CHALLENGES FACED BY WOMEN AS AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUDUCHERRY ECONOMY---- A PURVIEW
CHALLENGES
FACED BY WOMEN AS AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF
PUDUCHERRY
ECONOMY---- A PURVIEW
Dr.P.CHARLES CHRISTOPHER RAJ
M.A., M.Phil. M.I.M., M.L.I.S.C., M.C.A., B.Ed. P.G.D.T.A. Ph.D.,
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT of HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
PERUNTHALAIVAR KAMARAJAR ARTS COLLEGE
K.T.KUPPAM,
MADAGADIPET, PUDUCHERRY 605 010
MOBILE: 9443723327
Email Id:ccraj18@gmail.com
Abstract
Women
of Puducherry contribute to the growth and development of Indian Economy in
general and to Puducherry in particular.
Women as productive worker fall in the ratio of 3:1 for one woman is at
work for every three men.
Women
as agricultural labourers form a niche in developing the economy of Union
Territory of Puducherry and their work participation rate levels to 35.2%. Though agricultural enterprises other than
crop-production at times seem to have very limited potential, the programme of bio-village – incepted by the
Pondicherry Administration in collaboration with M.S. Swaminathan Research
Foundation covers 4000 hectares of land giving labour opportunity nearly to
25000 of women labourers work in the lands.
Women
are also involved in aquaculture, production of
edible mushrooms, horticulture, vegetable production in backyard spaces, manufacture of
vermin-compost, poultry production and goat rearing etc.
Challenges faced by these women
labourers are in numerous for lands which they work should be freely assigned
to them, equal remuneration should be
ensured, promiscuity of safety, prevention of
occupation diseases, rampant corruption in food for work program,
fodder scarcity leading to selling livestock, trafficking of women and children
for sexual exploitation, and pauperization of farmers..
However, the extent of their participation depends upon a number of
factors, where women’s work is regarded as of supplementary nature and women
enter the employment market only when economic conditions force them to do so.
Hence, with all these aspects this
paper tends to throw light upon the challenges
and issues faced by the women of
Puducherry while taking up the task of
labourious work in agriculture and shouldering the responsibility of
developing the Puducherry economy.
Give a man a fish, he will eat for
a day but teach him how to fish, he will eat for the rest of his life, so
goes the popular saying, the case of our Indian farmers is similar to this,
what they need is a means to sustain throughout their lives without having to
face, the desperation that adversity drives them. If India has to shine, it is these women
agricultural labourers are need to be empowered.
CHALLENGES
FACED BY WOMEN AS AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF
PUDUCHERRY
ECONOMY---- A PURVIEW
Dr.P.CHARLES CHRISTOPHER RAJ
M.A., M.Phil. M.I.M., M.L.I.S.C., M.C.A., B.Ed. P.G.D.T.A. Ph.D.,
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT of HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
PERUNTHALAIVAR KAMARAJAR ARTS COLLEGE
K.T.KUPPAM, MADAGADIPET, PUDUCHERRY
605 010
MOBILE: 9443723327
Email Id:ccraj18@gmail.com
Introduction
Puducherry which was a small fishing village
unknown to the world was created as the window of the French
Culture by the advent of the French1. Pondicherry, the very word seems to be the
correction of Pudicherry2 which means a new hamlet. The Union Territory of Puducherry
constituted out of the four French establishments of Pondicherry, Karaikal,
Mahe and Yanam has the epoch of history
of three hundred and fifty years3. Puducherry embedded between Cuddalore and
Villupuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in Nagapattinam district of
Tamil Nadu, Mahe between Kozhikodu and Kannur districts of Kerala and Yanam
within the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. While Puducherry, Karaikal
and Yanam lie on the east coast of India, Mahe lies on the West coast. The
French Government transferred the four enclaves to the Indian Union under the
defacto treaty on 1st November, 1954 but the ratification of the
treaty of Cessation was delayed and ultimately the territory was merged on 16th
August, 19624.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the major occupation. Among various main workers,
those engaged in agriculture occupations and ‘other than household industry’
(mainly industrial workers)accounted for 36.31% and 14.94% respectively. Agriculture contributes less than 10% of
GSDP, which varies between 4 to 8 percent for
the last 20 years. Puducherry is
one of the densely populated regions covering (2029 per sq.km) of India (324
per sq.km). Around 50 % of the people
live in rural area depending on agriculture. Cropping
intensity is about 178 per cent as against 133 per cent at all India level and
is next only to Punjab (180 percent). There is no natural reserve forest and
the territory is fully developed for human habitation5. A table will enable to understand the development of Women
Agricultural Labourers of Puducherry.
**Labour Status of Union Territory Puducherry(
Denoting Women workers)
Puducherry
|
1991
Census
|
2001
Census
|
||||
Persons
|
Male
|
Female
|
Persons
|
Male
|
Female
|
|
Main Workers(%)
|
32.4
|
50.1
|
14.3
|
32.57
|
50.35
|
14.30
|
Marginal Workers(%)
|
0.7
|
0.4
|
0.9
|
2.60
|
2.77
|
2.43
|
Population
|
8,07,785
|
4,08,081
|
3,99,704
|
9,74,345
|
48696
|
4 ,87,384
|
Total Agricultural Workers
|
95,162
|
59,546
|
||||
Percentage of Agricultural
Workers
|
36.35
|
17,39
|
||||
The above table shows the
status of women workers in 1991 and 2001 where there is a decrease in total
agricultural workers from 95,162 to 59,546 enables that challenges were faced
by the workers in the occupation made them quit and seek non-agrarian
employment in the territory. *** Land Use Pattern (in
hectares)
Land Use Pattern
|
1980-81
|
1990-91
|
2000-01
|
2003-04
|
Total Geographical Area (ha)
|
46822
|
48581
|
48842
|
48651
|
Forest
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Barren and Uncultivable Land
|
82
|
80
|
113
|
70
|
Land put to Non-Agricultural Uses (ha)
|
11211
|
14057
|
15498
|
17125
|
Permanent Pasture and Grazing Lands (ha)
|
73
|
59
|
18
|
-
|
Land under Miscellaneous Tree Crops and Groves (ha
|
) 2379
|
369
|
821
|
1097
|
Cultivable Waste land(ha)
|
1418
|
1815
|
4089
|
3996
|
Current Fallows (ha)
|
1399
|
3004
|
950
|
3356
|
Net Area Sown (ha)
|
29908
|
27294
|
24329
|
20647
|
Area Sown more than once (ha)
|
24073
|
16444
|
18948
|
16736
|
Gross Cropped Area (ha)
|
53981
|
43738
|
43277
|
37383
|
Cropping Intensity (%)
|
180.49
|
160.25
|
177.88
|
181.0
|
Gross Irrigated Area(ha
|
42005
|
33527
|
34146
|
31436
|
Gross Irrigated Area to Gross Cropped Area(%)
|
77.8
|
76.6
|
78.9
|
84.0
|
The total geographical area of the
state is 48,651 (ha)during 2003-04, of which area under forest is nil. The indicators of land use show the negative
progress of growth in agriculture. Land used for non-agricultural purposes fallow land and uncultivable waste are increasing. During
the last 20 years, area put to non-agricultural use increased from 11,211 ha in
1980-81 to 17,125 ha to 2003-04 and other fallow land from 352 ha in 1980-81 to
2360 ha in 2003-04. Area under permanent pastures and grazing land and
miscellaneous trees and groves has come down during the last 20 years. It
indirectly indicates the reduction in the common property resources. But area
under cultivable waste increased from 1418 ha in 1980-81 to 3996 ha in 2003-04
and started to decline during the last three years. The net area sown had also
decreased from 29,908 ha in 1980-81 to 20,647 ha in 2003-04. Area sown more
than once had also decreased from 24,073 ha to 16,736 ha during the corresponding period. Similarly
gross cropped area and area under irrigation also showed a decreasing trend. It
was 53,981 ha in 1980-81 and 37,383 ha in 2003- 2004. Cropping intensity was
fluctuating around 160-180 per cent. However percentage of gross area irrigated
to the gross cultivated area increased from 77.8 to 84, which indicates the
intensive use of groundwater for cultivation.
Challenges
faced by the women labourers
Agriculture
in India is not merely an independent economic activity; it is rather
intertwined with social and cultural activities. It remains an important sphere
of Indian society and is often perceived as “a way of life”. The late Prime
Minister of India, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, coined the famous slogan “Jai
Jawan, Jai Kisan”. Through this he recognized the importance of agriculture in
general and farmers in particular in the process of nation-building. In this
era of globalization, the face of Indian agriculture had undergone a sea
change. The farmers are now confronting the challenges of the changing times
and provided opportunities they are ready to move away from agriculture. The
National Agricultural Policy of the Ministry of Agricultural, Government of
India (2000) says, Agriculture has become
a relatively unrewarding profession due to a generally unfavorable price regime
and low value addition, causing abandoning of farming and increasing migration
from rural areas. The situation is likely to be exacerbated further in the wake
of integration of agricultural trade in the global system, unless immediate
corrective measures are taken.
Ø Women Labourers commit suicide
Repeated crop failures,
seem to create a situation that forces women
to commit suicide. The main
source of data on farmers’ suicides is the annual reports on accidental and
suicidal deaths published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of the
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The reports consist of a range
of tables; one of them is on the distribution of suicides by profession that
includes a category for self-employed persons in farming/agriculture. An all India-wise consistent and complete
data on farmers’ suicide or suicide by persons employed in farming/agriculture
is available for ten years from 1997 to 2006.
Ø Irrigation failure
Irrigation, a
critical infrastructure for agriculture in the state, had also suffered. A
decline in public surface irrigation (canal and tanks) resulted in the
emergence of private groundwater as the single largest source with all the
attendant ecological problems. Delayed rainfall, prolonged dry spells,
subsequent crop failures have forced many farmers to kill themselves.
Ø Farm
indebtedness
The average farm debt,
now exceeds a lakh of rupess to a farmer, out of which more than 40% is
provided by non-institutional sources at an interest of nearly 24% per annum. They had to sell away their produce and even the
lands to the money lenders at low prices and had to purchase nearly all
their requirements at the same man’s shop at higher prices. Although the money
might have been borrowed only a few months before the settlements of the annual
accounts, a full year’s interest was charged on a loan. Women labourers find it very difficult to
feed the hungry mouths at home.
Ø Conversion
of land as residential plots
After 2000, the land area in Puducherry been converted to
residential plots for the inhabitants are more interested to sell their lands
to migrates from Chennai and Neyveli to construct skyscraper and to bring in
pucca roads to their village. Nearly 18%
of land are converted to residential plots and new agents have crept in for the
sale of land in sq. feets like 1200 sq. ft, 2400 sq. ft a plot at a huge price.
This is an aggressive problem faced by the labourers at present in the
agricultural scenario of Puducherry.
Ø No legal right to property
Ownership of property facilitates raising of
resources including for undertaking economic activities and employment. Women
should, therefore, be given rights equal with men in inheritance of property.
Puducherry women have no rights to acquire ancestral property for the tradition
acts as hindrances and the parents insist on recognizing the men as the heir
for their property. These cause the
women to be a bonded human as the male dominate the society.
Ø Women in old age
Women in old age, are not given employment as
labourers or social security, do not most often have any other resources of
their own. Negligence of senior citizens is particularly harsh on women. Monetary
assistance are not there and nobody employs them for their agricultural needs.
Ø Societal problems and atrocities against women
labourers
There is high level of
alcoholism in the Union Territory. This
also has implications for violence against women. Men given to alcoholism tend
to get violent against their spouses and also tend to become lax in morals.
This leads to disruption of families. This kind of experience is rampant,
especially in low-income families. Even women have the tendency to consume
alcohol due to burdensome of the
work. Excessive work time paves the way
for youth to indulge
in atrocities against the women labourers. Women farmers and labour particularly need to
be assisted with implements and equipments which will help to reduce drudgery
and the numbers of hours of work , while
adding economic value to each hours of work.
Women also suffer from a multiple burden on their time due to homemaking
and keeping, child rearing and income earning responsibilities. They need adequate nutrition and energy to
work long in the fields. The
feminization of agriculture, due to male out-migration, needs attention with
reference to gender – sensitive farm and credit policies. Good quality seeds at affordable prices are
in short supply and spurious pesticides and biofertilisers are being sold in
the absence of effective quality control systems for which the women farmers
find difficult in farming as well as micronutrient deficiencies in the soil as
well as problems relation to soil
physics are becoming burdensome to
the women labourers and make them
to find their employment in land
much difficult which results in
poverty. The poverty head count
in the Union Territory of Puducherry is less than the national figure. With
21.67% of the population living below poverty line, the State is close to Tamil
Nadu. However, the poverty ratio of the UT is far higher than of Andhra Pradesh
and Kerala. In all the States under comparison, urban poverty is higher than
rural poverty. There has been a drastic reduction in rural and urban poverty in
Puducherry during the 25-year period from 1973-74 to 1999-2000 as in the rest
of India.
Ø High rates of Child labour:
High
rates of child labour in agriculture are attributed to high rates of poverty,
seasonality of agricultural production with sharp peaks in labour demand, lack
of schools, prevalence of piece-rate payments, and weak labour laws. These
conditions encourage the use of child labour to meet the household’s basic
needs. Some types of work can hinder children’s well-being, development and their
future livelihoods. Child labour often undermines the bargaining power of women
for higher wages.
Ø Exclusion
Agricultural
women workers are often excluded from decision-making processes as they are not
always recognized as a distinct group with specific needs and interests, and
they are not organized. Agricultural women
workers must participate in the decision-making processes that affect their
lives to achieve positive outcomes for their well-being and maximize their
potential to contribute to Union Territory Economy.
Ø Denial of basic human rights
Political opposition,
the dispersion of the work force and high rates of informal and
casual/temporary employment all limit the organization of agricultural women
labourers in trade unions. Agricultural labourers are thus often denied the
basic human right to freedom of association, i.e. workers’ rights to organize
themselves and collectively bargain with employers. The restrictions on trade
unions within agriculture also limit the contribution that these organizations
can make to sustainable development through industrial change processes, educating
and training workers and protecting working environments.
Ø Poor health, safety and environmental conditions
Puducherry
economy faces a fatal problem because of women agricultural workers suffer high
rates of death, injury and illness. This is due to high levels of workplace
risk (e.g. machinery and pesticide use); long working hours; limited safety
measures, poor public health services and limited health and safety training in
rural areas; high rates of HIV/AIDS; and poor living conditions. Fatalities,
injuries and disease all diminish the well-being, assets (labour) and household
livelihood security of agricultural workers and overall agricultural
productivity.
Conclusion
The Union
Territory of Puducherry has constituted a women’s commission to address some of
the social evils that prevail due to the gendered hierarchical social system.
The Commission conducts awareness campaigns on women’s rights and against
domestic violence. It also conducts meetings and interactive sessions with
women in rural and urban areas on AIDS control, reproductive health, dowry,
women illiteracy and female child abuse etc. The
Commission also organises counselling programmes for the victims and extends
legal support to overcome the problem.
Corrective
steps need to be taken to improve the women labourers to receive credit –deposit ratio significantly,
in consultation with all stakeholders—industry, agriculture, service sector and
scheduled banks. Active joint campaign
and support by the government and scheduled banks for setting up of SMEs and
SSSBEs would not only improve credit-deposit ratio but also provide significant
employment opportunities to women. With
dwindling agriculture sector base, all out emphasis on tiny sector and
microfinance/SHGs would boost the rural economy.
Government
of Puducherry is implementing a centrally sponsored programme for ‘Children in
need of Care and Protection’ for the children in distress through voluntary
organisations to address the issues related to the
disabled and the most vulnerable persons where there is no job for the women to take care of their children. This programme aims to take
care of the destitute, neglected, abandoned, and vulnerable children who are
exposed to various kinds of abuse and exploitation. Around 20 homes/orphanages
are functioning in the state and are getting the financial support of Rs.250
per month per child. The fund is disbursed to the concerned organisations in
two equal installments. The total grant released per year is Rs.27.17 lakh.
Government
of Puducherry has introduced a number of schemes aimed at poverty alleviation
and to provide employment opportunities to the rural people, especially
agricultural labourers in the lean season. Some of the
major programmes with credit linkage being implemented in the Union Territory
of Puducherry are:
• Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
• Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY)
• Swarna Jayanti Shaharia Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)
• Puducherry Adi-Dravidar Development Corporation for
SC/ST (PADCO)
• Fish Farmers’ Development Programme (FFDP)
• Women Development Programme
• KVIC-Margin Money scheme, etc.
Agricultural Extension
Department is functioning with the aim of making available all the agricultural
inputs, and high efficiency technologies required for scientific farming. It aims to provide all the technical needs to
protect soil and crop health in order to increase the productivity. Apart from
the traditional extension system, the state has taken efforts to use the
developments in modern ICT sector for better delivery and provide need-based
contents through Uzhavar Udaviyagam (Farmers’ help centre).
The
wage rate has increased steadily over the years. The increase is higher for
ploughmen as compared to all other workers.
Number of manually operated seed cum fertilizer drills, sprayers and
dusters had increased over the period of time. Manual drawn levelers increased
from 77 to 1203. The implements that give employment opportunities like wooden
plough, wetland puddler and animal cart have decreased. This indicates that
reduced manpower involvement in production, especially in rural areas, where majority
of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Power operated
sprayers increased over the years which indicate the wide use of pesticides. Moreover,
all power operated implements like power tillers, agricultural tractors, mould
board ploughs, disc harrows, levelers, trailers and power-operated thresher increased.
Increase in number of implements showed the degree of mechanisation. On an average there
was one tractor for every 70 ha of gross cultivated area, which is higher than
the all India average of 66 ha. Considering the decrease in the labour force,
it is essential to improve the appropriate farm tools and machineries. Care
should be taken to ensure that the proposed interventions address the need of
small and marginal farmer, without eliminating the opportunities available for the agricultural labour force. The role and the involvement of women in
agriculture are increasing. Hence it is essential to give special focus to women.
Similar to the project on Tamil Nadu Women in Agriculture (TANWA) it is
essential to give special emphasis to mobilise women and make them technically empowered.
Given the predominant mono-cropping situation, it is necessary to promote crop
diversification to conserve water and maintain soil fertility. Considering the geographic
location horticultural crops, especially vegetable and flower cultivation could
be promoted. Area under wasteland is expanding every year and so wasteland
development programme could be introduced for the benefit of the rural poor. Inland
crab and aquaculture rice-fish farming can be promoted to give additional
income to the farmers. There is scope for production in this area as the Union
Territory is endowed with good water resources. Uzavar Sandhai is an upcoming
marketing strategy for the benefit of small and marginal farmers. In order to strengthen
it, it is necessary to improve infrastructure facilities to enable the farmers
to reach the market. Even though the number of transport vehicles for
agriculture has increased, farmers are forced to pay more to transport their
produce to the market. For each commune/village, separate vehicle facilities
should be provided to collect the produce from the fields and transport to the
market at affordable cost. Apart from providing market facilities it is essential
to fix and implement the Minimum Support Price for all the products throughout
the year. Considering the greater percentage of small and marginal farmers, new
approaches like group farming could be promoted with appropriate backward and
forward linkages. Finally it is essential to create awareness on the agricultural
issues related to WTO and globalisation such as quality literacy and trade
literacy to the existing state extension systems.
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** Table
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*** Ibid.
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