Purusottam Thakur

Sarbajaya Bhattacharya

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It is lunch hour
at the brick kilns of Raipur. The workers are either having a
quick meal or resting inside their temporary dwellings.  

“We are from
Satna [Madhya Pradesh],” a woman says, coming out of her mud hut. Most of the workers here are
migrants from the neighbouring state; they arrive here in the capital city of Chhattisgarh
every year after the harvest season is over in November-December and stay on
for six months till May or June. The brick-kiln industry of India employs
an estimated 10-23 million workers (Slavery in India’s Brick Kilns, <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/library/resource/slavery-in-indias-brick-kilns-the-payment-system-way-forward-in-the-fight-for-fair-wages-decent-work-and-eradication-of-slavery/">2017</a>).

This year, by the
time they return home, there will be a new government at the centre. But it is
uncertain if the migrant workers here will have a role in electing their leaders. 

“We will be
informed when it is time to vote,” the woman, who wished to remain anonymous,
tells PARI. 

The information will probably be provided by
Sanjay Prajapati, their labour contractor. Standing a little distance away from
the huts, he tells us, “We have no information about the vote in Satna. If we
do, we’ll inform them.” Sanjay and many of the workers here belong to the
Prajapati community (listed as Other Backward Classes in MP).

Under the
unforgiving April sun, where temperatures can touch close to 40 degrees
Celsius, workers at the kilns perform the laborious tasks of moulding, firing,
carrying and loading bricks. A report of the National Human Rights Commission (<a href="https://nhrc.nic.in/sites/default/files/BL_CL_raipur_DVA30032019_.pdf">2019</a>) found that labourers who make
bricks earn around Rs. 400 daily. If a couple works as a unit, they are paid
Rs. 600-700, the report stated. Working as a unit is common among the labourers
here.

Ramjas, for
instance, is here with his wife Preeti. Sitting under a small shed, the young
man in his 20s is busy checking his mobile phone; he&#39;s not sure about the date, and says it&#39;s sometime in May.

“We used to spend 1,500 [rupees] to go to Satna
and vote. It is our right.” Do all the workers go, we ask him. Ramjas pauses
and Sanjay cuts in, “sab jaate hai
[they all go],” he says.  

Satna went to polls on April 26 and this
reporter spoke to the workers on April 23. None of them had train tickets at
this point. Ramjas comes from
a family of migrant labourers. His father also worked at the brick kilns in
Chhattisgarh. Ramjas lost his father when he was in Class 10. The youngest of
three brothers and one sister, Ramjas started working after completing school.
His elder brothers also work as labourers in their village in Satna district.
Ramjas has been working as a migrant labourer for five years and goes home
during festivals or in case of emergencies. He stays here even when work at the
kiln is over, working odd jobs. According to Census data (2011), Madhya Pradesh
saw 24,15,635 people migrating for employment.

Prajjwal Thakur

But it’s not just
migrant workers from other states, but also from other districts in Chhattisgarh who might miss out on exercising their
democratic rights. Election
campaigns have been subdued here in Raipur, with almost no presence of the
Opposition. Posters and banners are nowhere to be seen around the brick kiln,
which is located in the outskirts of the city. No loudspeakers announce the
arrival of candidates asking for votes.

A woman from
Balodabazar district in Chhattisgarh is sitting under a tree, taking a break
from work. She is here with her husband and four children. “I voted three-four
months back,” she says, referring to the Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh
which took place in November 2023. But she says she will go to her village when
it is time to vote. During the Assembly elections, the sarpanch of their village had sent word. And 1,500 rupees for travel
and food. 

“The person who calls us also pays for us,” she
says. Under the Raipur Lok Sabha constituency, Balodabazar district is scheduled
to vote on May 7.

At Raipur's brick kilns: migrant workers may miss voting

رائے پور کے اینٹ بھٹہ مزدور شاید ووٹ نہ دے پائیں

వోటు వేయలేకపోతున్న రాయపుర్ ఇటుక బట్టీల కార్మికులు

தேர்தலை தவற விடும் நிலையில் புலம்பெயர் தொழிலாளர்கள்

ਰਾਏਪੁਰ: ਇੱਟ-ਭੱਠਾ ਮਜ਼ਦੂਰਾਂ ਹੱਥੋਂ ਖੁਸਦਾ ਜਾਪਦਾ ਵੋਟ ਪਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਵੀ

ମତଦାନରୁ ବଞ୍ଚିତ ରହିପାରନ୍ତି ରାୟପୁରର ଇଟାଭାଟି ଶ୍ରମିକ

रायपूरच्या वीटभट्ट्यांवर ‘वोट’ आजही कोसो दूर

റായ്പുരിലെ ഇഷ്ടികക്കളങ്ങൾ: കുടിയേറ്റത്തൊഴിലാളികളുടെ വോട്ട് പാഴായേക്കും

ರಾಯ್ಪುರ: ಮತದಾನದಿಂದ ವಂಚಿತರಾಗುವ ಇಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕರು

રાયપુર ઈંટના ભઠ્ઠાના સ્થળાંતરિત શ્રમિકોની મતદાનમાં ગુટલી?

रायपुर: वोट देवे से कहीं रह न जाव प्रवासी मजूर

এবার বুঝি রায়পুরের ইটভাটার মজুরদের ভোট দেওয়া হল না

নিৰ্বাচন-ভোটদানৰ চিন্তাৰ অৱকাশ নাই ৰায়পুৰৰ ইটাৰ ভাতীত

रायपुर के ईंट भट्ठा मज़दूर शायद न दे पाएं वोट

रइपुर के ईंटा भट्ठा मजूर काय वोट डारे सकहीं?

Raipur

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At Raipur's brick kilns: migrant workers may miss voting

From Madhya Pradesh but working in Chhattisgarh, these labourers are unaware of polling dates in their home constituencies. It's unlikely they will get to cast their vote in the General Elections 2024

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