Enemies come in many shapes, sizes and colors...................
A few years ago, the maquiladora industry in Mexico was thought to be the succor of rising unemployment in Mexico. The industry, established along the US- Mexico border, provided cheap goods, manufactured in Mexico and sold in the USA. Cheap labor in Mexico and devaluation of the Peso, aided this industry. It spun jobs for poor Mexicans and was talked about in glowing terms till the skeletons, literally tumbled out of the cupboard, even while providing cheap goods for rich Americans.
The workers, mostly women were, severely exploited, many sexually and poorly paid, with harsh punishment if they dared to buck a rotten system.Murder and rape were common. The Maquilodora industry was sanctioned by NAFTA ( North American Free Trade Agreement ) and signatories to the agreement were forced to closely look at this soul less industry and come up with remedial measures.......
They say history repeats itself and it has in Tirpur, in Tamil Nadu.The textile industry in Tirpur was expected to have brought cheer to thousands of poor women from the region, even so far as to aid them in marriage. Recent studies, have indicated this to be hogwash..............with horror stories of ruthless exploitation and harassment by unscrupulous owners.Many women were apparently paid @ Rs 25 a day, with promise to assist them in marriage later.The aid would have come after three years of abysmal pay. The modus operandi followed to deny the poor workers their due was to sack them just before the three year tenure ended.
What a tragedy, in a state, that prides itself on social progress and a government with a pro poor mandate, handing out TV sets, come elections.. Eventually the greatest enemy is one that is a wolf masquerading in sheeps clothing!
As for the poor workers of Tirpur, they await freedom!
8 comments:
Sad to know about it...How easily these wolves fool innocent people. Why the laws are being made when there is no one to observe whether they are practiced or not?
A very interesting piece here. Especially throwing light on maquiladora was something fresh and new. Thank You...
There are some wolves in sheep's clothing among those who claim they are fighting the trafficking of women and children. In their disguise they speak loudly against trafficking as one of worst human-rights violations in the world — which it is — to conceal their goal of normalizing and legalizing prostitution and the transnational flow of women into sex industries.
Recently a British social worker was involved in an adoption scheme that brought 28 pregnant Romanian women to Hungary to give birth and then sell the babies to the U.S.
The global trade in women and children is estimated to earn traffickers $7 billion per year. It is the third leading money earner for organized-crime networks following the trade in drugs and arms....
We cannot expect to have a successful abolition movement if we do not expose the wolves.
AAK & Chhavi,
Thanks!
Ashik,
Nice info;, something I was not aware of.
Seen your blog, will tell you about it later.
Cheers..
Hi Nagaraj,
It is really sad to know the plight of women in the textile city.
Why can't the Govt do something or the media take up this Issue.
or is it the case of "learned helplessness " from everyone.
regards
padmanabh
Who does not want cheap labor?
Sir,
I am from TN that too nearby from Tirupur. Your opinion on our state Government can't be denied. But I would try to make some corrections regarding industry. I have been there many times to my relative's industries. People from my place are taken by Company Buses right from their houses and they are dropped right in their houses.
Many rural women from my place are going to Tirupur. Its due to the fact of higher wages. They earn RS 80 to 250 per day depending on their skill set. So i won't accept the fact Tirupur has low wages. Tirupur has good source of labour compared to the other international alternatives like Bangladesh and China.
Moreover wage in this range can't be provided to rural women by agricultural sectors. Many rural women are continuously opting for this job due to the facilities and security in the industry. You must also know the fact that job creation in these textiles have created a huge demand for agricultural labors. Whatever you have mentioned regarding women's security may be true in one or two places but it is not the true picture....
One or two flaws in diamond may reduce the worth of diamond but it doesn't mean that it is worthless.
Hi Chandru,
Thank you for your input. Unfortunately the case of exploitation does not seem to be as infrequent as you suggest.
If you share your mail id, I will mail you the sources, from where my information has been sourced!
Cheers..
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