The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Competition from various quarters squeezes their profession dry at work

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Sunday, Jul 13, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Competition from various quarters squeezes their profession dry at work

Deepa H. Ramakrishnan

It’s hard work for the washermen and women, who slog on day in and day out

File photo by V.Ganesan

Tough task: The Corporation dhobikhana at Kothandaraman street in Korukkupet. —

CHENNAI: Their load-bearing donkeys have long since been replaced with bicycles. The rivers they used have all become stagnant sewers. And washing machines in every household have taken away a huge chunk of business from dhobis, whose numbers, as a result, has shrunk in the city.

Depending solely on solar power to dry clothes, the washermen and women continue to slog on day in and day out, washing and ironing clothes despite competition from every possible quarter – even amongst themselves.

“I have been in this business since 1960, when we charged just one anna (six paise) per piece [of clothing]. Today, after 45 years, we are charging only Rs.5 for washing and ironing. But, many people hesitate to pay us even that. They haggle for a rupee. Not many understand that for ironing alone it costs Rs.2 and another Rs.2 goes for soap. We just get Re.1 from every piece of clothing for our labour. Two of us have to get 100 pieces of clothes to wash in a day, if we are to sustain our families,” says S.Arumugam (64), whose family has been in the trade for generations.

Every piece of clothing is handled about 26 times before it is delivered, smelling fresh and nice, back to your homes. And it is back-breaking work, standing in the sun.

Men and women join hands to dip clothes in soap oil, detergent, bleach, blue and starch to make the clothes free of dirt, dust, sweat smell and stains.

There are fewer ‘dhobikanas’ in the city now. The dhobis live as joint families with all of them contributing to the family pool. In the dhobikanas being run by the Chennai Corporation, sheds provided for ironing are being used as homes by washermen.

“We soak the clothes at night and start washing the next morning. As our soaking pits are inside the dhobikanas and the entire family joins in the washing, we have no other option but to stay in these small rooms,” explains Radhakrishnan, who, having completed schooling, preferred to join the profession.

“I prefer this job to any other as I know the nuances of the trade. But, without investment we cannot move on to bigger pastures. If we were to service hotels and hospitals and get more income, we need to start a large-scale venture with washing machines and more space where clothes can be dried be it rain or shine,” he adds.

“We cannot afford even a single day’s break since we are daily-wage earners and a day’s leave will only compound our troubles. We have children to educate, families to feed and also need money to buy charcoal, soap and other washing agents. Even on Fridays, which, for long, was a weekly off, we work ironing clothes,” says Karupusamy, a washerman, who does more ironing work than washing these days.

Having been in the profession for over 24 years, he does not want his children to become dhobis.

“One son is in college and the other, working after completing an ITI course,” he says. Many other washermen are also advising their children to pursue other vocations.

“We have not been provided SC status though we are ‘vannaars.’ It seems only those in Tirunelveli district can use that status. Because of this we don’t have any kind of reservation in educational institutions and government jobs. Many of our children are first generation college goers,” explains Mr. Radhakrishnan.

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