The exodus of migrant labourers due to the coronavirus pandemic has led to a change in relationship between farmers and local labourers in villages across Amritsar district.
Agriculture in Punjab largely depends upon migrant workers who come from states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Their return to their home states has enhanced the importance of local labourers, who are mostly from scheduled caste communities and over the years had opted for other professions.
With the paddy sowing season starting earlier this month, farmers are forced to hire services of these local labourers at much higher rates.
It has also led to souring of relationships between farmers and local labourers, as is being witnessed at the border village of Pandoor in Ajnala subdivision.
The village panchayat had passed a resolution fixing ₹3,000 per acre labour charges for sowing paddy, a decision that did not go down well with local labourers, who are demanding up to ₹4000 per acre. In fact, migrant labourers were ready to work for even ₹2,500 per acre.
Due to the labourers’ “hefty demand”, farmers did not engage them, says sarpanch Baljit Singh, adding that in turn the labourers, including women, are not even willing to do domestic work for the farmers.
Robin Masih, a local labour union leader, alleges that farmers, who are from Jat community and are in majority in the village, have been threatening the labourers, who were already hit by the lockdown. Locals say the two groups even clashed on Sunday, during which even shots were fired. The authorities say those who opened fire will be booked.
{{/usCountry}}Robin Masih, a local labour union leader, alleges that farmers, who are from Jat community and are in majority in the village, have been threatening the labourers, who were already hit by the lockdown. Locals say the two groups even clashed on Sunday, during which even shots were fired. The authorities say those who opened fire will be booked.
{{/usCountry}}Baldev Singh Pandori, a state committee member of the labourers organisation Dihati Mazdoor Sabha, says as migrant labourers were ready to work in the fields for lower wages, farmers had stopped hiring Punjabi labourers.
“Now, they have to return to them. Upliftment of Punjabi labourers in natural in such a situation,” he says.
However, farmers complain that due to their lack of experience, local labourers take more time to sow paddy.
Gurpreet Singh is one such labourer who is trying his hands at sowing paddy at Bal Sikandar village after the lockdown hit cabbies in Amritsar.
“I am a taxi driver. But the lockdown has left me in the lurch. With tourists not visiting Amritsar, I am struggling to even buy groceries. I have to pay loans too. So, I decided to go for paddy sowing to earn some money,” he says.