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

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XXII. - Burma and India

Collection:: Economics Books

495 General and Special Questions. BURMA AND INDIA, These contrasts, great as they are, do not justify separate treat- ment of India and Burma in respect of the great majority of labour ques- sions. The evidence presented to us in Burma satisfied us that the general principles applicable to India lost none of their force when applied there, and throughout the greater part of our report, we have found no diffi- culty in treating the two countries together. Our general recommenda- tions, therefore, as opposed to those directed to special areas and local problems, are intended for both countries. In respect of legisla- tion in particular, the uniformity which has hitherto been maintained has been, in our view, justified by the facts and needs of both, and we see no reason for the adoption of essentially different standards now. There are, however, certain problems which arise in Burma not so much out of the nature of its economic resources as out of its relations with India in the field of labour. These are not discussed in the preceding chapters and must now receive attention. The questions are those connected with the employment in Burma of immigrant Indian labour. We desire to make it clear at the outset that we have not ignored the needs of Burmese labour. This labour stands in no essentially different position in Burma from that of Indian labour in India, and the recom- mendations made in other parts of this report are designed to meet the needs of both. On the other hand, Indian labour in Burma has peculiar difficulties, and it is with these that we are primarily concerned in this chapter. Employment of Indian Labour. The industrics of Burma are largely dependent on Indian labour. Accurate and up-to-date figures are not available for industry generally but it is safe to say that atleast two-thirds of the workers employed in factories, mines and oilfields, railways and plantations are Indians. In nearly every branch of organised industry Indians greatly outnumber Burmans and, indeed, all other races combined. In the unskilled occu- pations, the proportion of Indians is particularly high. For various reasons the problems of the immigrant Indian find their focus in Rangoon, the only industrial city in Burma, and we deal mainly with con- ditions in that city. At the 1921 census Indians constituted over 55%, of the total population of Rangoon and over 65% of the male population. About 70%, of the male persons between 15 and 50 years of age were Hindus and Musalmans, and of these 95%, were not born in Burma. In Rangoon factories 95%, of the unskilled and 70% of the skilled labour were reported to be Indian in 1928, and the position does not appear to have changed since then. Until 1930 the Port of Rangoon was worked entirely by Indian labour, and although events in that year brought about some modification of that position, it is still true in the main. India also supplies the bulk of the tramway workers and of the sampanwallas, all the rickshaw pullers and handeart pullers, and nearly all the general labour of other kinds. In fact the economic life of Rangoon and the industrial activity of Burma generally are dependent on the labour of Indians.

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