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Health and Sericulture
A Sociological And Medical Analysis
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Anand Inbanathan
Om Prakash
D.V.Gopalappa
H.Y.Gowramma
D. Tharamathi
Shobha M.V
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1998
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Sponsored by
Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation
Institute for Social and Economic Change,
Nagarbhavi, Bangalore-560 072.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project, “Health and Sericulture: A Sociological and Medical Analysis,”
was sponsored and financially supported by the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation, and we extend our appreciation to SDC for
their support, as well as co-operation during the project. The support of the
Director of ISEC, Dr. P.V. Shenoi, and the Head of the Sociology Unit,
Professor G.K. Karanth, are also greatly appreciated. The co-operation of
the Registrar, and members of ISEC administration, including the Accounts
Office, was also instrumental in the project proceeding on course. At various
times, we had to look to the Department of Sericulture, Government of
Karnataka, for support in carrying out certain parts of the study. To the
Department officials, who were most co-operative and helpful, we extend
our thanks.
We had the benefit of suggestions and ideas from Dr. Simon Charsley
(University of Glasgow) who was adviser to the study, as well as the
suggestions of Dr. V. Vijayalakshmi, Ms. B.P. Vani, -and Dr. Subba Krishna
(Professor of Bio-Statistics, NIMHANS). Ms. Suma Rao, Mr. Umapathi T. S.,
and Mr. Srinivas Sridhar had worked as researchers on this project, and their
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contributions were also crucial to the overall research effort. To all the
above persons, both those named, and those whose names we could not
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mention here, which includes our many respondents, we extend our thanks
and appreciation, in supporting our research in whatever manner that they
could.
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Anand Inbanathan
December 1998
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Project Director
€ 9
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Community Health Cell
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Library and Information Centre
# 367, “Srinivasa Nilaya”
Jakkasandra 1st Main,
1st Block, Koramangala,
BANGALORE - 560 034.
Phone : 553 15 18/ 552 53 72
e-mail : chc@sochara.org
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CONTENTS
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Summary and Recommendations
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Introduction
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II
Profile of the Respondents
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III
Economic conditions of Reeling and Grainage workers
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IV
a) Reeling and grcinage activities, and health
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b) Clinical
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LIST OF TABLES
Table No.
Title
Table
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Distribution of Respondents by Technology (Sidlaghatta)
Table
Table
Table
Table
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Age When Joined Reeling/Grainage Activity (Sidlaghatta)
Age when joined Reeling/Grainage Activity (Sidlaghatta)
Family Size (Sidlaghatta)
Table
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Table
Table
5a
6
Table
Table
6a
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Respondents and Occupational Status (Hosahalli)
Education and Caste/Religion of the Respondents (Sidlaghatta)
Table
7a
Education and Caste/Religion of the Respondents (Hosahalli)
Family Size (Hosahalli)
Respondents and Religion/Caste (Sidlaghatta)
Distribution by caste/religion (Hosahalli)
Respondents and occupational status (Sidlaghatta)
Table
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Gender and Educational Level (Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli)
Table
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Education and Occupational Status (Sidlaghatta)
Table
Table
Table
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Education and Occupational Status (Hosahalli)
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Parents working in Reeling/Grainage
Reasons for opting to work in reeling/grainage, across caste/religion
Gender-wise Reasons for Taking up reeling/grainage work (Sidlaghatta)
Table
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Table
Table
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Number of days worked in a year
Table
15
Reasons for stopping work
Table
Table
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Gender and reasons for stopping work
Caste and ownership of Land (Sidlaghatta)
Table
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17a
Table
Table
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19
House ownership across caste/religion
Type of House
Table
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Other assets across caste/religion (Sidlaghatta)
Table
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Table
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Other assets across income (Sidlaghatta)
Other assets across occupation
Hours of work per day
Land Ownership (Hosahalli)
Table
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Table
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Advance taken among reeling labourers <of different castes and religion
Reason for taking advance by reeling labourers
Table
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Source from which loan is taken
Table
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Nature of savings across caste/religion (Sidlaghatta)
Table
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Nature of savings across caste/religion (Hosahalli)
Table
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Nature of savings and gender (Sidlaghatta)
Table
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Table
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Nature of savings and gender (Hosahalli)
Ownership and Savings (Sidlaghatta)
Table
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Number of members working in a family(Sidlaghatta)
Table
Table
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Working members in a family across different castes (Sidlaghatta)
Number of members working in a family (Hosahalli)
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It should be noted that this study follows another, earlier study which
was done three years ago1 in Ramnagaram, and the present one tries to go
beyond what was observed in that study. Further, the Ramnagaram study
was on a much smaller scale, and we expect the present study to confirm
conclusions as well as highlight issues and facts which were not observed
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or reported through the earlier study. Having said this, there are bound to
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inevitable, but as a study which has been carried out after a gap of three
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be some facts and information that appear to be “repetitions.” This is
years, it has its own utility, when we can confirm and elaborate on matters
which we had considered even earlier.
Terms ofReference
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1.
Study the health problems of reeling and grainage workers who are
prone to occupation related health hazards, with a view of
understanding and suggesting measures of controlling such
problems.
2.
Address the paucity of scientifically arrived at knowledge about
sericulture and health.
3.
Analyze the possibility of the health hazards being linked to the
existing technology in practice.
4.
Assist in designing a strategy to reduce the general level of ignorance
about health aspect and sericulture, as well as improve their control,
among the reeling and grainage workers.
5.
Compiling of a data base, of reeling labourers, reeling unit of owners
and workers in grainages.
This includes social and clinical
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1 Anand Inbanathan, Om Prakash and others, “Sericulture and Health:
Rearing, Reeling and Working in Grainages,” a Beneficiary Assessment
Report, December 1995, Document no: ISEC/BA/74.
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indicators.
6.
Preparation of status papers based on Primary and Secondary data.
7.
Suggestions for further designing of action plans in the identified
area based on the above.
Methodology
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The study was carried out in Sidlaghatta town. The data for the present
study were collected from primary’ and secondary^ sources. Documentary
data were collected from the Department of Sericulture, Sidlaghatta, and
census reports; and other published material too were utilized.
The
primary data at the household level were collected by canvassing pre
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tested structured questionnaires specially prepared for the study.
Sidlaghatta was selected as the place where the study would be conducted
since it is a large reeling centre, also has grainages in the town, and is
known as an important area for superior quality of silk. The study focuses
mainly on reeling labourers, but has also included owner labourers, small
entrepreneurs, and grainage workers, as they are directly involved in the
silk reeling, and the latter group in the production of seed. The crucial
factor here is that these persons are physically present in the reeling
unit/grainage, which could affect the health of individuals.
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In addition to the above, qualitative data were collected to strengthen the
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Table
Table
30a
Working members in a family across different caste (Hosahalli)
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Table
32
Income level across ownership and number of family members working.
Reeling Technology and Income Group
Table
Table
Table
Table
Table
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Table
Table
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36a
Table
Table
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Frequency of food intake across caste/religion (Sidlaghatta)
Frequency of food intake across caste/religion (Hosahalli)
Distribution of respondents across various income groups (Sidlaghatta)
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Distribution of respondents across various income groups (Hosahalli)
Gender and distribution of respondents’ family incomes (Sidlaghatta)
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Gender-wise distribution of respondents’ family incomes (Hosahalli)
Income and Employment Status (Sidlaghatta)
Weekly Household Expenditure (Sidlaghatta).
Weekly Household Expenditure (Hosahalli)
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Table
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Gender, and number of daily meals (Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli)
60
Table
Table
Table
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Health status and technology
Health status and reeling technology
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Table
Table
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Table
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Table
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*
Table
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Table
Table
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Family size and health status
Health Status across different caste/religion groups (Sidlaghatta)
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Health Status across different caste/religion groups (Hosahalli)
Gender and Health Status (Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli)
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Education and Health Status (Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli)
Occupation and health status (Sidlaghatta)
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Occupation and health status (Hosahalli)
70
Health Status across different age groups of Reeling and
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Grainage respondents
Table
Table
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Table
Table
Table
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Health status across Age Groups (Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli)
Duration of job and health status of Sidlaghatta and
Hosahalli Respondents
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Number of days worked in a year and health status
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Joining age and health status of respondents
51
House type (economic condition) and health status
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72
Table
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Health Status and alcohol consumption/smoking (Sidlaghatta)
77
Table
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Health Status and alcohol consumption/smoking (Hosahalli)
77
Table
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Table
Table
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Prevalence of diseases and gender (Sidlaghatta)*
Prevalence of diseases and gender (Hosahalli)
79
Workers* reason for diseases across caste/religion (Sidlaghatta)
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Table
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Workers’ reason for diseases across caste/religion (Hosahalli)
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Table
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Respondent’s reasons for disease (Sidlaghatta)
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Table
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Table
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Respondent’s reasons for disease (Hosahalli)
Using of folk remedies and health status
85
Table
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Types of medicines used
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Number of visits to doctor in the past year
Frequency of meals
86
Table 58
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Table
Table
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Types of medicines used by respondehts (Sidlaghatta)
87
Table
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Types of medicines used by respondents (Hosahalli)
88
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Table
Table
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Table
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Respondents’ use of folk remedies (Sidlaghatta)
Respondents’ use of folk remedies (Sidlaghatta)
Types of medicines used by respondents (Sidlaghatta)
Table
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Types of medicines used by respondents (Hosahalli)
Table
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Use of medicines by men and women (Sidlaghatta)
Table
Table
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Use of medicines by men and women (Hosahalli)
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Prevalence of Self Medication across Caste/Religion (Sidlaghatta)
Prevalence of self medication across caste/religion (Hosahalli)
Self medication and gender (Sidlaghatta)
Table
Table
Table
Table
Table
Table
Table
Gender-wise Self Medication (Hosahalli)
Number of visits to doctor, across caste/religion (Sidlaghatta)
Number of visits to doctor, across caste/Religion (Hosahalli)
Respondents’ visits to doctors (Sidlaghatta)
Respondents’ visits to doctors (Hosahalli)
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Charts:
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Health status of Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli respondents
Health status of reeling and grainage respondents.
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1. With 247C leefutg. units and ahaut 9CC0 persons dinecth^ emplaned in
them, SidLa^hatta ia one a/ the longest meeting, centnes in Jionnataha^ Jt is
atsa a pncducen, of. sopenian qualitg si£h gann, a fact uifuch ensunes that
units producing such gann one active tfuMughout the geon.
2. She present studg sunueged neeting and gnainage uMVifieM’’-uutA a
punpasiue sample of 250. 5fus sample included 125 men and 125 utcmen.
(I fnxgpx numSen of nespandents uiene included fnem the Scheduled Castes,
and Muslims, Seth gnoups being •cepnesented in suhstantial numhens in the
reeling secten of senicuttune. Out of thio sample of 25C, the majenitg utene
pusm Keeling units, including oumeno and lahouneno, fan a total of 233. Of
the Kemaining 17 kcspandents, 16 wane fnam a gouennment gnainage, and
one was an CSP awnen. SJa guand against Keseanchen bias, as well as
highlight uaniouo factans involued in the studg, a central gnaup was
incanpanated, with a sample of 86 fnam a nan-oenicultune village.
3. Reeling and wonhing in yrainages were the two activities which Have
substantial health problems, welt documented even in earlier studies. She
present study, therefore, was meant to go beyond just describing the health
problems, but to suggest possible remedial measures to reduce the health
problems.
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^ev^tal indices, the
a/ neetin^ and ^taina^e
tuanhe^ one pwdy endcwed with what may, he cen^idened a^ the ba^ic
nece^ditieA of, life: ptapei and adequate nutnitian, neasanahty cemppitahte
twin# &pace, and othe^ nece^^itie^ 6uch oa education. With no continuous
employment {c* moot of. these wonkens, theut, wayes (daily waqes fon, most
of them) provided fo^ only a oeny modest life otyle. Widen, thein present
circumstances, their occupational opportunities too were oeoerely limited.
Relatively large families, particularly among the Muslim respondents,
exacerhated the economic prohlems.
5. With their low income and associated situation of life, the reeling worhers"
health is also at risk from time to time, and 51J per cent of the sample
have had various disorders during the past one year. Shese disorders,
according to the respondents themselves, include chronic problems such as
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aitfuna; tu£excula^it>; ta the. tea life threatening piahtenu auch. aa skin
diseases.
6. (9we ample of, gxainage wcftheno and LSS1 owne^c (total 17) indicates that
15 of them (88%) have)had health piaite/no. Sloweuex, thio should not
immediately he conotnued ao Being cauoally related ta the fact of uupihing
in the gnainage. d longer sample uiauld need ta Be oweveyed Before definite
conctuoiono can Be cbtawn negwtding the incidence of health pnohlemo
among gnainage uupcheno.
7. Women neeling and gnainage wo^heno have moxe health pnoblemo compared
to men, Shis, in uwdouo degrees in the case of different women, could Be
nelated ta: L Women wo^h fan, several months oven, the whole yean in
meeting and gnainage activities, iL 5hey wonk not only in reeling/gnainageo,
But also in looking often thein homes (Le. domestic choneo), which togethen
continue thnough the whole day, UL (Sven sevenal yeans, pregnancy and
child Binth affect wamen^s health, since they wank hand, and also do not
have sufficient nutnition duning the peniod of thein pnegnancy, in. Women
who alneady have neopinatony pnoblemo such ao asthma have ta take
medicines, and the combination of pnegnancy ao well ao asthma medication
involve highen expenses— which most of the women cannot affond.
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8, QMcu^A amc 6ample a/ aufnexd (feuvc) cannot 6e canoidened adequate ta
make cateqadcal ^tatemento on the oumeKoy heaLth situation, in owe sample
the autne^o ute^ie nelatwelq teoo affected hif health pnohtemo. 5hey, ute^e not
always pied ent in the meeting, unit, being rno^ie itwalued in the mwiheting
pad ff theve entenpdoeo tathvc than in producing aith ywtn.
9. 2abcwte>io matching in meeting unito cate affected in oeuettal mayo, and a
significant numbetc suffer fttam cough, mheazing, and matte seuette
neopitiatatiy p^toSlemo, Medication io tahen ftcom time ta time, mheneuetc
they feel the pto&lemo atte oeuette. Siut a suBotantial piapatdion of the
teopandento claimed that alcohol helped them sleep, and thettefotie, in theU
uiew, it mao Beneficial in reducing theitc neopittaiatty pnablemo. While a
p hyo ician would not endatto e s uch claimo, we hewe ta Kecognitze that
neo pandents acted on them Beliefs, and ao such thio io a significant fact ta
Be considettecL (lVe have also ta consider the possibility that they cute
pnouiding themselves with same justification ta consume alcohol.
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ICdjwa fonmo of health pnohlemo can be identified in the neeling undo and
gnainageo: thaoe fnom an abjectuiely aboenaed autoide oaunce—ouch ao the
wanking enuinonment, Le, in neeling undo and gnainageo. fjhe oecand io a
oelf-inflicted oounce, ouch ao omaking beedio and ciganetteo, and the
camumption of alcohaL fjhe finot io cleanly inuolued in the aotfuna which
oome neeling. and gnainage wanheno ouffen fnom, often wanking in theoe
undo fan a few yeano (occupational aotfuna). Jt io not eaoy ta impfirate
the oecand in each of the caoeo of health pnohlemo among neeling and
gnainage wankeno. Staweuen, d io known in medical ocience that tnRarco
omoking and alcohol abuoe adoenoely affect the health of indiuidualo in
many wayo. Jt ohauld aloa be noted that women too wane camumeno of
alcohol, though in a omallen numben than men. We aloa aboenved that a
few women comumed alcohol even when they wane pnegnant, with
unknown effecto an themoelueo and the fetuo.
11. Clhaut thnee quanteno of the neeting. la&ouneu itated that, in thein opinion,
the itnake ptont boding, cocoano caused the majon health pnohlenu—
panticuLanlg neaplnatang. pnohlemo. Loen ptom a clinical point of view, the
lahounena one fainlg dace in thein aoceciment
cteam with the allengem io
inhaled fug wanheno, which cauoeo atlengic neactiono in many, penoom,
neoulting in neo pinatony, pnohlemo, including aotfuna.
12. Jnam the point of uiew of immediately uioilte effectweneoo, neeling. and
gnainage wanheno pnefen allopathic medicineo, nathen than ayunuedic, an,
folh.” nemedieo. Contain allopathic medicineo wanh much guichen.
Sfoweuen, while they, may feel that allopathic medicineo one mono effective,
thio could be due to the uoe of otenaid booed dnugo—which give quich nelief,
but in the fang nun, continued uoe of theoe dnugo would cauoe oeuenal
hanmful oide effecto on the penoom taking them, ftolk nemedieo one
penceioed ao pnooiding. only limited and tempanany nelief, while allopathic
medicineo pnaoide nelief fan tangen peniado of time. A'otwithotanding thein
belief that folk nemedieo one teoo effectiae, a ueny oubotantial pnapontion of
the neopondento uoe thio fanm of “medication.”
13.
t^tnaino the. leeting. and ynainaye wenhe^ paun yaing. mane often
to pfujaiciana, la aaue an conauttaticn feea. Siut, thei^ continue with
medicines pneacnihed hy. the dactoK fan. peniado heyond what he had
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oniyinalty pneocnihed them fon, without the pfiyoician’o continued
oupenvioion. Local physicians one awane of the hanmful effects of stenoid
hosed dnuyo, and have even confinmed that they have advised wonheno to
desist fnom tahiny theoe dnuyo indiocniminately. CLppanently, the wonheno
one witliny to take the niok if they aloe see that theoe medicineo enable them
to yo fon wonk, and without haviny to mios tfiein wayeo.
14. OxMitidting. g^u^mment doctor h
tince. they, do- not need to pay
any f^o, ok at the mott a nominal foe. Shene io aloo. the paooihility that they
can get fnee medicineo.
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15. Since neetiny and ynainaye wonheno one fnequently pnone to faltiny sick, an
suffen fnom chnonic health pnoblemo, they would tike to have a docton
uioitiny thein colony an neyulan accaoiono. Shey one even witliny to pay a
fee fon thio facility, dt p neo ent, uioitiny a docton entails not only a
monotony fee hut also considenabte expense of time, which they can ill
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offend.
16. Wankiny neyutanly io pnefenned, notwithotandiny thein health pnobtemo.
Shey neyuine a mone steady income, which io immediately expended an thein
family, ao welt ao fon thein p eno anal exp eno eo. Sleyutan wayeo hao a
penceptible impact an the food they eat, in both quality ao well ao
frequency of meato. When neetiny unito one closed, the wonheno face the
necessity of neduciny food intake. She additional expenditune an medicineo,
which the majonity of wonheno need to buy, neduceo the money fon othen
neceositieo, even ouch basic nequinements as mone nutnitious food.
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17. With the nelatioely. tow. wayeo, and atoo eocpenoeo which in oame caoeo
exceed thein wayeo (the yap io uouatly made yood thnouyh cwaitiny of
advance ayainot wayeo, fnom thein unit awneno), the paooi&ility of tuildiny
up oauinyo io ueny Umited. Unden the cincumotanceo, oettiny up tfiein own
unito io atoo ueny difficult---althouyh a few wonheno do manaye thio
accomptiofunenL
Shenefone, up wand oocial mo&itiiy thnouyh teeliny
activity io paooiite fon only a few neetiny ta&ouneno. One ofiould note fiene
that a few penoono do, in fact, manaye to oaue a modeot amount. Mone men
oeem to he able to do thio than women. We undenotand that theoe dcwinyo
wte effected thnouyh the inoiotence of women, who penouade men to spend
what they want an alcohol etc., hut heep aside at teaot a smalt amount ao
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Ala^t utcmen tpeni uvitualt^ alt tAeU income an thebe famitiea,
50 ocKi^ fem uwnen could aaoe anything, ptom thebe income.
ISJt is clearly seen that overall, the health problems are to a great extent
related to the socio-economic conditions of the reeling and grainage morhers.
Jhe fact that they have to take up these occupations, morh in poor
conditions, and also mith poor nutrition, poor medical facilities (the
facilities may be available, but are not always mithin the reach of the
morhers), and then, their poverty exacerbates the health problems.
79. d much longer tenm atudy fiao la he candied out not only to. teat the efficacy
of clinical intewentianA hut in the social aphe^ee.
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We have to. he able to nto^ee cleanly gauge ham diaahilitieo caused
hy occupational health pKoblemo affect the earning capacity of
the individual, and nuvee generally thebe quality of life. She
effect an individuals and the families have to he examined
separately over, a relatively longer period of time, using ivell
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Shere is sufficient evidence to- suggest that momen are more
severely affected mhen they are reelingJgrainage morhers. SJhe
fact that momen morh even mhen they are pregnant, in an
environment mhich could cause health problems, mould possibly
affect the fetus--- and later, the infants. I)his could affect the
physical and mental health of the child in both the short run
and/or in the long run, and seriously affect his /her life chances.
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fThis study has been caxxied out with the view to genexate remedial measuxes
that can contxol ox reduce the health problems that axe encountexed thxough
woxking in xeeling and gxainage activities. Social science and clinical methods
have been utilized to highlight diffexent aspects of the health problems. Sxom
the social pexspective, it is cteaxly seen that povexty and associated factoxs axe
to a significant degxee xelated to the health problems.
Undex the
cixcumstances, what axe the options available to addxess the health problems ?
*>
IPiohafily. the most caudal factox which is related to the health p^iohtems is the
technology which is heiny used, paxticulaxly in ’teeliny. We axe not concexned
with any paxticulax unit (such as chaxaka, ox cottage basin), hut almost all
the meeting units axe constxucted in a mannex, and using a level of technology
whexe coohing and boiling the cocoons axe caxxied out in an open oven, whexe
the sexicin-steam dixectly gets into the atmosphexe. 3t seems pxohabte that
whatevex othex measuxes axe tahen, when the technology remains essentially
the same, then the reduction in health pnohlems would only be of a limited
natuxe
fixe fighting measuxes, as it wexe. Considexably highex capital
would be nequixed to establish meeting units of a technology whexe closed ovens
ensuxe that the sexicin-steam is kept out of the woxking space of the units,
dnd, if highex capital nequixement becomes the noxm, then the majoxity of
people would not be able to set up theix own xeeling units, such as the small
scale chaxaka units, dlso, if highex level technologies axe intxoduced on a
laxge scale, then the pooxex and less technically qualified people would not be
able to get employment oppoxtunities as at present, and as an anti-povexty
pxogxamme sexicultuxe would lose its viability. We suggest the following
measuxes with these limitations in view.
I
I
I
Jam- (vtoad options ate auaitaMe, in canbidtiny. the health pnchlem^ to uuwhe^ in
ceding, unito and ^xainage^: one, ta to impuwe the emwienmental conditions,
reduce smohe, dust, etc. through imptoued ventilation etc., and the second option
is to detect remedial measures at the uueihe^is themselves.
3f the woxking envixonment was improved thxough a measuxe such as the
intxoduction of the newly designed chute (tested in Siamnagaxam and seems
promising), to take out smoke fxom Heeling units, the health pxobtems too would
be xeduced.
6
I
i
d very targe proportion of reeling undo are built and run in ecctremely poor
conditions, uuth virtually no ventilation, poor drainage, and in small congested
s uwcundin^. fjficdc a^pecU of the unitt’ functioning, could be impnoued through
a sus tained campaign, and at^a financial incentioeo, to p&touade reeling oumeKA
to improve their units’ utorhing conditions. Ubere is a perceptible tach of any.
sense of urgency or awareness of a need to change the morhing environment
among reeling owners . Some of the fiealth pnoblemo could certainly be reduced if
these were done. A QUs could be involved in these eocercises.
tZa allergy and resultant asthma affect only a proportion of the workers,
perhaps financial and other forms of thrust may have to be directed towards
treatment of the individual and monitoring fiisjfier progress. CL NQG could be
entrusted with this responsibility, and reeling and grainage workers could be
monitored over a period of about 1-2 years.
*■
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6^ clinical
I) fie present study emphasizes the degree of morbidity as
bif
intpahed
(uny
criteria in the form of symptoms and disability as well as
functions. Jt was noted that the efficiency of the workers suffers due to the
disease, as well as the cost of the treatment strains the already poor economic
resources. CL more serious dimension is the fact that many of these patients are
placed on corticosteroids orally to control asthma symptoms.
Steroids,
undoubtedly, do cause significant reduction in asthma by a variety of
biochemical mechanisms; but Cong term use of steroids can lead to systemic side
effects; the more important of these are hypertension, diabetes, impaired
immunity leading to frequent infections and loss of calcium from bones
(osteoporosis). (9ne of the most significant advances in the management of
asthma in general has been the availability of inhaled steroids (namely,
Sieclomethasone, Siudesonide and more recently, fluticasone). fhese are
extensively used in the treatment of asthma in our communities, wherever the
patients can afford them. JnhaLed steroids can cause reduction in asthma with
minimal side effects, fiut the cost of these appear prohibitive in the context of the
silk workers, further, the inhalation devices and the proper use of them are
difficult to teach even among educated people in the urban context; it would
appear formidable in the field at large. (9ne has to resort to targe volume
spacer devices which can deliver aerosol medications more effectively and can be
taught easily, fiut the cost may again be an inhibiting factor, though the spacer
device is a one-time investment. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of studies
addressed towards the trials of inhaled steroids in the setting of' common
7
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a:
5
accupaticnal a^tfima models. JivitAe^, it it nd knaum aifietfie* asthma in
panels mc^e neaditi/ than the accupatianal variety
3n view of theoe ahoenoatiano, we derided to adminioten long acting theapfigllin
and nonsedating antihiotamine to a gnoup of aothmatic tuhjecto. Jfieoe wene
given ao Jheopfigltin (fjfieotcng) ICO mg once al bedtime on twice daily,
depending on the Aevenitg of aothma; and cetinicine hgdnochlanide 10 mg woo
given at bedtime. Often a peniod of faun weeho, moot patiento nepanted dame
degtee of reduction of oymptomo, panticulanlg nactunnal tymptomo duning the
Atudg peniod. 3'enhapA a contnolled tnial of inhaled otenoido, in a otudg gnoup
can be veng uoeful to anowen the queotian of an altennative to anal otenoidA.
J ubenculooio: 3t woo noted duning the itudg that ao mang ao oeven iuhjecto
had developed pulmonang tuhenculooio and needed tneatmenL Mane of the
contnol Auhjecto (clinical) had pulmonang tuhenculooio. 3hough definitive
conctuoiono can penhapa not be dnawn about thio, one io intnigued Eg the nathen
high prevalence of tuhenculooio in the oilh Actting. 3t io well Enown that anal
conticootenaido impain cell mediated immunitg and hence it io tempting to
implicate atenoido ao the cauoe fan neactivation of tuhenculooio among tame of the
wonheno. Siut it hao to be noted that the iubjecto with tuhenculooio wene not
steroid dependent; it io, howeven, paosible that accaoional otenoid uoe mag have
been neoonted to Eg theoe aothmatico when aothma woo oevene. Qloo, it io
notewonthg that there wene nan-aothmatic auhjecto who had contracted
tuhenculooio among the atudg gnoup. 3t io hence mane lihelg that the congeoted
living conditions might have been conducive to the latenal spread of tuEenculan
infection.
?!
?!
?!
71
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Jit tfiio cantcat, it ia uwitA noting, tfiat same, occupational, pneumoconiooia Auch ao
i 'dicooio can picdiopaoe tame, indiuidualo to tuAoicutaoio of the. Congo. 31 io not
clean whethen aothma, in tame complete wag, teciuceo the local immune
mechaniomo and pnediopooe to 6neah-down of tuienculooio. Oitenall, it io felt
that the fughen pneualence of tuhenculooio needo to be loohed into in gnenten detail
udth epidemiofogicallg contnolled data documentation.
J ediabdc J apulaticn: $)ivdnty the ccwioe of the
me noted that a twt^e
numben of young children, including infanto in anmo, wene oxpaoed to oilh
envinonment. do noted eanlien, oenoitioudion io occunning at a goung age. 3t io
impenative that otudieo bg pediatniciano be conducted to oee the extent of the
I
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Ik
8
t
■
u.
pwfitem and the poAoibLe Ceng, te^im impticatian^ of, the expa^ime.
£
3n cenctu^ien, the data ahtained ptem thh ^tudi/., denote that thene io ouhotantial
nupihidit^ due ta aothma in c>iLh uu^ihexo, 3he pteiiaitiny oacu^econamic
amditiono da not oeem to (auowc emwionmental manipidation ao the mojo*
aUeoiating. factor 3t mould appear that ptovioion of, tong tewi (Monchndifato^
and pexhapt anti inflammatoKg cbtugo ouch ao inhaled otenoido to the aothma
ouhjecto mag 6e the viable option to mitigate the ouf/e^ing ao melt ao minimize
oide effecto due to otenoido.
■*
I.
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3
9
I
Health and Sericulture: A Sociological and Medical Analysis
Chapter I
Introduction
sericulture development in
i India, through government
Activities related to senculture
I
efforts as well as those of other agencies, are meant to raise the economic
standards of the poor people, improve their employment and income
prospects, and thereby improve their quality of life.
When any
development activity also has some negative impact on the beneficiaries, or
I
those involved in such an activity, one should carefully consider the
direction that development is taking,
and whether such development is
desirable in its present form, and what interventions are required to
remove or reduce the negative aspects of development.
Sericulture has
e
c
c
some negative effects, on the health of reeling and grainage workers. And
thus, when we think of encouraging sericulture development, the health
aspects also have to be addressed,
or else, we woultf in effect, also be
encouraging health problems.
There are several facets involved in the economic lives of people, the ways
in which they see things, the way they organize their lives depending on
the social conditions around them, the government’s interventions in
development programmes etc.
All these give them a means of.deriving
10
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jii j ji
ii. jji
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sustenance from whatever economic activities that may be available to
them.
With sericulture being an important source of income and
employment for a significant number of people in Sidlaghatta (Kolar
district) the reeling and grainage workers organize their lives around these
activities. However, the issue here is not that all of them uniformly
organize their lives in any specific way, but that their adaptation to their
environment, both social and economic, is in ways that they are already
■
familiar with, and may be handed down from generations of reeling and
grainage workers. In days past, where health problems were endured,
without much possibility for medication or succour, health issues may not
have received much attention. But now, with advances in technology, as
*
well as in medicine, it should be possible to manipulate the work situation
4
*
3
in such a way that the workers suffer the least harm on their health
The maximum adverse impact on health is felt by those working in reeling
'i
5
FI
5
units, followed by those who work in grainages.
Details to support this
statement would be provided in the text of this report.
5
3
3
3
I 3
I 5
I 5
I
I 5
I
In the present study an effort has been made to study the health hazards
of the reeling and grainage workers in the sericulture industry as these
labourers are more prone to health problems compared to mulberry
cultivation, silkworm rearing, silk weaving and other processing activities
11
a*
tttt
inwin
[ jmiggig
I
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in the industry. The present effort is not merely to assert that there are
health problems, a fact well known already, but that there may be some
means by which the problems can be minimized, and that the quality of life
of the workers and others may be enhanced (from their present situation)
even if they were adversely affected by working in a reeling unit or
grainage.
Silk reeling involves working with hot water, dead pupae, and workers are
exposed to smoke and hot and humid conditions in the reeling unit. It is
i
J
already known that a chemical called sericin found in silk cocoons causes
allergic reactions in some persons, and leads to respiratory problems as
I
well as asthma. While cooking the cocoons, the chemical is released with
ll
the steam, and inhalation of this by the labourers leads to respiratory
1!
problems. The labourers are also prone to fungal and bacterial infections
on their hands and feet, and blisters on their hands.
Other health
problems encountered in these units include eye irritation, stomach pain,
irregular menstruation, etc. whose direct link with reeling is, at the
e-
moment, difficult to confirm. Tuberculosis has also been observed in some
of the workers.
Here again, it is difficult to see any causal link between
sericulture and tuberculosis, but will be more fully dealt with in the clinical
sections of this report.
12
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results which emerged from the quantitative analysis by using
participant observation and case study methods.
Additional information
on sericulture was sought from municipal councilors, local physicians,
and government sericulture staff.
As a study on health was earlier carried out in Ramanagaram, the next
largest reeling centre, Sidlaghatta, was chosen for the purpose of the
present study. For this study, we have a sample of 250, from 14 localities
*
J:r:
of the town. The information gathered from these 250 include not only
facts about the respondents themselves, but also about their households.
Data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire specifically developed
for the study. This was a purposive sample. A purely “random” sample
was not considered appropriate, for various reasons.
In the context of
reeling, the majority of people working in reeling units are members of
For our sample, we decided that these
5
Scheduled Castes, and Muslims.
5
two groups would need to be better represented in the/Study. Hence, they
5
5
were located in the areas where they were living, predominantly in such
5
colonies as Adi-Karnataka Colony, Kote, Karmiknagar, Gandhinagar and
3
3
5
Azad Nagar, Filature quarters (near cocoon market). These were also
colonies where there were substantially larger numbers of units, and
therefore, also workers (details of number of units in these colonies were
5
provided by the sericulture Technical Service Centre). Exact figures of the
15
5
1
1
▲
number of functioning units as well as the total number of workers in
reeling were not available. Hence, a certain limitation was imposed on us
in trying to estimate how many from each group should be included within
our sample. We had decided at the outset that there should be an equal
number of men and women iin our sample, and thus, there are 125 of
each.
Finding respondents was through locating them in their living
quarters-—interviewing them in their units was not feasible, because the
administration of the questionnaire involved about two hours, which was
not available while they worked. Moreover, they had to be contacted over
several visits.
1
An attempt was also made to take a “random” sample of
respondents, but even here the limitation was that workers/labourers were
not always available when we went to their homes.
Hence, at times, we
had
to meet
and interview
i
Mad to
meet and
only those we could find, and not wait until
someone else, presumably selected on a
'I*
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more “random” basis was
available. We must state that with people living in each colony being of
more or less the same socio-economic background,
ah even more strict
application of the principle of “random selection,” would not have derived
statement of prevalence or incidence of health problems is concerned, we
‘i
should acknowledge that this study can only provide broad trends, and
1
any significantly different result than we did.
Ultimately, so far as a
indications of the health problems in reeling units and grainages ,
and
generate hypotheses. A more extensive, epidemiological survey would be
16
[•
needed to confirm and validate our statements on this particular issue
(i.e. prevalence).
A further factor which we have taken into consideration in this study is a
d
3
“control group” of persons not in any way connected with reeling
grainages.
or
This is a group which roughly corresponds to the Sidlaghatta
sample, inasmuch as most of the sample are in a lower income group as in
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Sidlaghatta. Other than that, there are several differences, which we will
highlight from time to time.
In the presentation of data, we would try and
include with each table, information about Sidlaghatta and also the
“control” village i.e. Hosahalli (Tumkur district).
Though a “control group” was incorporated within the research design to
answer the question whether the occupation alone was related to health
5
problems, it does not provide all the answers. The dependent variable here
5
is the state of health of the sericulture/agriculture labourers and the
5
independent variable is their occupation. Ideally, the control group should
3
J
be similar to the research group except for the occupation. Similarities in
the general conditions should include geographical area, age, sex, health,
quality of life2 etc., to confirm the causality of the health problems in the
2 This includes indicators such as food consumption, living conditions, water,
sanitation, education, health, which we have included in our study.
17
_______________
►
t
sericulture industry.
However, our major problem was in locating a
suitable “control group.”
We tried to overcome this difficulty also through
including case studies, that helped in a more in-depth understanding of
the problems of health and sericulture.
It should be noted here that a
r
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control group was clearly necessary for the clinical analysis of health
problems—but the need for a control group in the social science section
was less apparent.
Sidlagatta: A Profile:
Sidlagatta is one of the 11 taluks in Kolar district of Karnataka state. The
Hindu population in Sidlaghatta is slightly higher than the Muslim
population.
i
Sericulture activities like silk reeling, silk twisting and
I
production of silk worm eggs [disease free layings (DFLs)] are the major
occupations of the people.
Most of the town population depends on silk
reeling activity for their livelihood.
The villages surrounding Sidlaghatta
also depend on sericulture, and agricultural activities are also related to
i;
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sericulture.
• 1
Sidlagatta
taluk has a population of 1,68,162
and Sidlaghatta town
constitutes about 15 per cent of the taluk’s population. Of the total urban
population of 25,157 the male and female population comprise 51.63 and
48.37 per cent respectively.
In the entire taluk, there are about 32,389
18
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Scheduled Castes and 12,969 Scheduled Tribe population, of which 50.4
and 49.6 per cent of SCs are the male and female population respectively’.
Out of 12,969 STs, 50.24 and 49.76 per cent are males and females
respectively.
Of the total population in Sidlaghatta taluk 40.17 per cent
are literate, which is much below the state average of 56.05 per cent. The
literacy rate among the males is 50.64 per cent and among the females it is
I
F
28.72 per cent.
Reeling in Sidlaghatta Town:
4
i 4
i
i 4
i 4
i 4
i 3
i 3
i 3
i 3
i 3
i 3
i 5
i 3
11r
Of the total reeling units, the cottage basin reeling technology constitutes
the highest, 58.87 per cent of the total 2470 reeling units. Charka reeling
units are 877 constituting 35.51 per cent. There are 135 dupion reeling
units (5.47 per cent) and four multi end units in the study area. In
addition to the above, four weaving units are found in Sidlaghatta town.
The quality of raw silk produced for the Surat market fetches the highest
price as these merchants are willing to pay even a higher price for the
specified quality of silk.
The reeling industry3 in Sidlaghatta generates
employment for about 9,000 people of which about 80 per cent work in
filature units followed by charka (17.68 per cent) and dupion silk reeling
(2.50 per cent). During 1990-91 the raw silk production was 658 tonnes in
3
I
3 This information—on reeling, was provided by officials of the Department
of Sericulture, based at Sidlaghatta.
19
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Sidlaghatta which has increased to 917 tonnes in 1996-97. The annual
growth of raw silk production in Sidlaghatta town is 6.57 per cent.
5
t
G, Hosahalli — A Profile
With a view to comparing the health situation of people who are in reeling
and grainages with non-reeling/grainage workers, a village in Tumkur
district, G. Hosahalli (Gubbi taluk) was selected.
►
This is also intended to
act as a “control,” with the Sidlaghatta workers as the main part of the
study. Finding a village which had no sericulture activity, in Kolar or in a
neighbouring district was not very easy.
Most villages in the vicinity of
Sidlaghatta had sericulture as an important activity'.
As it happened,
many parts of Tumkur had taken up sericulture too.
Finally the village
chosen had agriculture as the main occupation, but without anyone being
involved in sericulture in a radius of about 5 kilometers.
A “control”
I
which had to be as similar as possible to the original group, and at the
same time has some significant differences was also considered when this
selection was made.
In this sense what we had in mind was the overall
economic activity of a place such as Sidlaghatta, which was essentially a
single industry town. In comparison, G. Hosahalli is a village which has
agriculture as its main occupation. Differences are clearly evident in the
environment of the two places, the habitation, drainage and general
1
14
20
>
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sanitation of the two places (Sidlaghatta being the worse off, and G.
Hosahalli being far cleaner).
This is a
multi-caste village with about 350 households, and a total
population of 1922 persons. Around 48 per cent of this population are
literate, with the male literacy rate higher than the female literacy rate.
Around 29 per cent of the total population belong to SC/STs. The major
castes in the village are Lingayats, SC/ST, and Tigalas,
other castes like Madivala Shetti,
in addition to
and Brahmin. The total geographical
area of the village is 725 hectares of which 416 hectares are cultivated
land. The major crops grown in the village are paddy, ragi, coconut,
arecanut, horse-gram, banana, pulses, and vegetables.
The sample from Hosahalli includes a majority of Hindus (98 per cent) and
the rest are Muslims (2 per cent), with 85 per cent being married. Of the
total respondents 82.6 per cent are healthy and only 17 per cent have
health problems. This clearly indicates that, by their own perceptions, the
respondents in Hosahalli are healthier than the respondents in Sidlagatta
who are working in silk reeling, and in grainages.
I
21
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Chapter II
Profile of the Respondents
The study has 250 respondents u’ith an equal number of men and women
i.e 125 each.
The study is mainly on the labour community^ instead of
entrepreneurs, i.e., concentrating on those who are directly involved in the
c
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reeling process or working in grainages.
c
In the control village (Hosahalli) we have 67 men (77.9%) and 19 women
I
(22.1%). This was due to the general reluctance of females to get
themselves interviewed, and also due to the very significant fact that many
e
women were engaged in agricultural operations from very early in the
morning till late in the evening. The sample of 86 was drawn mostly from
C
lower income groups, of marginal and landless labourers. This was meant
£
to be as close to the Sidlaghatta sample as possible.
&
Of the 250 respondents in Sidlaghatta, the labourers working in dupion
charka technology is 26 constituting 10.4 per cent
€
(Table 1).
Table 1
Distribution of Respondents by Technology (Sidlaghatta)
Technology______________
Frequency
Percent
26
”
Dupion Silk Unit
T0?4
Ch araka Technology
35
14
Cottage Basin Technology
172
68.8
I?
Grainage
678
Total
250
100
.1;
J**..'
J
22
J'
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The Labourers working in charka technology is 35, constituting 14 per
cent. The respondents from cottage basin technology are a higher number,
Ij
constituting 172 i.e. 68.8 per cent of the total sample. The sample also
includes grainage workers, who constitute 6.8 per cent of the total sample.
The reeling and grainage workers in our sample had taken up this work
from a relatively early age. About 22 per cent of the reeling labourers had
*
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taken up the profession when they were in the age group of 6-10 years.
Just over 50 per cent were below 15 years of age when they joined reeling
(Table-2).
the other
hand,
the age at joining
grainages
was
comparatively higher than with reeling workers.
Table 2
Age When Joined Reeling/Grainage Activity (Sidlaghatta)
Reeling
Gramage
6-10
years
Male
3
3
On
11- 15
years
6-10
11- 15
16 &
years
year&
above
44
47
9
25
9
100.00% 100.00% 21.60% 37.90% 40.50%
16 &
above
Total
Total
116
100.0%
Female
8
1
7
26
3T
12.50% 87.50% 100.00% 22.20% 26.50% 51.30%
117
100.00%
Total
17
16
5T
75
1W
1
5.90% 94.10% 100.00% 21.90% 32.20% 45.90%
233
100.00%
J
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3
I
5
23
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There were more males who joined sericulture activities before 15 years
of age, as compared to females.
cent of women,
Of the 126 reeling workers, 48.7% per
and 59.5 per cent of men joined before 15 years of age
(Table -2). And, a larger proportion of Scheduled Caste workers in reeling
had joined at the veiy young age of 6-10 years (See Table 3)
t
I
Table 3
Age when joined Reeling/Grainage Activity (Sidlaghatta)
Grain age
Caste
SC & ST
Muslim
6-10
years
11- 15
years
Reeling
16 &
above
Total
1
6
7
14.30% 85.70% 100.00%
4
4
100.00% 100.00%
6-10
years
11- 15
years
19
18
29.70%
28.1%
27
43
19.0%
35.5%
16 &
above
27
42.2%
55
45.5%
9
19.1%
1
1
100.0% 100.0%
24
47
51.1% 100.0%
107
233
45.9% 100.0%
Christians
Other
Total
6
6
100.00% 100.00%
1
TS17
5.90% 94.10% 100.00%
ST
21.9%
14
29.8%
To
32.2%
r
Total
64
100.0%
121
100.0%
In Sidlaghatta town the family size of the Muslim families is generally
higher than that of other communities (Table 4). While the labourers are
poor, they are also aware that family size can have a bearing on education,
for example, and that they are “condemned” to silk reeling.
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Table 4
Family Size (Sidlaghatta)
F
F
F
F
Family
size Group
T4
SC & ST
5-7
8 and
above
Total
48
67.6%
20
28.2%
3
4.2%
7T
100.0%
Muslim
Christian
68
54.4%
52
41.6%
5
4.0%
12d
100.0%
1
100.0%
1
100.0%
Other
(Hindu)
34
64.2%
17
32.1%
2
3.8%
53
100.0%
Total
151
60.4%
89
35.6%
10
4.0%
250
100.0%
Around 52 and 45 per cent of the respondents’ family size ranges between
5-7 and 1-4 persons respectively in Hosahalli (Table 4a)
Table 4 a
Family Size (Hosahalli)
5
Family Size Madiga
1-4
J
19
48.70%
ST
Lin gayat s Muslims Tigalaru
13
48.10%
14
51.90%
1
50.00%
1
50.00%
2
28.60%
5
71.40%
2
Ts
46.20% 100.00%
2
8 & Above
5.10%
7
2
27
2
39
Total
100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
5-7
Brahmin Madivala Other
castes
Shetti
3
1
100.00% 42.90%
4
1
57.10% 100.00%
7
1
1
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
As Muslims are predominant in the reeling industry of Sidlaghatta town,
greater representation was given to Muslims, followed by SC/ST labourers.
Other castes (means Hindus other than SC & STs) constitute 21.20 per
cent of the total sample. The lone Christian respondent is a woman who
25
£
Total
39
45.30%
45
52.30%
2
2.30%
86
100.00%
r
was converted very recently from the SC community (Table -5).
Table
5
Respondents and Religion/Caste (Sidlaghatta)
Communities
Hindus
SC &ST
Other
Muslim
Frequency
71
53
125
1
250
Christian
Total
Percent
I
J
28.4
21.2
~50
0.4
TOO
’>1I
Table 5 a
Distribution by caste/religion (Hosahalli)
Communities
Madiga
~~
ST
Lingayats
Muslims
Tigalaru
Brahmin
Madivala Shetti
Other castes
Total
I
Frequency
>1
Percent
S?
45T
2
2.3
27
31:4
2
23
7
8.1
1
“T72
7 ~
T
86
ST
13
100
w
Owners who are directly involved in their family’s reeling (small units) and
owner labourers (who own the units but reel for wages) are also considered
(Table 6).
3!
J
3
3
3
However, the reeling labourers were the major section of the
sample.
3
el
26
e 1.
■I
I
*
£
I *
I 100
I
I 0
I11
!;
Table 6
Respondents and occupational status (Sidlaghatta)
Occupation
Reeling Owner
Owner Labourer
Reeling labourers
Grainage Workers
Total
Frequency
4
46
183
17
250
Percent
T3
18.4
73.20
6.8
100
i;
I„
Table 6a
Respondents and Occupational Status (Hosahalli)
Ii;.
i;
i 5
i
i J
i J
i 3
i
i 3
i 5
i
t
5
U
li
Occupation
Frequency| Percent
Land Owner
12
Owner Cultivator
_______ 52
22
Agricultural Labourer
Total
SS'
14
603
253
"TOO
Education of the Respondents:
Of the total 250 respondents 63 per cent were illiterate, and 21 per cent of
the respondents were in the category of minimum education i.e. lower
primary to middle school, and the remaining 16 per cent had studied upto
high school and above (Table - 7).
The SCs had the poorest levels of
education, closely followed by Muslims.
In considering the possibility of
27
r
A
social
mobility
and
also whether
the
labourers
can
find
other
ik-
employment, the fact that such a high proportion of workers were illiterate
greatly reduces their opportunities for alternative employment.
In this
context, respondents stated that if they were to study upto high school,
they may be able to find a government job, which was considered as the
most preferred form of employment.
We bring up this matter because
alternative employment may reduce the impact of occupational health
problems
particularly among the
more
severely afflicted
cases
of
I
occupational asthma.
11
Table 7
I
Education and Caste/Religion of the Respondents (Sidlaghatta)
Particulars
'i
’i
Illiterate
Less than 4
years
Pnmaiy
Middle
High School
SC & ST
Muslim
51
71.80%
2
83
66.40%
2
2.80%
4
5.60%
7
9.90%
1.60%
11
8.80%
17
13.60%
Christian
1
100.00%
S’
8.50%
9.60%
PUC
Any Degree
Total
Other
(Hindu)
24
45.30%
. 4
7.50%
7
13.20%
15
28.30%
3
5.70%
1
1.40%
7T
125
100.00% 100.00%
1
100.00%
53
100.00%
Total
158
63.20%
4
l!
1.60%
SO
8.00%
31
12.40%
a!
33
13.20%
3
1.20%
1
0.40%
250
100.00%
li
Ji
*
28
*
i v
▼
£
Most of the miterate people of this village (Hosahalli) belong to SCs
I 0
comprising 68 per cent (Table 7a). The highest literacy rate is found
I 0
I □
among Lingayats which is a forward community (Table-7a).
I J
I 0
Table 7a
I J
Education and Caste/Religion of the Respondents (Hosahalli)
I -3_________ ________
I Particular Madiga ST Lin gaya Muslims Tigalaru B rahmi Madival Other Total
ts
n
a Shetti castes
I ^literate
27
1
6
2
3
1
40
I 5
69.20% 50.00% 22.20%
28.60%
42.90% 100.00
46.50%
I *50ss than
1
1
2
I 4 years 2.60%
3.70%
2.30%
I,______
s
%
| .Primaiy
I fiddle
I School
I 7SSLC
I §uc
I i diploma
I 3_____
1 degree
1 3___
I - ,
, Potal
il
I 3
1
______
2
5.10%
2
5.10%
3
7.70%
1
50.00%
1
50.00%
6
22.20%
S’
1
33.30%
50.00%
7
28.60%
2
28.60%
1
1
14.30%
1
14.30%
1
1
7
8.10%
IT
12.80%
14.30%
18.60%
1
14.30%
o
5.80%
1
1.20%
4
14.30% 100.00
IS
%i
2
5.10%
2
2
7.40%
1
3.70%
2
5.10%
7.40%
4.70%
1 ■
2
27
2
7
1
7
85
100.00% 100.00% 100.00 100.00% 100.00% 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00%
_ ___________ _________
%__________
____ %
%
%
Several males have studied up to high school and beyond, ?ut the
educational levels of women in reeling and grainages are not as high
(Table-8)
29
■ il
£
t
Table 8
Gender and Educational Level (Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli)
Sample
Gender Illiterate Less than Primary I Middle
4 years
Sidlaghatta Male
62
4
9
20
49.60%
3.20%
7.20% 16.00%
Hosahalli
Male
Sidlaghatta Female
Hosahalli
Total
Female
24
35.80%
96
76.80%
16
84.20%
198
63.20%
1
1.50%
1
5.30%,
6
1.60%
High
School
PUC
21.60%
2
1.60%
11
16.40%
15
22.40%
5
7.50%
11
11
8.80%, 8.80%,
1
5.30%
27
42
8.00% 12.40%
6
4.80%
1
5.30%
49
13.20%
1
0.80%
6
9.00%
Diploma
8
1.20%
Any
Degree
Total
1
125
0.80% 100.00%
1
1.50%
1
4
67
6.00% 100.00%
t
I
■. I
125
100.00%
19
100.00%
6
336
0.40% 100.00%
Among the female respondents (Hosahalli) 84 per cent were illiterate but
only 36 per cent of the males were illiterate (Table-8).
All the reeling owners have studied upto high school, while
owner
labourers have a range of educational levels from those who
were illiterate
to one who was a graduate. Grainage labourers in our sample were mostly
illiterate. This may be because the silk reeling labourers were a relatively
\ ounger group and may have had better educational opportunities than
4i
‘i
C
grainage, workers whose average age was higher. They (grainage workers)
may have had poorer educational facilities in their younger years (Table 9).
30
c «
1
ft
ft
J
I J
I J
I J
I 5
I 4
I
I 4
I 4
1
I
I
II
I
4
!,
:
5
3
' 5
Table 9
Education and Occupational Status (Sidlaghatta)
Particulars
Reeling
Reeling
Reeling Grainage Total
Owner
Owner
Labourer Labourer
labourer
Illiterate
22
123
13
158
47.80% 67.20%
76.47% 63.20%
Less than 4 years
2
2
' 4
4.30%
1.10%
1.60%
Primary
5
15
20
10.90%
8.20%
8.00%
Middle
9
22
31
19.60% 12.00%
12.40%
High school /
4
7
19
3
33
SSLC
100.00%
15.20% 10.40%
17.64%: 13.20%
PUC
2
1
3
1.10%
5.88%
1.20%
Any Degree
1
1
2.20%
0.40%
Total
4
46
183
17
250
______________ 100.00%_________________________________
100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Table 9a
Education and Occupational Status (Hosahalli)
Particulars
Owner
Agriculturist
Agricultural
Total
Cultivator
Labourer
24
Illiterate
1
15
40
8.30%
46.20%
68.20%
46.50%
Less than 4 years
1
1
2
1.90%
4.50%
2.30%
Primary
5
2
7
9.60%
9.10%
8.10%
Middle
3
7
1
11
25.00%
13.50%
4.50%
12.80%
4
High School/SSLC
10
2
16
33.30%
19.20%
9.10%
18.60%
PUC
2
2
1
5
16.70%
3.80%
4.50%
5.80%
1 '
Diploma
1
8.30%
1.20%
Any Degree
4
3
8.30%l
5.80%
4.70%
Total
52
22
86
12|
100.00%|
100.00%
100.00% 100.00%
31
rt ce4
OH IUO
09573
3|
t
r
In the course of interviewing reeling and grainage workers, wre had also
asked why they chose to take up these occupations. Several reasons w’ere
given in answer to that question.
,IU-
In many respects reeling labour, for
example, is tedious, the wrork is in a poor environment, and the
I
possibilities of occupational advancement are limited.
Therefore, there
should be compelling reasons for anyone to take up employment as reeling
.
labourers.
1
Our data (Table — 11) reveal that of the 10 reasons to take up reeling
activity, No other alternative
is the major reason for taking up reeling
i
i
ir I
I
t
activity by the labourers, where 65.20 per cent have said they had no other
alternative. In the context of why anyone should choose to take up reeling
* I
or grainage activities, w^e should also consider the fact that three fourths
'•
(75.2%) of the reeling and grainage workers wrere bom in Sidlaghatta town
C j
or neighbouring villages. One fourth had migrated from elsewhere, either
within Karnataka or another state.- An immediate point that occurs here
is that most people prefer to remain near their place of birth, and look for
employment within this area itself.
If occupational opportunities are
C I
I
I
£
€ I
limited then w’e w'ould find them concentrated in types of w’ork which to an
■
outsider, may appear a poor means of earning a livelihood. An additional
eI
factor is that a significant number of respondents (43 per cent) stated that
their parents (one or both) had also been/or still are, working in reeling.
32
I
o I
e I
fl
ft
A *
This, in many ways, also predisposes them to take up reeling work
(Table-10).
Table 10
Parents working in Reeling/Grainage
£
r
I
I
I
I
i:0
i 0
i 0
i 0
i 3
i 3
i 3
Parents m
reeling/
Grainage
Yes
Grainage Reeling
No
132
144
17
100.00% 56.70% 57.60%
Total
17
^50
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Total
101
101
43.30% 40.40%
Among the relatively negative features of reeling/grainages is that a
significant proportion of reeling and grainage workers suffer from health
problems after working in these activities for a few years.
However, we
should also note that to the reeling labourers themselves, reeling work has
advantages over agriculture, and with all its problems, things could have
been worse.
I:
I
I 3
33
t
Table 11
Reasons for opting to work iin reeling/grainage, across caste/religion
Particulars
Easy to get job
SC & ST
i
1.40%
Family problems
Can make money
No other alternative
Muslim | Christian
S’
11.30%
3
4.20%
4S
67.60%
Work is easier
ISafety of Government
Job
Know only this job
3
5.70%
1.60%
ir
8.80%
13"
10.40% 100.00%
55
5.70%
7
13.20%
S?
1.40%
5
7.00%
3
3.20%
6
4.80%
1.90%!
2
3.80%
6
4.20%
0.80%
11.30%
1
1.90%
1
r
S'
2.80%
6;
2.40%|
3
54.70%
1'
1.90%
1'
Nearness to the
residence
Total
Total
68.80%
1
0.80%
4
Continuous work
Parents insisted on
'work
2’
Other
(Hindu)
8.80%|
241
9.60%|
163^
65.20%|
0.80%|
71
100.00%
1
100.00%
On the other hand, if a permanent job materializes,
L
5]
2.40%|
5.20%|
10^
4.0Q%|
1.20%|
n
1
0.80%
125
100.00%
I
0.40%|
53
250j
100.00% 100.00%
or a loan is given to
establish some other business, the labourers are ready to leave the reeling
job. The gender-wise breakup for the reason that reeling and grainage
workers take up this kind of work is given, in (Table-12). A much larger
1
a
a
c
•j
C
c L
• I
34
■t
I*-
I
number of men, compared to women, have claimed that they can make
money by taking up reeling work. This may be due to the manner in which
0
family life and gender values manifest themselves in these occupations.
Men can set up units, seek loans and carry out marketing activities in a far
3
I
more facile manner than women. Though men too would have difficulties
I
in setting up and running reeling units, it is still more realistic for men to
consider the possibility of setting up their own units.
Table 12
Gender-wise Reasons for Taking up reeling/grainage work
(Sidlaghatta)
*
^tale
Easy
Family
to get problems
job
3
8
2.40%
6.40%
^Female
3
*
2.40%
Total
5
6
2.40%
Can | No other Contin- Parents Work is Safety of Know
Nearness
- uous
make altemati
insisted easier Govern only this
to the
money
ve
Work on work
ment Job
job
residence
21
74
1
2
7
7
1
1
16.80% 59.20% 0.80%
1.60% 5.60%
5.60%
0.80%
0.80%
14
11.20%
3
89
2.40% 71.20%
1
0.80%
4
3.20%
6
4.80%
3
2.40%
2
1.60%
22
8.80%
24
163
9.60% 65.20%
2
0.80%
______
6
2.40%
13
5.20%
10
4.00%
3
1.20%
1
0.40%
0
The number of hours that a worker puts in varies from time to time. When
cocoon prices are low, then more cocoons are bought, and workers work
longer hours (including over time). However, the figures we have presented
5
125
100.00%
125
100.00%
A working day in a reeling unit:
0
Total
are meant to indicate very roughly, an average working day for a reeling
worker (Table 13). There are a few persons who may work for a shorter
35
250
100.00%
to
period in a reeling unit and then take up selling vegetables, ice cream,
IJ
groundnuts or green peas.
Table 13
Hours of work per day
Number of
Hours
To
6- 8
9 and above
Total
SC & ST
5
7.00%
27
38.00%
Muslim
T
5.60%
57
45.60%
35“
er
54.90%
71
100.00%
48.80%
125
100.00%
Christian
Other
(Hindu)
Total
5
1
100.00%
i
100.00%
5.70%;
33
62.30%
17
32.10%
53
100.00%
15
6.00%
118
47.20%
TI7
46.80%
250
100.00%
(
The number of days a worker is involved in reeling activities (Table 14) over
a year is difficult to confirm with any great degree of confidence. We had
to depend on the respondents’ memory, and their ability to estimate the
C
number of days in a week they worked, the number of days in a month
etc., over a year, and without the help of any written records.
In a veiy
C
general manner we can say that a substantial number of people have many
i
C
days in a year when they do not get any income from reeling or grainages
(i.e if they are not permanent employees). A few of our respondents have,
in
C
these circumstances, taken up petty business activities to earn
something to support themselves and their families.
e1
36
I
ll
I
i
>1 H
Table-14
Number of days worked in a year
0
It
It
II
Range of Time in
Days
1-150 days
151 - 200 days
201 - 250 days
251 - 300 days
!:
300 & above
Total
SC & ST
5
7.00%
17
23.90%
22
31.00%
17
16.90%
15
21.10%
7T
100.00%
I *
I
I J
I 0
I 0
I □
I 0
I □3
I 3
I 3
I 3
I
I 3
I 5
I 3
I3
I
Christian
Other
(Hindu)
Total
7
3
2.40%
1
100.00%
3.80%
4
7.50%
23
43.40%
27
7
17.60%
14
11.20%
175
100.00%
1
100.00%
17.00%
15
28.30%
5O
100.00%
2S
22.40%
58
46.40%
10
4.00%
47
19.60%
104
41.60%
43
17.20%
44
17.60%
250
100.00%
In the course of a year, many factors could intervene to reduce the number
of days that a person can work.
These factors are listed in Table- 15.
Closure of units is one of the major problems in reeling, and another major
problem is illness.
Female labourers appear to be more prone to illness,
which we will discuss later (Table 16).
*
It 3
I
Muslim
37
I
I
Table-15
•]
J
1
Reasons for stopping work
i
I;
Particulars
SC & ST
Closure of Unit
Muslim
28
39.40%
Unfavourable weather
conditions
Unfavourable prices
Raw materials not
available
The owner incurred losses
2
2.80%
1
1.40%
19
26.80%
Illness
Maternity
Others
2
2.80%
19'
26.80%
71 '
100.00%
Not stopped
Total
Christian
44
35.20%
2
1.60%
6
4.80%
5
4.00%
2
1.60%
29
23.20%
1
0.80%
8
6.40%
28'
22.40%
125'
100.00%
Other
(Hindu)
20
37.70%
1
1.90%
2
3.80%
1
100.00%
1
100.00%
1
1.90%
29
54.70%
53
100.00%
Total
92
36.80%
2
0.80%
7
2.80%
7
2.80%
3
1.20%
50
20.00%
1
0.40%
11
4.40%
77
30.80%
250
100.00%
1
il
i
Table 16
Gender and reasons for stopping work
Gender Closure Unfavour Unfavour
of Unit
able
able
weather
prices
conditions
Male
45
T
5
36.00%
0.80%
4.00%
Raw
The owner
materials
incurred
was not
losses
available
4
2
3.20%
1.60%
Illness
others
C
Maternity
Not
stopped
Total
c
1
19
15.20%
4
3.20%
45
36.00%
125
100.00%
c I
£ 1
Female
47
37.60%
1
0.80%
2
1.60%
3
2.40%
1
0.80%
31
24.80%
7
5.60%
1
32
0.80% 25.60%
125
100.00%
Total
92
36.80%
2
0.80%
7
2.80%
7
2.80%
3
1.20%
50
20.00%
11
4.40%
77
1
0.40% 30.80%
250
100.00%
38
‘■i
l!
Il
11
>1
J’ ‘
------- JX ..
I
p
I
. Sil
Chapter III
Ecoyioyitic Conditiofis oj'Reeling cmd Greimeige ^^orkers
4)
We have tned to ascertain the economic conditions of reeling and grain age
workers in Sidlaghatta with a view to gauging their life style and its relation
J
J
i
JH A
to health. Within this, we have asked whether they have any lands, types
J
3
of houses in which they live, assets they own, their borrowing, etc.
3
expected, very few persons of our sample own any significant area of land
As
(Table 17). None of the female respondents owns land.
Table -17
Caste and ownership of Land (Sidlaghatta)
Land Size
SC & ST
Muslim
1-2.50 acres
3
4.20%
1
1.40%
67
94.40%
7T
100.00%
1
0.80%
2.51 - 5 acres
[F
I 3
I 3
I 3
I 3
I
I 3
II
I
<
Nil
Total
Christian
Other
(Hindu)
T
1 “
0.80%
123“
98.40%
125“
100.00%
Table 17a
Total
1
100.00%
H
100.00%)
1.90%
2
3.80%
50
94.30%
53
100.00%
5
2.00%
4
1.60%
241
96.40%
250
100.00%
Land Ownership (Hosahalli)
Land Size
0.01-2.50 acres
2.51 - 5 acres
5.01 - 10 acres
10 and above
3il
--------Total
Frequency
Percent
4?
40^
“
I7
14
11
12^
5]
33
~~
18
203
7
50
roo
39
F
6L-
To indicate the economic conditions of the respondents we have
considered their ownership of assets, including a house. Obviously, with
I
the predominant segment of our sample being from the group of ‘poor’ or
low income, the majority do not own any house. Even those who own a
house (and 44% do), the majority live in kaccha4 and semi-pucca5 houses
r
(see tables 18 &19 ). When we see that the majority live in “rented” houses,
the indication is that they live in houses that they do not own.
these people live in quarters provided by reeling owners.
Most of
Even here, we
find that the quarters are of a poorer kind, with kaccha and semi-pucca
houses being the predominant kinds.
L
Just 15 respondents (6%) live in
pucca houses, and only 11 of them own these houses.
r
Table- 18
House ownership across caste/religion
Ownership
Own
Rented
Total
SC & ST
37
52.10%
34
47.90%
71
100.00%
Muslim
Christian
48
38.40%
TT
61.60%
175
100.00%
1
100.00%
1
100.00%
Other
(Hindu)
25
47.20%
20
52.80%
53
100.00%
Total
110
44.00%
140
56.00%
250
100.00%
C I
C
Ji
C i
4
J
We have classified those houses as kaccha, which have mud and brick
walls, and mud floors. The inhabitants have the floor covered with cow
dung. Roofs are of thatch, or tiles.
5 Semi-pucca houses have cement floors, brick walls, and roofs of
tiles/sheets. Pucca houses are those with RCC roofs, cement and brick
walls, and cement floors.
40
C
I
© I
JI
1
e
c|.
1
r*
r*
i ~
Table 19
i!
3
I J
I’
I
I
I
I
Ownership
Own
| Kaccha
Rented
‘“59
Total
I 50.0%
63.57%
144
57.6%
Semi-pucca
44
40.00%
47
33.57%
91
36.4%
Pucca
TI
10.00%
4
2.86%
15
6.00%
Total
TTO
100.00%
T40
100.00%
250
100%
With the poor condition of the houses, when it rains the houses are
*
I
Type of House
*
4
usually flooded, leading to health problems.
It is particularly in the Adi-
Karnataka (SCs) colony, that houses and drainage are in a poor condition,
and when it rains the houses invariably get flooded. The size and
4
congested surroundings of the AK colony also have associated problems.
4
For instance, one of the respondents had been afflicted with asthma, and
later he was also diagnosed as having tuberculosis. Shortly after, his wife
-4
was also diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Living in a small space makes it
possible for the TB to spread from person to person. They are now worried
4
that their son may also get TB. Many families in this colony (also among
our respondents) have similar problems.
0
5
In addition to houses, several respondents also possessed other assets, as
indicated in Table 20.
Table 21 reveals that, generally, as income
4
5
increases, the assets also increase. However, among the income.group of
41
I
4
24,001 to 30,000,
information about assets were only reluctantly
revealed, and it is possible that assets have been understated.
Larger
family incomes were usually related to several members in the family being
employed.
But, there is no clear relationship betu^een higher incomes and
c
c
c
'K
more assets. People’s spending habits too differed. As we observed, there
were several respondents (particularly in grainages) who were earning
*
reasonably high incomes, but had very few assets (Table-21). We were told
that these were also the persons who spent considerable amounts on
liquor. Table 22 represents assets across ownership/occupation.
f
Table 20
Other assets across caste/religion (Sidlaghatta)
Assets
Bullock cart
Cycle
SC & ST
1
1.40%
5
7.00%
Motorbike
Radio
T.V & Others
26
36.60%
1
1.40%
None
33
Total
53.50%
71
100.00%
Muslim
1
0.80%
20
16.00%
2
1.60%
43
34.40%
Christian
1
100.00%
1
100.00%
Total
22
41.50%
4
7.50%
2
0.80%
34
13.60%
2
0.80%
92
36.80%
16
6.40%
34.00%
53
100.00%
41.60%
250
100.00%
9
17.00%
TT
8.80%
43
38.40%
125
100.00%
Other
(Hindu)
w
C
C
it.
42
e..
t
I
£
Table 21
Other assets across income (Sidlaghatta)
Assets
Bullock cart
Cycle
Motorbike
Radio
TV & others
None
4
I 4
I:I
Total
Less than 600112000
6000
1
50.0%
2
5.88%
1
50.0%
1
1.08%
2
12.5%
8
7.69%
15
6.0%
3
8.82%
1200124000
2400130000
4
11.76%
Total
30001
and
above
2
5.88%
1
50.0%
23
67.64%
r
8
8.69%
33
35.86%
12
13.04%
50.0%
38
41.30%
1
6.25%
28
26.92%
4$
16.0%
7
43.75%
4T
39.42%
S5
34.0%
1
6.25%
5
31.25%
15
T2
14.42%
11.53%
50
32.0%
3(J
12.0%
2
100.0%
34
100.0%
2
100.0%
92
100.0%
16
100.0%
104
100.0%
250
100.0%
4
I J
I 3
I
I 3
I J
I
I J
1
il 5
I
In very broad terms, we can state that as nearly half (42%) the respondents
do not own any of the assets listed above, their lifestyle is also of a very
modest standard, indicating
extreme poverty.
A higher proportion of
Scheduled Castes (53.50%) fall within this category of extremely poor.
43
_
*
7
£
1
t
Table 22
I
I
Other assets across occupation
Assets
Reeling
Owner
Reeling
Owner
labourer
Bullock cart
Cycle
1
25.00%
T
Motorbike
25.00%
1
25.00%
1
25.00%
Radio
T.V & Others
None
Total
4
100.00%
15
32.60%
1
2.20%
18
39.10%
6
13.00%
6
13.00%
46
100.00%
Reeling Grainage
Labourer Labourer
2
1.10%
11
6.00%
7
41.18%
Total
2
0.80%
34
13.60%
2
65
35.50%
9
4.90%
96
52.50%
183
100.00%
8
47.06%
2
11.76%
17
100.00%
0.80%
92
36.80%
16
6.40%
104
41.60%
250
100.00%
I
I
I
One of the most sought after attributes of working in reeling units is the
availability of advance against wages.
With all its (reeling) negative
features, the possibility of interest-free loans/grants, is most attractive to
the labourers. Thus, a very large number of the respondents (79 per cent)
have taken advance from their respective owners
workers do not get any advance.
(Table 23). Grainage
Reasons for taking advance included: to
meet day to day obligations, to perform religious functions, and due to
illness (Table 24). Taking advance is not an entirely beneficial transaction
to the labourers. Once they have taken a substantial sum as advance, they
are tied to the same unit, irrespective of the wages they get. For instance,
44
©l I
*1
1
3
1
J
1
■
-
1
a respondent, Akthar Unnisa, aged about 38 years, has taken Rs.9,800
as advance to arrange the marriage for her daughter, and pay for
medication during her illness She says, “my earnings are not sufficient to
Ji
run the family itself, then how can I repay the advance/loan taken from my
owner. Without repaying the advance, I will not be allowed to go out of the
reeling unit and also from this job.” In a few cases, respondents have been
able to borrow money from one owner to repay the advance taken from
another. But if the amount is very large, other owners would not advance
money to that extent.
In another instance a man indicated his wife as
guarantor for the advance. And, together, they had taken Rs.20,000 as
advance. The
I A
i;
i;
i J)
i
i 0
man took the money and left Sidlaghatta and his family.
Now, his wife Shaheena (26 years of age) is working in the same unit as a
bonded labourer.
A portion of her earnings is taken for household
expenses and the remaining is considered as loan repayment.
3
i 3
i 0
i 5
i 3
I-
IL;;
45
I'
Il
■
t:
4'
&
Table 23
Advance taken among reeling labourers of different castes and religion
Range of advance
SC & ST
TS
3
501 - 1000
4.50%
11
25.00%
16
36.40%
35
21.30%
8
4.40%
54
35.00%
48
26.20%
5
5
TU
22
4.90%
11.50%
22.70%
2
4.50%
44
100.00%
12.00%
2
1.10%
183
100.00%
24.60%
3
4.90%
1001 -3000
26
3001 - 5000
42.60%
14
23.00%
5001 - 10000
■
10001 and above
Total
i
N = 183*
Total
Other
(Hindu)
21
26.90%
3
3.80%
27
34.60%
18
23.10%
Nil
I
Muslim
6T
100.00%
*Only reeling labourers —“
TH
100.00%
S’
6.80%
2
Table - 24
Reason for taking advance by reeling labourers
N = 183
SC & ST
To clear old debt
To perform religious functions
To meet day to day family
obligations
Illness
Construction of House
Advance not taken
Total
5
23.8%
42
39.3%
6
27.3%
1
50.0%
7
25.0%
61
33.3%
Muslim
2
66.7%
6
28.6%
36
33.6%
15
68.2%
19
67.9%
78
42.6%
Other
I
" I
■b
I
i
1
Total
T
3
33.3% 100.0%l.
10
21
47.6%
100.0%
29
107
27.1%
1
4.5%
1
50.00%
2
7.1%
44
24.0%
t
t
r
c
100.0%
22
100.0%
2
100.0%
28
100.0%
183
100.0%
C 1
C I
46
J!
ft
4
.
Ft
While her
(Shaheena) wages are very low (as with other reeling
labourers), she has two small children to support.
She also has asthma
and so too with one of her children. So there is hardly any money left for
medical expenses, thus aggravating the health problem.
When in financial need, which was a regular feature with most labourers,
F;
their usual practice was to take an advance against their wages from the
unit owner. Owners themselves would need to look for alternative sources
of funds when they needed additional finances than they had readily at
£
hand.
The lack of collateral among labourers was one of the crucial
reasons why they preferred advance against wages. Other reasons included
the fact that advance money did not carry any interest, and was more
easily available, and payment schedules were convenient. However, if
larger sums were needed, than the owner was willing to pay, then there
would be some difficulties in raising loans/funds (Table 25).
3
I 3
I 3
I 3
I 3
I 3
I *
I 5
I 3
I -3
47
r ■■■
eh.;
1
Table 25
Source from which loan is taken
Particulars
SC & ST
Unit Owner
Muslim
Christian
1
100.0%
Money Lender
Neighbours / Relatives
Commercial Banks
Any other source
Not taken
Total
4
66.7%
4
40.0%
62
27.2%
71
28.4%
4
100.0%
2
33.3%
3
30.0%
116
50.9%
125
50.0%
1
4.0%
1
4,0%
Other
(Hindu)
Total
1
100.0%
1
1
100.0%
100.0%
4
100.0%
6
100.0%
3
10
30.0%
100.0%
49
228
21.5%
100.0%
53
250
21.2% 100.00%
Quite a few respondents said if financial assistance is given for
animal
husbandry like dairy, poultry, rearing pigs etc., they are ready to take up
such occupations rather than reeling activity, which according to them is
also detrimental to their health. Those who had indicated health problems
1
1!
’I
11
Ji
-1
Ji
e II
I
C
C
C
C
also suffered from asthma or tuberculosis , or both. They wanted to get out
C
of the reeling occupation, but as of now, could not.
C
A very small proportion of respondents were able to save through various
C
schemes (Table-26).
The rest stated that their minimum expenditure were
usually in excess of their income, and therefore, it is quite beyond their
e I
capacity to “save.”
48
I
Table 26
Nature of savings across caste/religion (Sidlaghatta)
Particulars
Chitfunds
LIC
NSC
None
Total
J:
f.Particulars
’___
e
S
P------- ^-r
■■ I commercial
■ *^one
>r“
SC & ST
Muslim
2
50.0%
5
35.7%
1
100.0%
63
27.3%
71
28.4%
1
25.0%
4
28.6%
Christian
Other
(Hindu)
Total
L
25.0%
5
35.7%
1
0.4%
1
0.4%
120
51.9%
125
50.0%
47
20.3%
53
21.2%
4
100.0%
14
100.0%
1
100.0%
231
100.0%
250
100.00%
Table 26a
Nature of savings across caste/religion (Hosahalli)
Madiga
1
100.0%
2
40.0%
36
45.0%
39
45.3%
ST
2
2.5%
2
2.3%
Lingayats Muslims Tigalaru
2
40.0%
25
31.3%
27
31.4%
2
2.5%
2
2.3%
1
20.0%
6
7.5%
7
8.1%
Brahmin Madivala
Shetti
1
1.3%
1
1.2%
7
8.8%
7
8.1%
Other
castes
1
1.3%
1
1.2%
When savings rate of males and females are compared, a marginally higher
proportion of males in the Sidlaghatta sample i.e., 11.20 per cent are
saving a portion of their income, but females constitutes only 4 per cent
3
(Table-27).
A probable reason is that a significant number of the males
drink and spend on what may be considered as non-essentials, but have a
49
I
Total
1
100.0%
5
100.0%
80
100.0%
86
100.00%
small amount left over. Women have to ta_ke care of the family expenses
which could take their entire earnings.
The phenomenon of a larger
proportion of men being able to save appears to be at the initiative of
women—where women insist that men save some of their income in chit
I
1!
I
funds, and spend the rest on liquor etc., if they choose. Women need to
support their families, and have no savings after their expenses. Therefore,
males save more but not the females.
An effort was made to see the
’I
savings rate across ownership (Table - 28). We did not fmd any significant
difference across ownership of the unit as the sample is concentrated on
reeling labourers, and the owners are also not large entrepreneurs.
However, a significant number of grainage workers had taken up LIC
1
policies.
I
1
I
X.
Table-27
Nature of savings and gender (Sidlaghatta)
Particulars
Male
Female
Total
Chitfunds
4
4
100.00%
100.00%
LIC
9
5
14
64.30%
35.70%
100.00%
NSC
1
1
100.00%
100.00%
None
111
120
23T
48.10%
51.90%
100.00%
Total
125
125
250
50.00%
50.00%
100.00%
4
c
4
4
£
?
fl1:
JI
50
I
I V
|C
Table-27a
I -
Nature of savings and gender (Hosahalli)
I"
Particulars
Commercial Banks
LIC
I ’
3
None
Total
Male
Female
1
1.50%
5
7.50%
61
91.00%
67
100.00%
19
100.00%
19
100.00%
Total
1
1.20%
5
5.80%
80
93.00%
86
U 00.00%
Table 28
Ownership and Savings
Particulars
Reeling Owner
*
5
3
I 5
I 0
I 5
I 0
ii:0
ii
3
Reeling Owner
Labourer
Reeling Labourer
Chitfunds
1
100.0%
None
3
1.3%
43
18.6%
T77
76.6%
1
100.0%
3.50%
231
100.0%
"I
25.0%
1
25.0%
2
50.0%
Grainage labourer
Total
NSC
LIC
4
100.0%
2
14.3%
3
21.4%
9
64.3%
14
100.0%
Total
4
1.6%
46
18.4%
183
73.2%
T7
6.8%
250
100.0%
Income & Expenditure ofReeling and Grainage Workers
Even with the recognizable health problems,
workers showed a clear
preference for reeling work. The reasons included a relatively regular
income, accommodation from unit owners, interest free advance, much of
which are not available in other occupations, and agriculture. In fact, even
wth health problems, they felt they were better off in reeling since they
51
CH
'00
A
U9573
I
■S'
y
j
J
I
//
i
&
■
could eat more regularly—something not always the case in seasonal
agricultural work.
u.
This last point is the reason why several of our
respondents had even migrated from other places, to Sidlaghatta. Being
illiterate, most of the workers were also under no illusions about their job
prospects.
While the rate of wages is more or less the same for all workers who hire
i
out their labour to reeling units, the major differences in annual incomes
of these workers depend only on the number of days they work in a year.
e
i
Family income is an aggregate of the incomes of several persons who take
up paid work.
Except in the case of owners, who may earn substantial
incomes even when there is only one family member in a sericulture
i
occupation, in the remaining cases, family income is directly related to the
*I
eI
c
number of workers in a family. The higher income in a sense is also related
to higher expenditure on specific items such as food, since there are more
members in the family.
Grainage workers generally received higher
C
C
salaries, since they were paid by the month, and were usually permanent
employees. They were also better equipped with health support,
so that
their personal expenses on medicines etc., were also less than that of
C
1
C I
workers in private units.
52
II
11
<1 I ;
I
Table 29
Number of members working in a family(Sidlaghatta)
4
2
,
~3
•i
5
I
6
ii
7
!
Family
1
!
I
Size group ; Member j Members I Members’Members: Members | Members Members!
24
84
10
33
1- 4
|
76.70% 70.60% 63.20% 27.80%
9‘
14
7
2
34
23
5-7
50.00%
20.90% 28.60% 36.80% 63.90% 77.80%
I
2
1
2
J
1
1
8 & Above
50.00%
100.00%
8.30% 22.20%
0.80%
2.30%
24
£
3E
9
38
TT5
43
100.00%
100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Total
J:
lI :
5
I 5
1 3
I 0
I 0
I 5
I 3
I 3
I 3
I 5
I 3
I 3
L
I 3
I
-3
n
ro'
r
Total
151
60.40%
89
35.60%
10
4.00%
4
250
1
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Table 29a
Number of members working in a family (Hosahalli)
Particulars
0
1 Member 2 Members 3 Members 4 Members 5 Members |
Total
1-4
1
50.00%
11
44.00%
19
52.80%
6
40.00%
2
28.60%
39
45.30%
5-7
1
' 50.00%
14
56.00%
17
47.20%
8
53.30%
5
71.40%
45
52.30%
Total
1
100.00%
1
6.70%
8 & Above
2
100.00%
25
100.00%
36
100.00%
15
100.00%
100.00%
2
2.30%
86
1
100.00% 100.00%
53
Table 30
Working members in a family across different castes (Sidlaghatta)
Communities;
SC & ST
1
Member
3
2
I
j
5
I
6
Members ; Members Members I Members . Members :i Members.
14
6
3
11
11.30%
54.90%|
19.70%
8.50%
4.20%
1.40%!
23
58i
16
21
4
1
2"
46.40%|
18.40%
12.80%
16.80%
3.20%
0.80%
1.60%
1 ‘
I!
4
I
I
7
Total
*
Muslim
Christian
Other
12
22.60%
43
17.20%|
Total
100.00%
21i
39.60%|
Hot
47.60%,
71| *
ioo.oo%L
ioo.oo%|l
~~
8
15.10%
38
15.20%
9
17.00%
36
14.40%
2
3.80%
9
3.60%
Hr-
ioo.oo%E1
0.40%|
1
1.90%
4
1.60%
53*
100.00%P
250*^
100.00%i
e
e
Table 30a
Working members in a family across different caste
Hosahalli)
Caste
I 1 Member
0
2
Total
Members Members Members Members
C
Madiga
8~
8
20 “
2
1"
39
32.00%
55.60%
53.30%
28.60% 100.00%
45.30%
ST
1 ’
1
-----------2^
2.80%
6.70%
2.30%
Lin ga vats
1
12
8
3"
3
27
50.00%
48.00%
22.20%
20.00% , 42.90%
c
3
1.40%
Muslims
1
1 ~
^7 5
Tigalaru
|
1
50.00%
Brahmin
Madivala Shetti
4.00%
2
8.00%
1 '
4.00%
1|
4.00%;
Other castes
'Total
i
2
100.00%
25
100.00%
2
5.60%
6.70%
1
6.70%
4j
1!
i i.io%!
6.70%l
ii
2.80%!
36 i
100.00%;
I
15?
100.00%
F
2
2.30%
7
8.10% (
1
1.20% c
7
1|
14.30%!___________
n
14.30%;_________ I
i
i
|
I
7!
1|
100.00%.' •100.00%i
8.10%
1
1.20%
86
100.00%
54
I
€I
t!
L Ih
i
A. -ULEHi
L&fe
r
I
I
F
F
F
F
Table 31
Income level across ownership and number of family members working.
0
0
0
Ownership
Income
__________________ level
Reeling Owner Less than
6000
i. Member
1 I; Members
2 II Membe
3 rs !.
I
5
I7
6
J
33.30%
*
3
1
1
1
100.00%
100.00%
r
100.00%
—
1
100.00%
i
4
100.00%
5
25.00%
8.30%
10.90%
1
T'
1
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
2
i
Reeling Owner'Less than
labourer
6000
5.00%
600112000
3
75.00%
i
i
5.00%
5
' 1200124000
3
124001: 30000
5
3
3
Reeling
Labourer
3
15.00%
4
16.70%
20.00%
4
8.70%
6
i
8.30%
11
3
55.00%
10
13.00%
3
i
30
75.00%
83.30% 100.00%,
100.00%
65.20%
20
4
I
6
! 100.00%, 100.00% 100.00%
8
12
3
100.00% IOO.OO7/0
1
100.00%
46
100.00%
9
26.70%
1.10%
19
20
4.90%
39
63.30%
2 1.30%
21.30%
3
63
11
4|
j
10.00%,
67.00%
37.90%,
I
r
20.00%
I
7
4
2|
20.00%
33.30%
600112000
I_____
1200124000
2400130000
1
16.70%
1 '
2.20%
r
Less than
6000
3
3
3
33.30%
3
3
1
30001 &
above
3
Total
25.00%
30001 and
above
0
5
I
100.00%
0
3
4
Members Members Members; Members
7.40%
34.50%
81
i
I
T
I
44.30%
23
12.60%
55
I W
i30001 and
i above
I
30)
3
8
3.20%
27.60%
291
94
12l
r
;24001 130000
1___and
20.00%
4
30001
above
LSP Owner
3j
1
60.00%! 66.70%! 100.00% 100.00% I
201
M 100.00%|st
100.00%; 100.00%! 100.00%i
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%j
-----------Grainage
Labourer
4i
!
;
__
4
4
c
16.90%
183
100.00%
1
6.30%
3’
L
15
80.00% 100.00% 100.00%
5
4
4
100.00%, 100.00%, 100.00%
r
30001 and
above
I
100.00%
93.80%
3
100.00%
16
100.00%
(
I
100.00%
1
100.00%
1
100.00%
100.00%
Table - 32
Reeling Technology and Income Group
k
Technology’
less
than
6000
Dupion Silk Unit
5
19.20%
2
Charaka
Technology’
6001 12000
12001 24000
24001 30001
30000 and above
2
7.70%
10
38.50%
3
11.50%
1
11
4
20.00%;
31.40%
11.40%
8
3T
64
22
4.70%
—
18.00%
37.20%
i 5.70%
t
Cottage Basin
Technology’
Grainages
I
Total
I
15
i 6.00%
40
16.00%
85
34.00%
c
Total
6
26
23.10% 100.00%
1 1
<C
•c
35
'31.40%, 100.00%
47
172
c
12.80%
27.30% 100.00%
C
1
5.90%
17
16|
94.10%) 100.00%
30f
12.00%| 32.00%i
250
100.00%
56
c
C
I
I
c
J
4
*
e I
*
1-
Table - 33
3
Distribution of respondents across various income groups
(Sidlaghatta)
3
1
1.4%
IT
15.5%
35
49.3%
Less than i
6000
I 0
I
I '
6001-’
12000
1200124000
2400130000
30001
above
Total
!;
*
Muslims : Christians
i SC/ST
Income
IT
15.5%
13
18.3%
71
100.0%
&
3“
11 i
8.8% :
16.8% I
33
26.4%
I4~
11.2%
46 ’
36.8%
Ho"
100.0%
1
100.0%
1
100.0%
5.7%
8
15.1%
17
32.1%
5
9.4%
20
37.7%
53
100.0%
A
Distribution of respondents across various income groups (Hosahalli)
5
3
Income
Less than
5000
0
5
5001-10000
□
10001-15000
3
15001-20000
3
20001-30000
I
30001-40000
3
5
J
I’
15
6.0%
40
16.0%
So
34.0%
SC
12.0%
80
32.0%
250
100.0%
Table - 33 a
A
0
; Total
|
Others
(Hindu)
40001
and above
Total
ST
Madiga
Lin gayat s
3
3
7.70%
6
15.40%
13
33.30%
7
17.90%
6
15.40%
2
5.10%
2
5.10%
39
100.00%
11.10%
6
22.20%
2
7.40%
4
14.80%
3
11.10%
3
11.10%
6
22.20%
27
100.00%
1
50.00%
1
50.00%
2
100.00%
Muslims
Brahmin
Tigalaru
Madivala
Shetti
Other
castes
Total
7
1
14.30%
2
28.60%
1
14.30%
2
28.60%
2
28.60%
1
50.00%
1
14.30%
3
42.90%
2
28.60%
1
100.00%
1
100.00%
1
50.00%
7
1
2
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
100.00%
1
100.00%
57
8.10%
15
17.40%
19
22.10%
16
18.60%
14
16.30%
6
7.00%
9
10.50%
86
100.00%
■
u-
Table 34
C
Gender and distribution of respondents’ family incomes (Sidlaghatta)
e
i!
r
Gender* Less than [6001 - 12000 12001 - 24000)24001"- 30000 30001 and
Total X
6000
|
above
Male
I6T
41
11
50J
125:
5.60%!
12.80%|
32.80%
8.80%
X
40.00%l
100.009
Female
ST
247
44'
T7
30j
HL
6.40%j
19.20%j
35.20%
15.20%
24.00%| 100.00%*
(Total
15’
40'
85'
30
80
^5( 1
6.00%
16.00%
34.00%
12.00%
32.00% 100.00%^
:e
Table 34a
t
£
7i
I
Gender-wise distribution of respondents’
I*
Income
Male
Female
Total
Less
than
5000
6
8.9%
1
5.3%
7
8.1%
500110000
1000115000
1500120000
20001-
13
19.5%
2
10.5%
15
17.4%
11
16.4%
8
42.1%
19
22.1%
13
19.4%
10
14.9%
4
21.0%
14
16.3%
3
15.8%
16
18.6%
Table - 35
30001
40001
30000
Total
&
40000
5
7.5%
1
5.3%
6
7.0%
above
9
13.4%
9
10.5%
67
100.0%
19
100.0%
86
100.0%
C
Income and Employment Status (Sidlaghatta)
Occupation
Reeling Owner
Reeling Owner labourer
Reeling Labourer
less than
6000
12001 24000
1
25.00%
5
1
10.90%
9
4.90%
2.20%
39
21.30%
15
6.00%
40
16.00%
Grainage Labourer
Total
6001 12000
24001 - 30001 and
30000
above
3
75.00%
4
6
30
8.70%
13.00%
65.20%
81
23
31
44.30%
12.60%
16.90%
1
16
5.88%
94.12%
85
80’
30
34.00%
12.00%
32.00%
Total
4
100.00%
46
100.00%
183
100.00%
17
100.00%
250
100.00%
I
i
58
I
£
dlL.'
r
p
p
r
0
IJJ
3
$
5
5
5
5
3
£
3
5
3
7-^^
Table 36
Weekly Household Expenditure (Sidlaghatta).
(In rupees)
Particulars
SC & ST | Muslims i Christians Others Hindus)
80
i
74—
"54:79
Rice
2A~
Ragi
63'
76
’
40
Pulses
28
31
74
33
Vegetables
27
““26
30
;
29
Pish/Meat
84
—68
55
73
TT
Edible Oil
79
'
T2
Sugar/Jaggery’
16
32
21
Transport
24
26
30
;
29
Medicines
—32
66
10
|_______ 17
Entertainment
15
11
50
|_______ 14
Paan/Tobacco
12
6~
5
|
5
37
|
42
Clothing
-"23
"31
Liquor
40
TO43
i
8
4
Others
2
12
Weekly Expenditure
446
435
442
“724
1864
Monthly Expenditure
1911
1894
"7817
Annual Expenditure
________________________
22937
22371
22731
21805
Table 36a
Weekly Household Expenditure (Hosahalli)
(In Rupees)
ligala
Brahm
Madiv Other
Particulars
Madiga
ST
Lin gay Muslims
ru
in
ala
Castes
ats
Shetti
03
Rice
TT~
KT
69
30
60
10
“T”
5
Ragi__________
67
3T“
87
23
T"
50
"□T
■38
“
Pulses
W
39
45
26
38
TZ
”
"
d
TF
"20"
Vegetables
49“
35
16
35
52
T25
74
30’
Fish/Meat
62
65
135
MT
"30"
Edible Oil
57
TT
20
25
15
23
W
“
2T"
Sugar/Jaggery
14
7
15
45
43
"TT
Transport_____
TIK
17
45
35
146
3U
50
"TO"
Medicines
13
50
32
25
"25“
Entertainment
6
9
15
11
Paan/Tobacco
"3“
i
6
1
3
3
Clothing______
"5T"
T>8“
23
10
"7b"
66
’ 35
52
Weekly
517
389
399
272
320'
580
564
expenditure
-Annual
24299
! 20805
25958" 20284
14183 30243
16686
29409
Expenditure
rz~
no
n
~n
I 59
I 5
I 5
-
59
I
c
Table - 37
Frequency of food intake across caste/religion (Sidlaghatta)
Consumption of Food SC & ST
Twice in a day
Muslim • Christian
Other
(Hindu) :
1
24?
100.00% 45.30%i
Total
47
37.60%
1
78~
;
62.40%
54.70%|
—
123
1
531
100.00% 100.00%
100.00% 100.00%;
Table - 37a
44i
62.00%|
277
38.00%:
Thrice in a day
Total
116
46.40%
134
□3.60%
230
100.00%
C
C
Frequency of food intake across caste/religion (HosahaUi)
Consumption
of Food
Twice in a day
Thrice in a
day
Madiga
9
23.10%,
30
ST
Lingayats Muslims Tigalaru Brahmin Madivala
_____
Shetti
1,
4
1
50.00% 14.80%
14.30%
1
23
2
6
1
7
e
Other
castes
Total
1
76.90% 50.00% 85.20% 100.00% 85.70% 100.00%
100.00% 100.00% 82.60%
_____ 39. _________2i
27
2
7
1
7
86
100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
100.00% 100.00% 100.00
________
%
__
Total
r
Table - 38
Sidlaghatta
Hosahalli
Sidlaghatta
I
I
Hosahalli
Total
c
f
Gender, and number of daily meals (Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli)
I
___ 15,
17.40%
71
GenderfTwice in a day Thrice in a day
43
77
<:
38.40%
61.60%
Q
10
14.90%
85.10%l
68
T3
a
54.40%
45.60%
H
EL
3
14?
o
26.30%
73.70%;
!
1311
203?
38.99%!
61.01%'
I
____
i
57j
C
Total
125
100.00%
67
100.00%
125
100.00%
P?
100.00%!
336
100.00%
60
Ji
<
Of the 125 male labourers, 62 per cent have three meals a day and the
■0
remaining persons eat twice in a day.
Of the women, 46 per cent have
0
three meals a day, and 54 per cent have two meals a day (Table 38).
0
Women appear to eat less in a day compared to the other members of the
family. Hosahalli respondents eat more often, and presumably their levels
0
A
of nutrition are better than in Sidlaghatta.
*
A
A
3
3
5
5
3
3
!
.
61
Chapter IV
Reeling and Grainage Activities, and Health
Part A
This section deals with the various health problems6 that labourers in our
!
I
sample have had in the past, or still have at present. Diseases such as
asthma, tuberculosis,
skin problems, stomach disorders, etc. have been
mentioned by the respondents (see tables 39,42,43 across technology,
!
caste and sex).
Respiratory’ problems such as asthma have, in many
♦
cases, been causally related to reeling/grainages. This is being described
I
in greater detail in the clinical sections of this report (i.e. as occupational
I
I
asthma). The labourers involved in silk reeling, and especially the
labourers involved in charka reeling, appear to have marginally more
health problems than the rest (i.e. workers in cottage basin units, dupion
units)
I
This is not a conclusive statement.
Inasmuch as we could not
standardize or control for various variables, we cannot definitely state that
one technology is more or less harmful than another.
L
I
I
I
e I
1
Overall, around 54
per cent of the labourers are suffering from one or the other health
6 Health problems’ in our study refer to a list of diseases, and/or disabilities, and
respondents were asked if they suffered from these diseases during the course of
the preceding y ear.
Healthy’
are those who do not -have these
diseases/disabilities, and also includes those who may have had these at some
time and have recovered from them.
62
II
e|l
rL
«|£
ej,
«ll
A
■ I
problem.
When we compared across gender, a greater proportion of
women appear to have health problems than males, constituting 56.7 per
cent (of women labourers) .and 43.3 per cent (of male labourers)
respectively. Several reasons could be attributed for a larger proportion of
female labourers being afflicted with health problems. These include: a) If
we take just the women between the ages of
child bearing ages,
group.
16-40 as being within the
99 (79.2%) of our sample of women fall wdthin this
Regular child bearing is a factor in their poorer health, b) their
w’ork schedule is usually very strenuous, including both household chores,
5
5
5
5
£
as well as working in reeling units or grainages.
Rest, during the day, is
very difficult for them to get7, c) several cases in our sample have indicated
that when there is any food shortage in their homes (which is normal in
5
low income households), it is their husbands and children who have the
first choice of food. The women get less food, after the rest of the family
has eaten (see Table 38). The clinical section would also indicate results of
!>
blood tests, which showed that a significant proportion of the sample of
!=
J
£
it
w’omen had anemia.
How’ever, there were also women with asthma who
stated that if they eat a larger quantity of food, they felt a general
uneasiness, and therefore, preferred to eat less.
7
The women themselves have not explicitly stated that they are over
worked. But from a detailed description of their daily activities, we can
state that they hardly have any time to relax, and leisure as such is not
available for any reasonable length of time.
63
Comparing the general health of the reeling and grainage workers with
the control group, a larger proportion of them have reported having health
problems than those in the control group.
We can hypothesize that
among sericulture activities, and particularly reeling, there is a greater
possibility that
health
problems are more frequent than
in
other
occupations, such as agriculture.
C
C
i
Health status across ownership indicates that the
owners of reeling units
I
(in our sample) do not have any disease. A possible reason could be that
they are not always directly involved in reeling, and do not remain within
the reeling unit’s premises for much time.
They supervise the reeling
and their major activity is buying cocoons, and
selling silk yarn, i.e. marketing.
On the other hand, a few among our
sample of owner-labourers have health problems, an indication, perhaps,
II
i:
i
that being involved in the actual reeling activity would make them more
L
prone to health problems.
In the control sample, it is difficult to state that
e
one or the other occupational status is
more likely to cause health
c
C I
problems.
64
4
.
'3SE
£
r
£
Chart 1: Health Status of Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli
responents
120.00% r
100 00% •
80 00% •
60 00% :
»
i Healthy
i
iHaving Disease
40 00%
20.00%
0
0.00%
Sidlaghatta
Male
3
Female
Hosahalli
Male
Female
Table 39
Health status and technology
Particulars
3
Healthy
3
I 0
□
I
I 5
I 0
I 0
I □
I 5
I 5
I 0
I 0
I 3
I 3
Having
Disease
Total
Dupion
Silk Unit
18
14.80%
Cottage Basin, Grainage
Charaka
Technology ; Technology
is*-
13.00%
69.23%
8^"
Total
8!.
70.40%'
2.
116
1.70%: 100.00%.
47.10%
11.80%: 46.00%^
Is
134
6.00%
30.77%
26
10.40%
14.90%
57.10%
35
14.00%
67.90%
52.90%
172
68.80%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
i 13.859*
11.20% 100.00%
88.20% 53.60%
17
250
6.80% 100.00%
Pearson Chi- i
II
square______ ;__________
•Significant at 5% Level
Association between technology' and health status.
65
I '53
I 0
I 5
I 3
LI
m'i
r
r
Chart 2 : Health S tatus o f R eelin g and
G r a i n a g e Respondents
1 0 0.00 o/ 'o
C
&
8 0.0 0 %
6
60.00%
c
40.0 0%
□ H e a 11 h v
2 0.0 0 %
OH a v i n g
D is e a s e
0.0 0%
G ra in ag e
c
Reeling
Table 40
Health status and reeling technology
I
Health
Status
Healthy
Having
Disease
Dupion Silk
Charaka Cottage Basin
Unit
Technology Technology
18
IS "
ST
15.80%
13.20%
71.10%
8
20’
9T
6.70%
Total
26
____
11.20%
Pearson Chi-square
** Significant at 10% Level
16.80%
35“
15.00%'
76.50%
172
73.80%
N=233
Total
*
114
100.00%
M9
•A
v
100.00%
233
100.00%
“5.037**
T’
There is an association between technology and health
if.
i.
66
I
1
■
F?
Table 41
Family size and health status
*
A
I
a:
i
5
i 4
i 5
5
Family
Size
!
i
1- 4
i
5- 7
8 & above
Total
i
Sidlaghatta
Having
Healthy ;
Disease
83
627
58.90% 41.10%l
4^[
44.90% 55.10%:
5
5'
50.00% 50.00%
134
TT6’
53.60% 46.40%
Total
Hosahalli
Heal th v i
Having
| Disease
j
13T'
8
100.00%
89^
100.00%
10
100.00%
20.50%
13.30%
1
50.00%
230
TK
3
Total
31'
39
79.50% 100.00%
39"
43
86.70% 100.00%
1
2
50.00% 100.00%
71
86
82.60% 100.00%
100.00%
17.40%
Pearson
4.465 Pearson
2^53
Chi-square
Chi-square
Sidlaghatta : There is no association between family size and health status
Hosahalli
--------- —.i . There is no association between family size and health status
Although one may have expected that a larger family would
have more
problems in maintaining a reasonable level of health, since nutrition, and
other necessities of life would have to be shared among a larger number of
people, there is no statistical association between the size of families and
health.
5
I
3
I,
3
It
I -
L
L
i
67
Table 42
%
Health Status across different caste/religion groups (Sidlaghatta)
Health Status
SC & ST
Muslim
Christian
Other (Hindu)
Total
Healthy
24
33.80%
52
49.60%
1
100.00%
29
54.71%
116
46.40%
Having
Disease
47
66.20%
Total
24
45.29%
71
100.00%
125
100.00%
1
100.00%
53
100.00%
134
53.60%
250
100.00%
53
50.40%
&
C
G
F'
e.
e
Table 42a
Health Status across different caste/religion groups (Hosahalli)
Health Status Madiga
Healthy
Having
Disease
Total
ST
Lin gayat s Muslims Tigalaru Brahmin I Madivala
Other
________ j Shetti
castes
33
2
18
2
7
7
T
84.60% 100.00% 66.70% 100.00% 100.00%
100.00% 100.00%
6
9
1
12.80%
33.30%
100.00%
391
2
27
2
7
100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% ioo.oo%!
Totc^.
:x
81.
lO/
16
7
17.*
0/<
7
1
100.00% 100.00% 100.0^2
7
68
_h‘
b1
▼
l
I
I -
rc
i *
Table 43
i .5
L
Gender and Health Status (Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli)
0
Gender
Sidlaghatta
Hosahalli
3
I
I
.3
I
0
I
I 0
I’
if5
'll
2
po
5*
Healthy
Having
Disease
67
53.6%
54““
58
46.40%
13
19.40%
76
60.80%
2
10.50%
149
44.35%
Total
125
100.00%
67
100.00%
125
100.00%
80.60%
Sidlaghatta
49
oTJ
39.20%
3
Hosahalli
HL
17
T9
o'
89.50%
100.00%
Total
187
336
______________ 55.65%__
100.00%
Sidlaghatta Pearson Chi-Square value
5.211*
Hosahalli Pearson chi-square value
0.810
*Significant at 5% level
'
1----------------Sidlaghatta - Association between gender and health status
Hosahalli - No Association between gender and health status
Table 44
Education and Health Status (Sidlaghatta and HosahaUi)
Sample
Health
Illiterate Less than Primary Middle
High
PUC Diplom
Any
Total
I Status
4 years
School
a
Degree
Sidlaghatta Healthy
65
2
11
15
21
1
T
116
56.00%
1.70%
9.50% 12.90% 18.10% 0.90%
0.90% 100.00%
Hosahalli jHealthy
34
3
6
7
13
4
1
2
7T
47.90%
2.80% 8.50% 9.90% 21.10% 5.60% 1.40% 2.80% 100.00%
Sidlaghatta Having
93
2
9
16
1'2
2
134
(Disease
69.40%
1.50%
6.70% 11.90%
9.00% 1.50%
100.00%
Hosahalli Having
6
1
4
1
1
2
To
Disease
40.00%
6.70% 26.70%
6.70%| 6.70%
13.30% 100.00%
Total
198
61
27
42
49
8!
1
51
336
|________
58.93%
1.79%| 8.03°o| 12.50% 14.58% 2.38%|
0.30
1.49%| 100.00%
Sidlaghatta Pearson Chi-square value
|
7^726
Hosahalli Pearson Chi-square value
i
7^42
Sidlaghatta: There is no association between education and health status
Hosahalli : There is no association between education and health status
69
c
I
Ilf
V-■
I
l
Table 45
Occupation and health status (Sidlaghatta)
Occupation
Healthy
Reeling owner
4
100.0%
33
71.73%
Reeling Owner labourer
Reeling labourers
42.07%
2
12.5%
Grainage Labourer
LSP Owner
Total
116
46.4.0%
Having
Disease
Total
13
28.27%
106
57.93%
14
87.5%
1
100.0%
134 '
53.6.0%
Pearson Chi-square
value
* Significant at 5% Level
4
100.0%
46
100.0%
183
100.0%
IF
100.0%
1
100.0%
250"
100.0%
26.131*
L!
Il
lli
C
There is an association between occupation and health status.
Table 45a
’I
Occupation and health status (Hosghalli)
Occupation
Agriculturist
Owner Cultivator
Agricultural Labourer
Total
Healthy
Having
Disease
6
S'
50.00% 50.00%
45
7
86.50%) 13.50%
20
2
90.90%
9.10%
7T
15'
82.56% 17.44%
Total
a
12
100.00%
52
100.00%
22
100.00%
86
100.00%
< I
70
I
1
11;
©I.
<fll
< U
1
JU
i
mi
Un
I
Of the 134 persons with health problems (table 47) about 89 per cent of
them are above 16 years of age.
This could indicate that serious health
problems
after
afflict
reeling/grainages.
workers
only
several
years
of
working in
One may also observe that our sample of grainage
workers are not likely to have got their job at a very young age.
Reeling
workers on the other hand joined as child labourers in many cases.
Further, several women in our sample observed that their health problems
££
started after their marriage. This involved, a) in a few cases, they had
migrated from their native place to Sidlaghatta, and started work in
reeling,
b) frequent child bearing exacerbated health problems, c)
little
help from their husbands or other males in their families, made it
necessary for women to continue working even when they
had health
problems. Only when the intensity of health problems increased to a very
high extent that they could not work, did they stay at home and away from
p
I □
I 5
I o
I 3
I 0
I 5
I
I 3
I 5
reeling,
d) Health problems, in more cases, do not begin soon after a
person takes up work in a reeling unit, but usually after a few years.
3
I 5
I
II
71
x-a&l
k
Table 46
Health Status across different age groups of Reeling and Grainage respondent S?
Technology-
Health Status
Grainage
11-15
16 - 20
21-25
26 - 30
31 -35
36 -40
Healthy
Having Disease
Total
Reeling
Healthy
Having Disease
Total
Grainage
Total
T*
2
100.00°b
100.00c
10
66.70%
100.00°j
1
6.70%
2
13.30%
11.80%|
16'
13.30%
9
8.00%
12
r
70.60%, 100.00°/
13
u.
11.50% 100.00°/
20
16.80%
36
15.50%
14
11.80%
23
9.90%
19
119
16.0Q%| 100.00°/
32
23C
13.70% 100.00%|
4
3.50%
20
17.70%
36
31.90%
1
5.90%
16
14.20%
11
9.20%,
15
6.40%
10
8.40%
30
12.90%
19
16.00%!
55
23.60%
26
21.80%
42
18.00%
2
13.30%
2I 11.80%2
~
Pearson Chisquare
Pearson Chisquare
Reeling
41 &
above
-
0.94-
16.79^-.
Grainage :: No association between health status and age group
Reeling :: Association between health status and age group
C
-------
v
Table 47
Health status across Age Groups (Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli)
Sample
Health
Status
r
Sidlaghatta
Hosahalli
16-20
21-25
4
3.40%
20
17.20%
11
8.20%
10
7.50%
1
6.70%
31
9.23
36
16
16
9
31.00%! 13.80% 13.80%
7.80%
13
12
13
18.30% 16.90% 9.90% 18.30%
19
27
22
16
14.20% 20.10% 16.40% 11.90%
2
1
3
13.30% 6.70% 20.00%
68
57
46
41
20.24
16.97
13.69
12.20
zr
Sidlaghatta
Hosahalli
11-15
2)
!
O
Total
Sidlaghatta
15
___________
4.46
Pearson chi-square
Hosahalli
Pearson Chi-square
26-30
31-35
36-40
41 &
above
L5
12.90%
26
36.60%
29
21.60%
8
53.30%
78
23.21
Total
116
100.00%
71
100.00%
134
100.00%
15
100.00%
336
100.00%
20.842
Sidlaghatta: There is an association between Age Group and Health status
Hosahalli : There is no association between Age Group and Health Status
72
1
I
I
▼
8.606
s
11
r
Table 48
Duration of job and health status of Sidlaghatta and Hosahalli
Respondents
0
i
Hosahalli
| Healthy Having i Total
Disease|
8‘
1“
Less than 1 year!
14
2
6
3
57.10% 42.90%j 100.00% 66.70% 33.30% 100.00%
22
1-5 year
48
9
26
9
i 45.80% 54.20% 100.00% 100.00%
100.00%
6-10 yea
34
3T’
6o
7
1
8
47.70% 52.30% 100.00% 87.50% 12.50% 100.00%
10-20 years
48'
4T‘
89
32
37
5
53.90% 46.10% 100.00% 86.50% 13.50% 100.00%
27’
20 & above
34
21
8
29
I
T
20.60% 79.40% 100.00% 72.40% 27.60% 100.00%
116’
Total
250
134'
71
15
86
46.40% 53.60% 100.00% 82.60% 17.40% 100.00%
Pearson Chi11.838* Pearson
5^32
square
chisquare
Sidlaghatta: Association between duration of job and health status
Hosahalli : No Association between duration of job and health status
Duration of Job ’
Sidlaghatta
| Healthy Having j TotaJ
I Diseasel
As may be expected, we have also observed that an association exists
between the number of years in reeling/grainages, and the existence of
health problems.
Health problems, particularly asthma, often take years
to manifest themselves, and this may account for the fact that, generally,
the
5
people
who
had
worked
for
a
greater
number of years
in
reeling/grainages, suffer more health problems.
73
■■
....
Table 49
►
Number of days worked in a year and health status
No.of days;
i
150-200
days
Sidlaghatta
G. Hosahalli
Having Healthy
Total Having Healthy I
Tota
Disease
’ I
Disease.
4
1 “
4
100.00%
100.00%
100.00% 100.00%
24
25
49
40“
8
48
49.00% 51.00% 100.00%
50
54
104
201-250
days
251-300
days
1300 &
above
'Jone
100.00% 100.00%
2
3
69.80% 30.20% 100.00%
24
20
44
100.00% 100.00%,
5
21
26
54.50% 45.50% 100.00%
5
3
5
40.00% 60.00% 100.00%
19.20% 80.80% 100.00%
2
2
4
50.00% 50.00% 100.00%
______ _
T
r
100.00% 100.00%
134
116
250
53.60% 46.40% 100.00%
11.221**
Pearson
chi-square
83.30% 100.00%
z.
4
48.10% 51.90% lQ0.00%|
30
13
43
90 days
Total
16.70%
15
17.40%
71
86
82.60% 100.00%
Pearson
chisquare
4.713
i
h
t
SKt...
u.
4
I
t
1!
Significant at 10% level
Sidlaghatta : Association between number of days worked in a year and
health status
Hosahalli : No association between Number of days worked in a year and
Health status
While we have already indicated that the number of days in a year that a
1
i
ll
respondent has worked in reeling is not absolutely certain, even with its
7
74
I
: ■
■
t
■
.
't-
■
limitations, there is a clear association between the number of days
^0
I
worked in reeling and health problems.
0
0
Table 50
Joining age and health status of respondents
J
5
I
I
I
>
»
Gender
J
Male
Joining Age
6-10 years
J
Healthy 1 Having
j Disease
T3i
12
19.70% 20.70%
Total
25
20.00%
*
11-15 years
23
21
44
34.80% 36.20%
35.20%
16 & above
3T
25
56
45.50% 43.10%
44.80%
67
Total
58
125
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Female
6-10 years
26
13
26.50% 17.10%
20.80%
11-15 years
13
19
32
26.50% 25.00%
25.60%
16 & above
23
44
67
46.90% 57.90%
53.60%
Total
49
76
125
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Pearson Chi square value Male
"
0.126
Female
1.967
Male: No association between joining age and health status
Female: No association between joining age and health status.
4
*
ra
5
5
J
□
3
3
3
3
While
it
is
known
that
smoking
(beedis,
cigarettes)
and
alcohol
9
i:
J’
Jr
Jr
consumption are harmful to health, we were also concerned about their
effect on reeling and grainage workers. Smoking is also known to aggravate
respiratory problems such as asthma. Just about 16 per cent including
75
£
■ 17 TTHniTMiwi T-VB » m
F
a
I ?
men and women, of the
workers have admitted to being regular
I
to
consumers of alcohol. No health problem has, in this study, been observed
t
as being directly related to alcohol consumption, but there is sufficient
t
evidence elsewhere to suggest that regular consumption of alcohol has
adverse effect on a person’s health. Only a longer term study using several
t
clinical parameters would be able to confirm the adverse effect of alcohol in
conjunction with reeling or working in grainages (Table 52).
WML
Table 51
K.
House type (economic condition) and health status
Particulars
Sidlaghatta
Hosahalli
61
52.2%
life.
Total
TT
78.90%
47
40.9%
VZ
16.90%
8
7.0%
73.30%
44
32.8%
?
13.30%
7
5.2%
77.90%
91
36.4%
14
16.30%
15
6.0%
J
2"
S’
4.20%
TW7~
100.0%
Pearson Chi- square
Pearson Chi-square
13.30%
5.80%
335"
100.0%
“ 2.242
1.913
Kaccha
Semi-Pucca
Hosahalli
Sidlaghatta
Pucca
Total
Sidlaghatta
Hosahalli
Having
Disease
83
61.9%
144
57.6%
57
Sidlaghatta
Hosahalli
Healthy
IW
100.0%
a.
t
t
t
■2^
.Ms
* JKOS9. JSlzK
Table-52
Health Status and alcohol consumption/smoking (Sidlaghatta)
I
I
I
I
I
O
0
Particulars
Healthy
Consuming Alcohol
17
43.60%
37
56.92%
Table-52 a
Smoker
Having
Disease
22
56.40%
28
43.07%
Total
39
100.00%
65
100.00%
Health Status and alcohol consumption/smoking (Hosahalli)
Particulars
*
I
I ;*
Consuming
Alcohol
Smoker
Having
Disease
2
13
86.70% 13.30%
27
8
77.10% 22.90%
Healthy
Total
15
100.0%
35
100.0%
*
iI '
While the clinical section would indicate, from objective indices, the
3
probable causes of health problems, in this section we have indicated the
3
subjective perceptions of the reeling and grainage workers themselves,
3
I 3
I 3
3
I 3
I 3
I 3
I
I
r
I
3
about the causes of their health problems. The largest number of persons
said that smoke
from boiling cocoons is the main reason for getting
respiratory problems (Table - 54 & 55). Their ‘solution’ to this problem is
that new reeling technology should be introduced which reduced the
smoke w’hich is emitted within the units.
Earlier, there was only charka
technology available, where reeling labourers w’ere directly cooking the
cocoons, and which made them inhale the smoke. Workers stated that in
77
t
t
the present charka reeling they face the same problems as those working
with this technology in the past.
Also, since they have to regularly dip
their hands in boiling water while reeling the silk yam, skin diseases also
fe*
were high among these workers. With cottage basins now being available,
t
cocoons are cooked in one place and reeling is done at a distance from the
cooking process. This has helped in reducing problems.
Those who were
W.
working in dupion and charka technology' and have shifted over to cottage
basin reeling have particularly remarked on this aspect.
Labourers are
aware that health problems of various kinds have been associated with
working in reeling units. They are also under the belief that cottage basin
units are less harmful to them. However, one has to consider the environs
I
of these two types of technology. In our sample, the owner-labourers have
e I
small scale charka units, and w’here they are themselves engaged in
, I
reeling. In this set up they are also the victims of the technology involved in
reeling.
Being
d
relatively poor, the conditions of work include poor
ventilation, filthy surroundings,
poor lighting, and poor drainage. Thus,
the conditions conducive to encourage health problems are already clearly
visible in these units.
€ 1
4
C-.,'
4c
Cottage basin technology usually involves
substantially higher investments than charkas, and as such are set up by
relatively more affluent owners. These owners are also able to provide
relatively better working conditions than that found in charka units. Thus,
while respiratory’ problems are clearly evident in both
<
TV
types of units,
ii
R
11
78
Ij ’
4
■'W
S
£
£
I J
I 5
I
I 5
I
I 5
I 5
I 5
J
I
I3.'
1
I 3
I )
< 3
workers are convinced that they suffer from less health problems, or
lower intensity respiratory problems in cottage basin units, than when they
were working in charka units.
Table 53
Prevalence of diseases and gender (Sidlaghatta)*
Name of the Disease
Male
i Female
Asthma
Backache
Blood Pressure
Cough
Diabetes
Eye Problems
Headache
Increase in body heat
Skin Problem
Stomach Disorders
Tuberculosis
30.4%
“12.8%
6.4%
36.0%
1.6%
’8.8%
16.0%
28.0%
7.2%
12.8%
2.4%
i 46.4%
' 25.6%
' 0.8%
' 57.6%
■"Nil
17.6%
’ 2$.6%
27.2%
18.4%
19.2%
4.0%
Total Respondents
125
125
*As respondents^ reported several health problems being present at the
same time, the total percentage does not end as 250 tallying with 100%.
Table 53a
Prevalence of diseases and gender (Hosahalli)
Name of the Disease
Male
Female
Asthma
Backache
Blood Pressure______
Cough______________
Diabetes
Eye Problems
Headache
Increase in body heat
Skin Problem
Stomach Disorders
Tuberculosis
Total Respondents
11.9%
' 4.5%
1.5%
16.4%
’ 3.0%
_ 3.0%
1.5%
1.5%
’ Nd
‘ 9.0%
‘ Nil
I
l 67
21.1%
’ 21.1%
’ 5.3%
’ 36.8%
■
i
’ Nd
I
‘ 5.3%
’ 5.3%
' Nd
’ Nil
Nil
I
I 5.3%
nr-
l!
n
n
79
MKB
I
The health problems indicated by reeling and grainage workers is
*
generally higher than in the control group. However, it is not immediately
known which can be causally related to their occupation---- other than the
Table - 54
t
Workers’ reasons for diseases across caste/religion (Sidlaghatta)
Particulars
Work Atmosphere
Smoke of boiling
cocoon
Dipping fingers
frequently into hot
water while reeling
Over burdened with
work
Lack of rest
SC & ST
Muslim
3
Christian
Other
(Hindu)
5
4.00%,
104
1
30
8
3.20%
187
73.20%
1
83.20%
100.00%
56.60%
74.80%
5
TO
1.40%
1
2.40%
11.30%
1
4.00%
2
1.90%
0.80%
2
0.80%
1
4.20%
52
1.40%
1
1.40%
1
0.80%
Lack of drainage
system
Oven heat
Others
Formalin Smell
1
5
7.00%
2
1.60%
5
TU
8.50%
2
2.80%
8.00%
71
100.00%
125
.100.00%
NA
Total
Total
1
100.00%
1.90%
3
5.70%
5
9.40%
3
5.70%
4
7.50%
53
100.00%
0.40%
10
4.00%
-
t
2T
8.40%
5
2.00%
4
1.60%
250
100.00%
80
w.
r
p
p
p
Table - 54a
Workers’ reasons for diseases across caste/religion (Hosahalli)
Particulars
Work
Atmosphere
Overburdened
with work
Lack of
Drainage
System
Others
J
p
J
NA
Total
2.60%!
25'
3
1 Lingavats I Muslims j Tigalaru Brahmin : Madivala
I
i
i
Shetti
3:
I
I 11.10%i ,
2’
64.10% 100.00%
6'
15.40%
1 '
2.60%
4
10.30%
2
5.10%
39
2
100.00% 100.00%
■
51.90%|
6j
2
22.20%: 100.00%
2i
28.60%|
42.90%|
3
42.90%
1
14.30%
7
100.00%
Particulars
Work Atmosphere
Smoke from boiling cocoons
3
Dipping fingers frequently
into hot water while reeling
3
Male
100.00% I
I
3
Lack of drainage system
3
Oven heat
Others
Formalin Smell
NA
Total
Total
7
5.60%
93
74.40%
4
8
3.20%
187
74.80%
10
4.80%
3.20%
2
l.,60%
1
0.80%
4.00%
2
0.80%
2
0.80%
1
0.40%
10
4.00%
21
8.40%
5
2.00%
4
1.60%
250
100.00%
1
0.80%
1
0.80%
2
1.60%
14
11.20%
3
2.40%
3
2.40%
125
100.00%
8
6.40%
7
5.60%
2
1.60%
1
0.80%
125
100.00%
59.30%
16
18.60%
1
1.20%
8
9.30%
6
7.00%
1
86
100.00% 100.00%
1
0.80%
94
75.20%
6
Over burdened with work
Lack of rest
Female
Total
4
4.70%
51
3:
II
1
3.70%
3
11.10%
27
2
7
1
100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
3
J
i
71.40%| 100.00%!
Other
castes
Table -55
Respondents’ Reasons for Disease (Sidlaghatta)
3
3
ST
ST
1
Lack of rest
<■
Madiga |
81
1
A
Table -55a
Respondents’ Reasons for Disease (Hosahalli)
Particulars
Male
I
t
Work
"
Atmosphere
Over burdened With work
Female
4
6.00%
38
56.70%
13
19.40%
Lack of rest
I
Lack of drainage Facilities
Total
13
68.40%
3
15.80%
1.50%
6
2
9.00%
10.50%
5
1
7.50%
5.30%
67'
19
100.00% 100.00%
Others
NA
Total
4
4.70%
51
59.30%
16
18.60%
1
1.20%
8
9.30%
6
7.00%
86
100.00%
I
I
e
II
A
simple
design
for
improving
the
unit’s
environment,
reduce
steam/smoke from the unit, was provided by T.S. Nagaraj (Technical
Adviser, Seri-2000). A reeler who has used the design and equipment for
about three months is convinced about its usefulness in reducing the
smoke in the unit, and labourers too seem to agree wdth this view.
However, labourers found it somewhat inconvenient as well, since the
equipment
hit their foreheads.
Mr. Nagaraj considered this a small
problem, and easily rectified.
Another problem
water entered the cooking pot.
The original cost of the instrument was
was that during rain,
about Rs.8,000/- and Nagaraj says it can be reduced to Rs.2,000. But as
of now, it can be used only in cottage basin reeling technology’ and not in
charka reeling units.
82
»•' ■V*
Q-Mr:
T
.
j
ii
j!
JRS&
rI
F
o
Exhaust
Fan
*•
Chute or
Hood
J
Sencin
Fumes
•I
!=
Cocoon Cooking
Oven around
which the workers
stand and cook
cocoons.
5
i.
5
I 5
I 3
I J
I 5
I J
I 5
I 3
I 3
I J
I
I
3
I '
r
Medication:
Through this study, reeling and grainage workers were asked about the
type of medication they use whenever they had any health problems, and
also the "medical’ practitioner that they consulted. In this connection, we
asked about the use of allopathic medicine, ayurvedic medicine, and “folk
medicine.”
Folk medicine was broadly considered as any advise given by
non-trained local persons about the use of local concoctions of some kind,
which are presumed to have a beneficial effect on people with health
problems.
Reeling and grainage workers, by and large (about 80 per cent
of them), used mainly allopathic medicine, and they were less satisfied with
83
I
b
II'.'
I
the efficacy of other types of medicine, though they took these “remedies”
from time to time, too.
The general preference for steroid based drugs
among the more severe cases of asthma is due to several reasons:
a)
doctors prescribe these medicines for a fixed period, but patients take
them for long, and indefinite periods without medical supervision, on the
t
t
assumption that as long as they provide relief they can carry on with these
drugs, b) steroid based drugs are said to have an immediate and salutary
effect on the patient, and they believe they can take the tablet whenever
they feel particularly indisposed. Because of the medication they took in
these conditions (i.e. when they had acute symptoms of re'spiratory
XT--‘
problems), some semblance of normalcy was restored in a short while, and
, ‘J
they were able to go for work. Missing work (particularly with the women)
1
was not considered a viable option since they needed the wages to support
their family.
Persons using medicine which they considered as ’ “ayurvedic” constitute
about 6 per cent (Table-60) of the total respondents. Haseena (16 years)
was using ‘green tablets’ for the past six months to control asthma. She
had felt some relief, but that was only a temporary phenomenon.
Sit
Muniyamma who is 52 years old has been using herbal powder’ prepared
from some leaves and roots brought from Chintamani of Kolar district of
<
Karnataka state.
She stated that with this medicine, she could cany out
84
Ifl
I
aiik . .
F
her daily business.
F
I°
F
Subbaramaiah (40 years of age) who was using
allopathic medicines was not satisfied with that medication, and started
taking 'fish medicine18 (including live fish). He claimed that with this
umedicine” his cough has come down drastically.
six months and plans to continue to use it for another six months.
hopes for a permanent cure with this medicine.
£F
4
I 4
I
I 3
She had some allergic reactions on her skin, and even her respiratory
problem became worse. Finding
that the sought for “cure” was not
forthcoming with “ayurvedic” medicine, many of the respondents reverted
to allopathic medicine, which they felt gave them “instant relief.”
T^ble 56
Using of folk remedies and health status
Sidlaghatta
Folk
Remedies
3
No
3
Yes
Total
3
Some others had had
years, who used some powder and liquid “medicine” for about six months.
I 3
3
He
poor experience with “ayurvedic medicine” such as one, a woman of 32
3
J
He had been using it for
Pearson chisquare
Having
Disease
39
47.60%
95
56.50%
134
53.60%
Healthy
43
52.40%
73’
43.50%
116!
46.40%|
Hosahalli
Total
Haying
Disease
82
7
100.00%
16.30%
168
8
18.60%
100.00%
250
15
17.40%
100.00%
1.789 Pearson chisquare
Healthy
36
83.70%
35
81.40%
71
82.60%
Total
43
100.00%
43
100.00%
86
100.00%
0.081
Sidlaghatta : No association between using folk remedies and health.
Hosahalli : No association between using folk remedies and health
8
*
'Fish medicine’ is an ayurvedic medicine which is put inside the mouth of
a small, live fish. The patient has to swallow the fish, and the medicine.
85
r
L,
ir w
1
4
A
©
k
ft
Table 57
Types of medicines used
Medicines
Sidlaghatta
HosahallT
I
useful in the Having
Healthy
Total! Having Healthy
Total
long run
Disease
Disease
Allopathic
IT7
84
201
IT
381
49
58.20%
41.80%
100.00%
22.40% 77.60% 100.00%
Folk
9
20
29
1
17'
18
medicine
31.00%
69.00%
100.00%
5.60% 94.40% 100.00%
^one
8
I?
20
5
16
19
40.00%
60.00%
100.00%
15.80% 84.20% 100.00%
Total
134
116
250
15
71
86
53.60%
46.40%
100.00%!
17.40% 82.60% 100.00%
Pearson Chi9.142*
Pearson
2.655
square value
chi-square
* Significant at 5% Level.
Sidlaghatta : Association between Medicines useful L.
in the long run and health status.
Hosahalli : No Association between Medicines useful i
-1 in the long run and health
status.
Table 58
Number of visits to doctor in the past year
Number of visits to
______ Doctor
Once in a Week
Once in Fortnight
Once in a Month
Once in a Year
Once in a Quarter
Not Visited
Total
Having
Disease
18
85.70%
20
80.00%
40
64.50%
2"
25.00%
47'
46.10%
7|
21.90%;
134.
53.60%,
Sidlaghatta
Heal thj'
3
14.30%
5
20,00%
22
35.50%
6
75.00%
55
53.90%
25[
78.10%!
1 161
46.40%|
Total
21
100.00%
25
100.00%
62
100.00%
S'
100.00%
102'
100.00%
32’
100.00%j
250,
100.00%!
Having
Disease
2
66.70%
3
42.90%
9
23.70%
1|
3.60%!
15
17.40%
r(T
Hosahalli
Healthy
1
100.00%
1
33.30%
4
57.10%
9
100,00%
29'
76.30%
~27
96.40%
71
82.60%
Total
1
100.00%
3
100.00%
7
100.00%
9
100.00%
38
100.00%
28
100.00%
86
100.00%
k
k
e
L
I
1
I4,
86
A
£
£
£
I 0
3
Table 59
Frequency of meals
■—
Sidlaghafta
Hosahalli
Heal th v ■
:
Having
Total
Prequency: Having ■ Healthy •
Disease
of meals , Disease |
61
FTT
ISA
TO
67
Thrice in a
day
5o.oo%: 100.00%: 14.10% 85.90%
50.00%
Twice in a :
day
Total
Total
71
100.00%
TT6T
5
10
15
57.80%
42.20% 100.00%
33.30%
66.70%
100.00%
134
53.60%
250
116
100.00%
46.40%
15
17.40%
71
82.60%
86
100.00%
F7
49"
3.186**
1.505 Pearson
Pearson
Chi-square
Chi-square______________
** Significant at 10% level
Sidlaghatta : There is no association between frequency of food intake
and health status
:
There
is an association between frequency of food intake
Hosahalli
and health status.
I 0
I 0
Table 60
Types of medicines used by respondents (Sidlaghatta)
I :>
I 0
I 3
I
1=
Particulars
Ayurvedic
None
Total
SC & ST
4
5.60%
67
94.40%
7T
100.00%
Muslim
Christian
6
4.80%
TT9
95.20%
125
100.00%
1
100.00%
1
100.00%
Total
Other
(Hindu)
6
11.30%
47
88.70%
53
100.00%
16
6.40%
234
93.60%
250
100.00%
I J9
87
& ■■■■■■ ft’*
t
Table-60a
Types of medicines used by respondents (Hosahalli)
tOsmio
Particulars Madiga
Avurxedic
None
39
100.00%
39
100.00%
Total
ST
Lin gayat s Muslims
Tigalaru
I
Brahmin Madivala
Shetti
Other
castes
Total
1
1
3.70%
1.20%
2
26
2
7
1
7
1
v85
100.00% 96.30% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 98.80%
2
27
2
1
7
1
86
100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Many respondents (see tables 61 and 62) constituting about 67 per cent of
-
the sample use local remedies on the belief that they can be benefited from
using them (some were consumed; while others need external application ).
Those items being used include tender coconuts, butter milk, neem leaves,
alcohol for asthma, ragi flour, caster leaf, green gram, pork, buttermilk,
er
banana, ragimalt, cowdung to reduce body temperature. Sidlaghatta
labourers used sapat mulam (for blisters and other skin problems), eye
ointment, and tamarind pulp whenever they felt the need .
These
measures were said to provide temporary relief and therefore they used
them. Alcohol consumption was frequently stated to provide relief from
respiratory problems, and enabled sound sleep at night. Men and women
consumed alcohol for this purpose9.
9
In the presence of a local physician, a reeling labourer stated that he
had stopped drinking alcohol on this doctor’s advise, and now his health
problems had greatly increased.
88
J
■
' .... .jaOl
JBBK
I
MAS B
JUik. - JGBI.
>
J1IE3L
JiSil JSlftM
ib
4
Table - 61
Respondents’ use of folk remedies (Sidlaghatta)
Total
Particulars; SC & ST i Muslim ,Christian; Other |
Yes
I 0
No
Total
I J
168
29,
83:
r
56
i
54.70%!
66.40%l
67.20%
! 78.90%;
82
42i
T
L
i
15|
! 21.10%i 33.60%j 100-00%! 45.30% 32.80%
i
71
iToi
lj
53]
250
i 100.00% 100.00%! 100.00%! 100.00%! 100-00%
i J
Table 62
Respondents’ use of folk remedies (Sidlaghatta)
i;
5
Use Folk Remedies
Yes
No
5
P
P
3
Female
T7
61.60%
48
38.40%
125
100.00%
72.80%
34
27.20%
125
100.00%
9T
Total
168
67.20%
82
32.80%
250
100.00%
3
3
3
A woman respondent (52 years, grainage worker) uses ragi flour with
castor leaf to reduce body temperature. She applies ragi flour to her legs,
Io
3
I 3
I 3
I
Total
Male
hands and
stomach and at the same time uses castor oil
and covered
with caster leaf. Another woman (60 years) prepares ragimalt at night, and
mixes it with onion in the morning, and
then drinks it.
Jayamma (25
years) applies cowdung to her hands and feet (for skin problems) leaves it
5
5
89
9
Hi
wwr
1 ife
9*
on for about two hours, and then washes it off later™. Various measures
are tried on one after the other, and whenever h
the}' think one of these
'*■
measures works, they stick tvith it, and drop the others. However, over a
period of time, allopathic medicine is preferred, as
more labourers find
them relatively effective. (Tables 63 & 64).
e.
Table 63
Types of medicines used by
Particulars
SC & ST
Allopathic
Muslim
Christian
52
108
73.20%,
86.40%
12
5
16.90%
6.40%
7
9
9.90%
7.20%
71
125'
100.00% 100.00%
Folk medicine
None
Total
i
respondents (Sidlaghatta)
1
100.00%
Other
(Hindu)
40
75.50%
Total
17.00%
4
7.50%
53
100.00%
11.60%
20
8.00%
250
100.00%
201
80.40%
25
1
100.00%
J
11
>1
Table 63 a
Types of medicines used by respondents (Hosahalli)
Particulars Madiga
Allopathic
Folk
medicine
None
Total
ST
Lingayats Muslims
24
61.50%,
8
1
50.00%
20.50%
7
17.90%
39
50.00%
100.00%
1
16
2
59.30% 100.00%
2
7.40%
9
33.30%
27
2
2
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
J
Tigalaru
Brahmin
3
42.9Q%|
4
57.10%
1
ioo.oo%|
100.00%i
i
100.00%
Madivala
Shetti
3
42.90%
3
Other
castes
Total
49
57.00%
18
42.90%
20.90%
1
19
22.10%
86
100.00%
1
14.30% 100.00%
7
1
100.00% 100.00%
Jr
Ji
at
10
J1""!? auCn7al 'aCk °f aw areness regarding cowdung-and the possibility that open
cuts on their hands and feet could easily lead to infections when cow dung is rubbed on
t 90
3
fl
f
■ hS/®® *
MB .r.^. ,■<
in
m
hr ■
Table 64
Use of medicines by men and women (Sidlaghatta)
Particulars
Allopathic
I"
I J3
Male
9o
76.00%
17
13.60%
13
10.40%
125
100.00%
Folk medicine
None
Total
Female
1W
84.80%
T2
9.60%
7
5.60%
125
100.00%
Total
20T
80.40%
29
11.60%
20
8.00%
230
100.00%
5
I
I
I
I 4
I
I
I
I :>
I
It
I
Table 64 a
Use of medicines by men and women (Hosahalli)
Particulars
Allopathic
Male
39
58.20%
Female
10
52.60%
4
20.90%
14
20.90%,
67
100.00%
21.10% 20.90%!
5
19
26.30% 22.10%
19
86
100.00%| 100,00%
Folk
medicine
None
Total
Total
49
57.00%
18
Around 32 per cent (Tables 65 & 66) of the labourers, and irrespective of
the disease (as all the labourers suffer from one or the other disease in a
3I*t
year) medicate themselves from time to time. There are instances of
I 5
negative side effects when they have gone in for self medication. According
5
to our data, men are more prone to this practice than women.
However,
after encountering these side effects, most of these respondents have
stopped medicating themselves.
91
1
Table 65
*
Prevalence of Self Medication across Caste/Religion (Sidlaghatta)
Self Medication
II
i SC & ST |
Muslim
I Christian
Yes
____24 I »
No
33.80%
47~
66.20%
~32|
25.60%j
93
74.40%
1
100.00%
71“
I2ST
1
100.00%
Total
100.00%
i
100.00%|
Other i
(Hindu) |
~^3\
43.40%
30"
56.60%
53"
100.00%
Total
80
32.00%
170
68.00%
250
100.00%
t
Mk.,.
Table 65a
u
Prevalence of self medication across caste/religion (Hosahalli)
Self
Medication
Yes
No
Total
Madiga
ST
Lingayats Muslims Tigalaru
4
3
3
10.30%
11.10%
42.90%
35
2
24
2
4
89.70% ioo.oo%l 88.90% 100.00% 57.10%
39
2
27
2
7
100.00% 100.0Q%[ 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Brahmin
Madivala
Other
Total
Shetti
castes
3
13
42.90%,
15.10%
1
4
1
73
100.00%
57.10% 100.00%| 84.90%
7
1
86
100.00%|
100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Table 66
Self medication and gender (Sidlagjiatta)
Self Medication
Yes
No
Total
Male
48
38.40%
77
61.60%
F25
100.00%
Female
37
25.60%
53
74.40%
ITS
100.00%
Total
SO
ji
32.00%
170
68.00%
J
250
100.00%
<1 ■.
92
n
I
-
Position: 742 (6 views)