Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1850495947

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-233603

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: His Majesty's Stationery Off.

Year of publication:: 1931

Scope:: xviii, 580 S.; graph. Darst., Kt.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XX. - Recruitment for Assam

Collection:: Economics Books

IR CHAPTER XX. and we recommend that they should now take steps in this direction. But the matter should not be left to their initiative. It is the duty of Government to secure that those on whom the legislature seeks to confer a benefit should be placed in a position to secure that benefit ; and we recommend that all officers on whom any responsibility for conditions in plantations rests should be required to take active steps to acquaint the workers with their rights under the law. Access to Workers’ Houses. This in itself will not be sufficient to secure that liberty which we regard as essential, and it is important for more than one reason that there should be a right of public access to the lines which the workers inhabit. The question of rights of way through tea gardens has been the subject of considerable discussion in recent years, and a {olution on it was recently adopted by the Assam Legislative Council. e are aware that at present access, by day at least, is rarely denied ; but we do not regard as satisfactory the existing position where the workers are largely isolated from outside influence and any member of the public may be effectively prevented from approaching the workers’ lines except with the manager’s permission. On principle it is objec- fionable that considerable areas included within the garden grants, in which large numbers of workers are settled, can be entirely closed to any one who may be interested in their welfare. We have considered the point submitted to us, namely, the danger of interested people attempting to make use of the illiterate and ignorant labour force on the tea gardens for purposes unconnected with labour, but this is a risk to which every industry in India is exposed, and we think it better to face it than to continue a policy which inevitably gives rise to suspicion and is liable to be abused. We were informed that in the Surma Valley there are recognised public rights of way to all garden lines, and in the Dooars, where the labour force is similar in composition to that of Assam, the garden lease usually requires the planter to maintain roads from North to South and from East to West which shall be open to the public. It is in the Assam Valley that the right of access is most needed, and we re- commend. that steps should be taken to secure public contact with workers’ dwellings on all plantations. Publicity in Recruiting Districts. In connection with the question of contact between plantations and the outside world, we desire to draw attention to the general ignorance regarding Assam and the absurd ideas prevalent regarding the life of the worker on tea plantations. Act VI of 1901 had the practical effect of making all form of propaganda illegal, and with its repeal a systematic campaign should be organised by the industry to dispel the fog of ignorance which still prevails and to make known the advan- tages which the plantations have to offer to the inhabitants of other provinces. Leaflets in English and in the different vernaculars of the recruiting areas describing the climate of the province, the wages paid on the gardens. the nature of the work. the various concessions granted

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Monograph

Chapter

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

Chapter

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation