Magic of Hands: A Study on the Lives and Work of Women Beedi* Workers in Bardhaman District of West Bengal

Tobacco occupies an important place as a plantation crop after tea, coffee and rubber. The Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal are the leading producers of different varieties of tobacco. India enjoys second position in tobacco production as well as export, China occupying the first position. Among the varieties of tobacco, beedi leaves are mainly produced in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka while West Bengal specialises in cigar, hookah tobacco, chewing tobacco and snuff. Manufacture of these items undergoes a number of processes: production, processing (like leaf plucking, drying, rolling, etc.), packaging, and marketing. Of all tobacco products, Beedi making is one of the earliest and widespread in the suburban areas of towns and cities. With the passage of time, from a mere house- based work, beedi manufacturing became one of the informal industrial units of the country. Informal economic sectors are characterised by their informal mode of employment and utmost socio- economic exploitation of workers, women in particular. Women in informal industrial units form a marginalised class of workers and hence are easy targets of exploitation. Actual work of beedi rolling is done by women, a gendered formulation of work, which the paper will explore. The research article will thus, primarily focus on women beedi rollers in Bardhaman district of West Bengal, India and will throw light on their working and socio-economic conditions. It is a microlevel initiative which aims to incorporate itself in the macro study of different aspects of Beedi industry related to work and labour.