, including depression, insomnia, back pain, and
joint issues.
As
mentioned, the threat of fines and denial of work from labor contractors,
growing social conditioning, and poverty force these women to remove their
uteruses. The ones reaping the excessive profits are the capitalists. They
generate excessive profits by producing 'cheap' labor. Furthermore, some
doctors exploit this opportunity, misleading women by citing 'cancer risks' to
pressure them into undergoing surgery at their clinics. The average cost of a
surgery is about ₹35,000, for which women have to take loans. This creates an
uncertain burden! There are reports that some women faced further physical
complications due to the hysterectomy, requiring additional operations costing
up to ₹1 lakh.
Here,
a joint team of labor contractors, doctors, and moneylenders is exploiting
these women. They have even created a society favorable to them during this
period a society where surgery has to be performed in places where only
awareness should have been created! This is a huge challenge. The root causes
are a lack of education, poverty, and the absence of government intervention.
In
a capitalist country, it is natural that the issues of the working class do not
reach the public domain, and corporate media will support them. Recently, the
production of E20 petrol has been increased, leading to a significant rise in
sugarcane production. These changes have created conditions for these
primitive, anti-labor practices to increase even further. A world that is
'comfortable' for capitalists is being created again and again!. But who
pays for this comfort? While the expansion of E20 petrol promises a greener
future for our vehicles, it is being fueled by the blood and health of our most
marginalized workers. In the second part of this report, we will investigate
the direct correlation between the push for increased sugarcane production, the
industrial influence of key political figures, and the deepening crisis facing
these women. The story of the cane-cutter does not end in the field it
continues in the corridors of power.
