Kendrapara's Bidi Workers: A Silent Crisis

In Kendrapara, approximately 10,000 unorganised workers, predominantly women and children, are engaged in bidi rolling to support their families, yet their plight often goes unnoticed. Out of these workers, around 8,000 are women and children who have taken on this labor due to financial pressures.

The health implications of working with bidi production materials are severe, leading to chronic coughs, tuberculosis, fevers, and respiratory issues among these workers. Unfortunately, many lack access to proper healthcare services. The informal nature of their employment means they are often excluded from government welfare initiatives. There is an increasing call for a dedicated healthcare facility specifically for bidi workers. Trade Union leader Jaga Jiban Das highlighted that the local economy lacks significant revenue sources, with nearly half of the families having male members who have migrated for work.

Consequently, the responsibility of family support frequently falls on the women and children who remain, turning to bidi rolling as a means of survival. Das remarked, “Over 8,000 women and children are involved in this hazardous trade,” emphasizing their exclusion from government welfare programs due to their unorganised status. Srimati Patra, a resident of Dalhia village in Mahakalapara block, shared her family's struggles with poverty. With no local industries or stable jobs, her husband works at a spinning mill in Surat, Gujarat, while she and her children roll bidis, sourcing materials from local middlemen. “We earn only Rs 100 for rolling 1,000 bidis a day,” she lamented, noting that she has enlisted her daughter to help increase their income. Sajeda Khatun from Dobandha village, who has been in this line of work for nearly a decade, stated that without rolling bidis, they would have nothing to eat.

The families of bidi rollers are plagued by various health issues, including tuberculosis and respiratory ailments, and must travel nearly 20 kilometers to reach the district hospital for treatment. The lack of a dedicated healthcare facility exacerbates their struggles. The combination of low wages and high medical costs has destabilized their financial and social well-being. Labour leader Gayadhar Dhal pointed out that bidi workers remain largely unorganised, and their challenges often go unnoticed by officials and political leaders. He has called for a separate healthcare facility for these workers and an increase in their wages. In response, Additional District Magistrate Rabindra Mallik stated that both state and central governments have initiated specific programs aimed at protecting laborers' interests, including financial aid for healthcare, housing, and educational expenses for their children. He encouraged workers to register with the district labor office to access these benefits.