Classed as untouchable but essential to daily life
Pia Heikkila
Nov 10, 2011
Sungha Bhain makes masala paste in her workshop in the Dharavi
district of Mumbai. Pia Heikkila for The National
At midday in Dharavi, Mumbai's largest slum, the mercury rises close
to 40°C as Sungha Bhain takes a break from working a cumbersome
masala-paste machine.
"I've had my own business over 10 years," the 60-year-old grandmother
says amid a cloud of red chilli dust. "We sell the paste on the market
for 100 rupees [Dh7.36] per kilo. This is India's most popular spice,
so thankfully there is always a demand for it."
India Dispatch Inside the emerging giant
Keep pace with developing events in the BRICS economy Learn more
Ms Bhain is one of thousands of Dalit, or untouchable, entrepreneurs
in Dharavi who are set to get a boost from affirmative action
legislation.
The cabinet has passed a public procurement law that commits all
government departments to make at least 4 per cent of total purchases
from businesses run by people from Dalit and tribal communities.
The arrangement will provide a substantial windfall as the
government's procurement department spends about US$7 billion
(Dh25.71bn) annually on supplies such as stationery and office
furniture.
It is estimated that Dalit-owned enterprises contribute 5 per cent to
India's GDP, which, according to the World Bank, was $1.73 trillion
last year. These figures alone make this informal sector one of the
largest contributors to growth, says Sheetal Kumbhar, the senior
executiveof the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
"This is massively important sector but also at the same time the one
that is most neglected. There cannot be inclusive growth in this
country without taking a note of this sector," Mr Kumbhar said.
Dalits are being noticed elsewhere, too. The US private-equity company
Warburg Pincus is in talks with several Dalit-led enterprises, Mr
Kumbhar says. There is also talk of the Indian government creating a
Dalit venture capital fund. Small businesses in Dharavi alone turn
over about $1bn annually, according to Reality Gives, a charity that
works in Dharavi.
But few of Dharavi's small businesses have employed standard
bookkeeping methods or accountants or have been officially registered.
Most businesses operate in small areas, often with old-fashioned
machinery. Pen, pad and calculator is the usual style of accounting.
Dalit businesses, however, are vital to keeping Mumbai running.
Five-star hotels use them for their laundry, restaurants get their
poppadoms from Dharavi, and richer folk have their repairs done by the
sector - anything from curtains to fridges.
Getting credit to expand has been a traditional stumbling block for
Dalit enterprises.
"The hardest part for Dalit enterprises are getting the loans.
"Traditionally they have been left outside the formal banking system
and therefore getting loans to grow their businesses has been near
impossible," says Mr Kumbhar. Many Dalit families work in the Gulf. No
accurate data is available on how many Indian families in the Gulf
could be classified as Dalits since the sector is disorganised, but
the number is "in hundreds of thousands if not in millions, since most
are working in the informal sector jobs," according to the chamber of
commerce.
People who work in the sector are ambitious and hard-working.
For Dalit families wanting to start businesses on their return from
the Gulf, help is at hand from the chamber.
"These people lack formal education but it doesn't mean they are short
on drive," says Mr Kumbhar. "On the contrary, if there is a way out of
poverty, people are willing to go for it and establish their own …
enterprises."
------------------------------------
----
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/
PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com
TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/
Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
ZESTCaste-digest@yahoogroups.com
ZESTCaste-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ZESTCaste-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
No comments:
Post a Comment