Sarbajaya Bhattacharya

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Omkar Khandagale

Aditya Thakkar

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For around
six months a year, once the monsoons come to an end, sugarcane cutters in the
Marathwada region of Maharashtra leave home in search of work. “My
father had to do this, so did I and so will my son,” says Ashok Rathod, who is
from Adgaon, but currently lives in Aurangabad. He
belongs to the Banjara community (listed as Other Backward Classes in the
state). Many
of the sugarcane cutters in this region belong to such marginalised groups. The
seasonal migration is a result of a lack of opportunities in their own villages. When
entire families move, children who have to migrate are unable to continue their
education. Sugar
and politics are closely connected in Maharashtra. Owners
of almost every sugar factory are directly involved in politics, making use of
the ready vote-bank in the form of workers who depend on them for their
livelihood. “They
own the factories, they run the government, everything is in their hands,” says
Ashok. But
there is no improvement in the condition of the workers. “They
can construct a hospital [...] People are just sitting around during the half
season, they can put 500 of them to work [...] But no. They just won’t do it,”
he adds. This
film tells the story of farmers and agricultural labourers who migrate to cut sugarcane and the challenges they have to face.The film was facilitated through a grant from the Global Challenges Research Fund in association with the University of Edinburgh.

Droughtlands

خشک سالی سے بدحال زمین اور کسان

வறட்சிநிலங்கள்

ਸੋਕਾ ਮਾਰੀਆਂ ਜ਼ਮੀਨਾਂ

ଶୁଷ୍କଭୂମି

വരണ്ട നിലങ്ങൾ

ಬರದ ನೆಲಗಳು

सूखी धरती, उखड़े लोग

દુષ્કાળની જમીનો

सूक्खा भूंइय्या

सूखा से बेहाल धरती

খরার মুলুক

ড্ৰটলেণ্ডচ

दुष्काळवाडा

Aurangabad

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Droughtlands

In Maharashtra, farmers and agricultural labourers migrate every year to work as sugarcane cutters to supplement their incomes. The physically demanding job done under harsh living and working conditions has an impact on the lives of their young children who often have to drop out of school

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