New Delhi:
Union Labor and Employment Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya said that the Modi government is committed to the welfare of beedi workers and their families with the help of several welfare schemes. Speaking at the launch of a book titled “The Need to Preserve, Protect, and Promote Beedi Workers’ Livelihood” on Wednesday, Mandaviya stressed that the Modi government’s mantra “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” He said that the welfare of poor people, farmers and laborers is the top priority of the Modi government.
Mansukh Mandaviya said that the person standing in the last row should also feel that he is a partner of ‘developed India’.
The said book was released and a research report on beedi workers was released at the India International Centre. This book has been published by All India Beedi Industries Federation (AIBIF) in collaboration with Triniketan Foundation for Development. The authors of this book are Dr. Anila Nair and Dr. MM Rahman.
Mandaviya said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that ‘we have to make a developed India. …But when we move forward in the direction of making a developed India, then the last row should also get good facilities and feel that it is a partner of developed India. Modi government is committed to the welfare of beedi workers and their families with the help of many welfare schemes.
The guests released various research reports on the official website of Triniketan Foundation (triniketanfoundation.org.in). This includes two micro studies of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh and Bagdah, West Bengal. A research report shows that for many women workers, beedi making is not just a job but a means of respect and self-reliance. This gives them the facility to earn their livelihood by working from their home. By working from home, they do not have to bear the burden of transportation expenses.
Many women told how they became self-reliant and empowered by making beedis. This effect is especially visible in Solapur, Bengaluru, Mysore and Mandya.
In this program, a demand was made to reduce the GST rate on beedis. It was emphasized that for millions of people, beedi making is more than an industry, and it is their lifeline. The objective of this program was to highlight the plight of beedi workers. More than 25 MPs and MLAs from various political parties, representatives of major trade unions, Labor Department officials and beedi workers from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal participated in the program.
Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel said, “It is important that people get employment opportunities, and the main feature of the beedi industry is that it provides employment in small villages where jobs are less.”
Dr Ashwini Mahajan, national co-convenor of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, said that after the tax on beedis (GST) was increased to 28 percent, there has been large-scale dumping of cheap cigarettes from China, causing huge loss to the exchequer. There has also been a huge loss of employment in this major labour-intensive industry.
A documentary ‘Udaan Sapno Ki’ produced by All India Beedi Industries Federation was also screened in this programme. The film featured success stories of families who have achieved social mobility through the income from beedi making.
The program was also addressed by B Surendran, All India Organization Secretary of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. MPs of various political parties, representatives of social organizations etc. also participated in the program.
