The Hindu : National : No dearth of issues in the 'city of workers'

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Wednesday, Oct 06, 2004

National

National

No dearth of issues in the 'city of workers'

By Meena Menon

SOLAPUR, OCT. 5. "The Chief Minister was born here but he has done nothing for us," says 13-year-old Hari Krishna, an eighth standard dropout. "This is what my father says. He used to work for the Solapur spinning mill which has closed," he adds.

In the Babuji Nagar slum in Solapur, even a child knows the fate of the industries in the city. From a vibrant city of workers, Solapur today is faced with industrial closure and rampant unemployment. The worst-hit is the largest bidi rolling cottage industry in the State.

Promises aplenty

For once, the candidates for the coming Assembly elections cannot complain they have no issues to talk about. Parties across the board are now promising all kinds of jobs, proposals to reopen closed mills and relief for the bidi workers and the ailing powerloom sector. The issues could even help the BJP-Shiv Sena increase its presence in the region.

Hanumanta Namdas has been doing odd jobs since the Lakshmi Vishnu Mill closed about 12 years ago. "I have to yet receive all my service dues. Ours is a family of seven and today, my daughter has to roll bidis. I get work only once in two or three days. Earlier, people came to this city looking for work but now there are too many of us and too little work," he said.

Grievances galore

In the rural areas, in the constituency of South Solapur where the Chief Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, is contesting, there are several grouses. Says the BJP MP from Solapur, Subhash Deshmukh: "There are many Ministers, even the Chief Minister, is from this region. But the people are unhappy. That is why Ujawala Shinde [the Chief Minister's wife] lost the election. There was a lot of expectation from the Chief Minister but closure of the mills and other issues have upset the people.

"Solapur was once a city of workers. Three mills closed in the tenure of the Democratic Front government. The riots in 2002 have created an insecure environment and no new investment is forthcoming. In the rural areas, farmers are unhappy — many of them took loans last year on the basis of 10 per cent per month to pay their crop insurance premium but the Government is yet to pay the insurance after massive crop failure last year."

The Chief Minister's opponent from South Solapur, BJP-Sena's Shivajirao Pise, claims that in 28 villages in the Assembly segment, there is no development, not even roads. "I campaigned for Mr. Deshmukh during the last Lok Sabha election and I found a lot of anger against the Chief Minister. We are trying to generate jobs for educated youth which is a major issue for us," said Mr. Pise.

Ravindra Mokashi, state committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), says Solapur was once the centre of a huge textile industry and it was third after Bombay and Nagpur.

Massive unemployment

The composite mills closed due to the new textile policy and now about 30,000 people are unemployed after five mills have shut down.

The bidi industry has been here since 1930s and it has about 60,000 to 70,000 workers, mostly women, who run their families rolling bidis. The power loom industry has also been reduced and of the 70,000 workers, many are now without work. However, the package announced by the Chief Minister for the powerloom sector has raised hopes of the owners though not the workers, Mr. Mokashi said.

The bidi industry has been badly affected by the anti-smoking legislation passed in April 2003. The law provides for the bidis to be packed like cigarettes and with labels giving the statutory warning. Also the excise duty reduction on mini cigarettes has given bidis stiff competition. As a result, the demand for bidis has gone down by 15 per cent and this has affected the women workers badly, he said.

Says Narsamma Yelgeti, president of the Lal Bawta Bidi Kamgar Sangh: "We get very less work, sometimes only for four days a week, for a few years now but this year it has become worse due to the new law." Narsamma, who has been rolling bidis for the last 50 years, says that unless the crisis is solved, women would be on the streets.

Unorganised labour

And it is the support of workers that is being counted on by Narsaiah Adam of the CPI(M) who is contesting from Solapur City South seat, with the support of the Congress and the RPI. A two-time MLA, "Master" as he is popularly called, says the issue of unorganised labour needs to be tackled — the bidi workers must get some security. "If the Government wants to reduce smoking, and it is so concerned about the health of people why is it not banning gutka or making sure no one dies of starvation? Most of the women in the bidi industry cannot survive without it," he said.

The CPI(M)'s secular alliance hopes it will get the votes of Muslims who form a sizeable chunk of this constituency. However, the BSP candidate, Razak Sheikh, an advocate who has been working with the POTA detainees, says the Congress is no longer a secular party.

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