Watch | The daily struggles of Maharashtra’s sugar-belt workers

A video on the daily lives of Maharashtra’s sugar-belt workers, who work in harsh work and weather conditions.

For decades, about 12 lakh to 15 lakh people have been migrating within Maharashtra to cut sugarcane. They travel from the drought-affected Marathwada to western Maharashtra’s Sangli, Kolhapur, Pune, Satara, Solapur, and Ahmednagar. These areas are also known as the sugar belt.

Here, they work in the sugarcane fields under harsh work and weather conditions. They are paid no more than ₹50,000 to ₹60,000 PER PAIR for about 150 days of work. But these seasonal workers also face severe exploitation by their contractors, also known as mukadams.

Who are Mukadams?

The mukadamis a man with political influence. The more powerful he is, the more sub-contractors he has. Once farmers – who own the land – ready the sugarcane for harvest, mukadams take over.

Sugar factories hire them, and they in turn hire labour, making arrangements for their transport and stay. These middlemen are paid by the sugar factory and pocket at least 30% of what is earned.

What are the working conditions?

The groups of workers, also known as tolis, either stay on the sugar factory premises or in the sugarcane fields. The children do not go to school and help their parents bundle the cane.