This vacancy notice, issued by a private textile unit in Suloor Road, Avinashi, Coimbatore, is an invitation to girls to take up jobs in the textile units of Tamil Nadu under the Sumangali Scheme or Mangalya Thittam (Marriage Assistance Scheme).

Marriage is, usually, every adolescent girl’s dream. Teenage girls in metropolitan cities, with innumerable options and preoccupations in life, may not be drawn to the enticement of such a dream. The skilful machinations of people, who offer hopes of realising this dream, however, lure teenage girls in the villages or small cities with fewer or no options. Many of these girls, from the poverty-stricken and remote villages of Tamil Nadu and Kerala and with no other alternative employment opportunities, fall prey to a new system of bondedness — the Sumangali System in the textiles units of Tamil Nadu.

Sumangali Scheme

The Sumangali Scheme was introduced a decade ago by the owners of textile units in Coimbatore. On the face of it, the scheme looks quite simple and attractive. Jobs are given to young, unmarried girls, mainly between 16 and 20 years of age, for a period of three years. On completion of three years, the girls are promised Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 in bulk, ostensibly for their marriage. Poor parents send their daughters for these jobs, as a viable option for getting the girls married or for settlings old loans. “I have six children and all of them are girls. In our situation, we cannot even dream of getting my daughters married,” says Azhagappan, a landless peasant from Theni. Three of his daughters are working under the Sumangali Scheme in three different mills.

Poverty is the main factor that prompts parents to send their children to work under the Sumangali Scheme. A majority of the girls who work in the textile units of Tiruppur, Avinashi and Palladam blocks of Coimbatore are from remote villages of Tamil Nadu and from the tea garden areas of Kerala. According to a study conducted by Social Awareness and Voluntary Education (SAVE), an NGO based in Tiruppur, 85 per cent of the workers are from Tamil Nadu and 15 per cent from Kerala.

Tamil Nadu, with its 30 administrative districts, has a population of 6,24,05,679 as per the Census 2001 figures. Among the districts of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore has recorded the highest population growth of 21 per cent during the decade 1991–2001. Meanwhile, of the three major textile blocs in Coimbatore — Tiruppur, Avinashi and Palladam, Tiruppur shows an enormous increase — 124 per cent — in population growth during the same period. At the same time, many of the southern districts such as Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Ramanathapram, Virudhunagar, Sivagangai and Theni districts have shown a reduced percentage growth in population. The marked difference in population growth signifies the fact that the textile centres of Tamil Nadu are absorbing a large number of rural migrants.

Migration: The Ultimate Means

Poverty, drought, a reduced number of working days, inadequate developmental activities in the rural areas of South Central and South Tamil Nadu and the absence of alternative employment opportunities compel able-bodied men and women to move out of their homes and villages in search of jobs. It has resulted in a drastic increase in internal migration to Coimbatore. In Kerala, the workers of closed and abandoned tea plantations are also forced to leave their homes in order to find livelihoods that will keep them alive. The knitwear and textile industry in Tiruppur and its export market, with a high demand for cheap labour, wholeheartedly welcomes this group.

The employers of the textile units in Coimbatore prefer to employ young girls not only because of their ‘nimble fingers’ but also because they are less troublesome and are vulnerable. “The girls are obedient and will not create any labour problem. They are dedicated to their work,” says Mahesh Kumar owner of Mahesh Kumar Mills, Thendukkarampalayam, Avinashi. “Girls are docile and they are really concerned about the problems faced by their families,” says Ganesh (name changed), another mill owner. “They even sacrifice their sleep to work overtime so that they save more money,” he adds.

Many of the girls who come for work have dropped out of school after the fifth or sixth standards because their families cannot afford to send them to schools. Some others are illiterate.

Getting a Job

“I heard of the Sumangali Scheme from my uncle,” says Deepa who works with KPR Mills in Elachipalayam. Deepa’s uncle works as an agent. He is one of the company-appointed agents, bringing girls to the units.

The agent plays a dual role. He frequently visits the villages, especially the Dalit villages, identifies those households with girl children, who are really in need of some financial help, convinces the parents and brings them to the units. In the village, he is a well-wisher of the family. Once in the city, he becomes the management’s person. He will stand by the decisions of the management, whatever these may be.

For bringing a girl to the unit, an agent gets Rs 500 per person. This amount is given after the girl puts in 15 days of service. If, by chance, the girl leaves the company, the agent will have to pay Rs 1,000 to the management. Many a times, the agent becomes the guardian of the girls.

Alagaraj, who was running a shop in Puthukottai, left the village when his business failed. He opened a furniture shop in Tiruppur and shifted base there, with his wife Dhanalakshmi. “Once I heard that a textile unit is on the lookout for girls to work under the Sumangali Scheme. I immediately thought of playing the role of an agent so that, in some way, I can help the poverty-stricken parents in my village,” says Alagaraj. He brought 22 girls from the village. “Parents have faith in me, so they send them with me,” he claims proudly. Both Alagaraj and Dhanalakshmi say that they take personal care of these girls. If it is true, this is a very rare case.

There are agents who will not allow girls to work after 6–7 months. They try all means to forcefully take them out. If the girls leave before completing six months, the agent has to pay the fine. But once they complete 6 months, he can take them out and place them in another unit and collect Rs 500.

There is a big lobby of agents in Tiruppur. “If a newcomer lands in the Tiruppur bus stand and shows signs of unfamiliarity, immediately the news reaches us,” says Murukesan, another agent. Once the news of a candidate reaches them, they approach the girls on the pretext of providing them employment. There are around 3,500 textile units in Coimbatore. Parasitic agents thrive because more and more units are opting for the Sumangali Scheme.

In the Clutches of an Octopus

Work in the textile units happens in three shifts. The first shift begins at 7.30 in the morning and continues up to 4.30. The workers of the second shift have to report at 4.00 p.m. and work till 11.pm. The third shift commences at 11 in the night and ends at 7 in the morning. “There is no tea break; instead, tea is served in the workplace so that the girls do not waste time,” says Saravana Kumar, an activist with the Centre for Social Education and Development (CSED), Avinashi. Narayanaswami, associated with the Labour Resource Centre of SAVE, agrees with him and adds that the girls have to do two consecutive shifts. 

Many of the girls we saw inside one of the factory premises were waiting for their parents. They looked exhausted, with their drooping faces reflecting the stress they were under and their disgust of the system. They were lean and pale, an obvious consequence of the unhealthy work atmosphere. We had entered the factory premises under a false pretext; therefore, we could only observe the girls but not talk to them.

Besides the continuous working hours, the girls are subject to the verbal abuse and sexual advances of the supervisory level staff. On 24 August 2004, seven girls working in a textile unit on the Kangayam Road in Rakhipalayam were freed when the RTO and labour officers intervened on their behalf.  Ilakhiya (15) and Vijaya (17) d/o Natchuran; Satya (16) and Maheshwari (19) d/o Ganeshan; Vasanthy (17) d/o Govindaraj; Sumitra (19) d/o of Nagappan; Subha (19) d/o Subbayya were released in a dazed condition and housed in the Ammapalayam Mariyala, a rescue shelter for women. The girls had shocking tales to narrate about the physical and mental torture they had faced inside the factory. An agent Subramani had brought them from their villages. After a few days in the shelter, when they recovered from the shock, the girls were sent back to their villages with their parents.

Accounts of the bizarre events that take place inside the units rarely reach the outside world. A duty station officer of Suloor railway station had a few such incidents to narrate. Once he was about to finish his night shift, when two young girls came to the station panting and crying. On enquiry, it emerged that they ran away because of the torture they faced inside the textile units. The ‘safe and secure’ working atmosphere of the company was a 10 ft x 10 ft dark room, where 10-12 girls stayed with their luggage. No beds were provided, the girls had to lie down on mats on the floor. The food given was neither tasty nor nutritious.

Unable to bear the ill treatment inside, the girls, in their desire to escape, jumped over the huge wall “in the middle of the night and reached station with bruises on legs and arms,” says the station officer. “Meanwhile, the management rushed to the station with the lady warden and wanted to take the girls back. They even threatened me,” the station officer says. But by this time, the girls had gathered enough public support. It was decided not to send the girls back if they were not willing to go. The parents of the girls were contacted and, later, the girls were sent back with a lady member of an NGO. “After a few days they contacted and thanked me,” says the station officer. “They are happily rolling bidis in their villages,” he adds.

‘Black Cat Protection’

“The plight of the girls came to the limelight when one of the girls managed to steal a letter home through a cook,” says Senthil Raj, CITU district secretary of Somanur. “The situation of the girls is so pathetic that even the letters they send or receive are screened minutely,” he says.

“They used to take us in an office vehicle once a month for shopping,” says Arivazhaki an ex-textile mill worker. She got married and so had to leave the job in between. “We would be accompanied by the warden and two or three security guards of the company. We were not allowed to talk to outsiders,” she says.

“The girls come out in groups for shopping. They are scared and will not open their mouth even if we ask them anything,” says N Arulchamy of CSED. “Once they finish their purchases, they are packed in the vehicle and dumped back in the units,” he adds.

Sumangali Scheme: A Bane in Disguise

The Sumangali Scheme, which claims to be a boon for getting a girl married, is one of the worst forms of bonded labour. The nitty-gritties of the Scheme reveal that the extent of exploitation knows no bounds.

The agreement signed by the workers is actually an agreement for resignation! It clearly states that the girls will work for three years and their services will get terminated at the end of the period. A girl working with KPR Mills said that since she could not read or write, a thumb impression was taken on the contract. “I am not aware of its contents,” she says. “Maybe they explained it to my father,” she adds. The contract very clearly states that if, by any chance, the girl does not complete the contract period, as per the scheme, she is not entitled to any money!

a) Low Wages to No Wages

The wages paid to the girls is another form of exploitation. The wages vary from company to company. However, generally the salary starts at Rs 34.00 per day during the first six months, with an increment of Rs 2 every 6 months. This means, in the last 6 months of the three-year period, girls will be drawing Rs 45.00 per day. In reality, girls do not get paid anything more than Rs 30 per day. Even this Rs 30 does not reach them because Rs 15 is deducted daily towards their food and boarding charges (see Table A). A few big companies offer Rs 75 as daily wages on paper. The maximum amount the girls may get at the end of the third year is around Rs 50 per day.

In all these cases, Rs 450–550 is deducted for food and lodging charges.

“The worst form of exploitation is seen in the Karamtampatti, Somanur, Perumthurai and Kovai textile units,” says Krishna Raj, who works as a street animator with Don Bosco Anpu Illam at Ukkadam. “My sister was working under the Scheme and it is only when I visited her that I realised the torture these girls were facing. In many units, except for food and accommodation, the girls are not paid any wages. If at all, they are allowed to go home for Pongal or Deepawali. They beg and plead for some advance, which is later deducted from the bulk amount offered to them at the end of the contract period,” says Krishnaraj. With the help of Don Bosco, 20 girls from Krishnaraj’s village — Valluvarnagar in Kotahiri — were released and sent back to their villages.

b) The Bulk Amount: A Mirage

The bulk amount offered by each company again varies. Certain companies offer Rs 35,000 whereas some offer Rs 50,000. The contract clearly says that the bulk amount will be given only after the completion of 6 months of training and 3 years of work.

But, generally, workers’ services are terminated on some petty issue when they complete 2 years 9 months or 2 years and 11 months. They are then not entitled to any compensation.

A 22-year-old girl from Tirunelveli working with Annur units was thrown out of work once she completed 2 years and 9 months on the pretext that she was having an affair. The mother of the girl pleaded with the management to take her back not only because she would not get the compensation but also because the stamp of ‘bad character’ would affect her future. The management agreed to take her back provided the mother gives in writing that whatever happens to the girl the company would not be held responsible. Shocked, the aggrieved mother took her daughter back to the village.

Bibliography Author Name: Sindhu Menon Title of the Article: “Adolescent Dreams Shattered in the Lure of Marriage”: Sumangali System: A New Form of Bondage in Ta Name of the Journal: Labour File Volume & Issue: 4 , 3 Year of Publication: 2006 Month of Publication: May - June Page numbers in Printed version: Labour File, Vol.4-No.3, Hey listen! Bonded Labour: It`s not over, but it`s all over (Editorial - “Adolescent Dreams Shattered in the Lure of Marriage”: Sumangali System: A New Form of Bondage in Tami Weblink : https://www.labourfile.com:443/section-detail.php?aid=337 Bibliography Author Name: Sindhu Menon, Title of the Article: “Adolescent Dreams Shattered in the Lure of Marriage”: Sumangali System: A New Form of Bondage in Ta, Name of the Journal: Labour File, Volume & Issue: 4 , 3, Year of Publication: 2006, Month of Publication: May - June, Page numbers in Printed version: Labour File, Vol.4-No.3, Hey listen! Bonded Labour: It`s not over, but it`s all over (Editorial - “Adolescent Dreams Shattered in the Lure of Marriage”: Sumangali System: A New Form of Bondage in Tami, Weblink : https://www.labourfile.com:443/section-detail.php?aid=337 Download PDFversion Print Keywords Sumangali System, Bondage, Tamil Nadu Current Labour News Two day Nationwide General Strike of Workers on 28... Labour File News Service More than 20 crore workers, employees and the rura... Labour File News Service Declaration of the Joint Front of Central Trade Un... Labour File News Service Indian and Pakistani Fishermen: Bearing the Brunt ... Manan Kumar Recent Issues Vol. 9, Issue 2 Previous Issues Vol. 8, Issue 3 Vol. 6, Issue 6 Vol. 6, Issue 5 Post Your Comments To Post Comment Please Login Comments No Comment Found Please provide your email id. We will notify when new Issues will come. Go Useful Links Home About Us Editorial Donate Contact us Contact Us The Information and Feature Trust, Lakshmi, (Kayyadam), Thondayad, Cheverambalam (PO), Calicut , KERALA - 673017 Phone:+91 - 9526577902 Website: www.labourfile.com Email: edit@labourfile.com Email: sindhumenon@labourfile.com 2024 © All Rights Reserved. Website Design by Kash Web Tech