A shirt in the Market

Kurnool, AP (Cotton Market):Cultivation of cotton requires lot of investment towards fertilizers,

pesticides labour etc. Farmers usually borrow money from traders and in turn they have to sell their
produce to these traders only. Traders charge interest to the money they have given and also purchase
the cotton from farmers at a lower price. Farmers usually do not argue with traders as they get loan
from traders under exigencies like illnesses, children’s school fees, when no work.
Erode, TN (Cloth market):
Erode and nearby villages have many weavers. They bring their cloth here to sell, which is one of
the largest cloth markets in the world. Cloth merchants buy the cloths from weavers. These
merchants supply cloth on order to garment manufacturers and exporters around the country. They
purchase the yarn and give instructions to the weavers about the kind of cloth that is to be made.
Weavers have two advantages. They do not have to spend their money on purchase of yarn. Also, the
problem of selling the finished cloth is taken care by merchants. That means weavers are dependent
on merchants for both raw material as well as market for finished products. So merchants have more
power. Weavers do not get much money. Moreover they have purchase looms by getting loan.
Putting-out System: The arrangement between the merchant and the weavers where the merchant
supplies the raw material and receives the finished product.

The garment exporting factory near Delhi

Erode merchants sell cloths to Delhi garment export companies. The shirts will be exported to
foreign buyers like USA & Europe. They demand the lowest prices from the supplier and want high
quality of production and timely delivery. Any defects or delay in delivery is dealt with strictly. So,
the exporter tries his best to meet the conditions and try to cut costs. They get maximum work at low
wages. Here workers are engaged on temporary basis. When there is no work, they will be asked to
leave.
A chain of markets links the producer of cotton to the buyer at the supermarket. The producers,
weavers, workers do not gain much; but the traders, export factories and the retails shops make
profits.

Market and equality

The producers (farmers) get little income. The workers in the factory and agriculture fields get less
wages. Then the trader makes little more profit. Garment factories make more profit as compared to
traders. Finally, foreign businessperson made huge profits in the market. Thus, everyone did not gain
equally in the market. On one hand, the market offers people opportunities for work and to be able to
sell their produce, on the other hand, it is usually the rich and the powerful that get the maximum
earnings from the market. Because of this dependence, the poor are exploited in the market.
Democracy is also about getting a fair wage in the market.

We can overcome these kind of disparities by forming cooperatives of producers and ensuring that
laws are followed strictly. A cooperative is an organization owned and controlled by the people
who either produce the same or use the products or services the business produces. People
typically join a cooperative business to enjoy the benefits of group purchasing, pooled risk, and
the empowerment of owning and controlling the company.

Struggles for Equality

  Indian Constitution recognises all Indians as equal before the law and no person can be
discriminated against because of their religion, sex, caste or whether they are rich or poor.
Adults have the equal right to vote during elections (power over ballot box)
 Increasing privatization of health services and the neglect of government hospitals have made
it difficult for most poor people.
 Poverty and the lack of resources are key reasons for inequality
 Gender, religion and caste also plays a role in inequality.
 Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim girls drop out of school more because of poverty, social
discrimination and the lack of good quality school facilities for these communities.

Tawa Matsya Sangh

Tawariver originates in the Mahadeo hills of Chindwara district (Satpura forest), it flows through
Betul and finally joins Narmada in Hoshangabad. A dam was built on Tawa river in 1978 and people
there got displaced. They lost their agriculture land and homes. They settled around the dam and
started doing meagre works and fishing. In 1994, the government gave the rights for fishing in the
Tawa reservoir to private contractors. These contractors drove the local people away and got cheap
labour from outside. The villagers set up an organization called Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS)
organised rallies and a chakka jam (road blockade), demanding their right to continue fishing for
their livelihood. Due to this, Government formed a Committee & after discussion, they gave fishing
rights to villagers. The Tawa reservoir rights were given on lease to the cooperative organization of
villagers. They have their own vehicles to transport fishes to sell in nearby markets. . Villagers
started getting three times of their earlier income. The TMS has also begun giving loans to villagers
for repair and the buying of new nets.

The Indian Constitution as a living document

Indian Constitution recognises the equality of all persons. Movements and struggles for equality in
India continuously refer to the Indian Constitution to make their point about equality and justice for
all. By constantly referring to the Constitution they use it as a ‘living document’, i.e., something that
has real meaning in our lives. In a democracy, there are always communities and individuals trying to
expand the idea of democracy and push for a greater recognition of equality on existing as well as
new issues. Issues of equality are central to a democracy. Privatization of health services in the
country, the increasing control that business houses exert on the media, the low value given to
women and their work, and the low earnings made by small farmers are some of the challenges to the
idea of equality. These issues substantially affect poor and marginalized communities, and therefore,
concern economic and social equality in the country. This is the core of the struggle for equality in a
democracy. The dignity and self-respect of each person and their community can only be realized if
they have adequate resources to support and nurture their families and if they are not discriminated
against.