BOOK REVIEW: WE ARE POOR BUT SO MANY

Title: We Are Poor but So Many

Author: Ela R. Bhatt

Pages: 219

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Price: Rs. 595

A must read. Acknowledging this to be a statement usually located at the conclusion of a book review, in the context of this book one feels compelled to mention it not only at the start of the said review but to repeat it at regular intervals. “We Are Poor but So Many” is not just the story of self employed women in India as declared by the author but in fact a prelude to the saga of the oft ignored workers of India, trade unions, labour law, and their increased politicization and consequent inefficiency. Ela R. Bhatt traces the background, inception, growth and the final flourishing of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in the context of the workers who are its main constituents and the trials and tribulations they face. Written simply, without pretension, bias or bitterness the book provides an account which is poignant in its accuracy. In two hundred and nineteen pages the author successfully spans a range of topics beginning with her own growth and concluding with the spread of her creation to shores abroad. One of the book’s strengths are the reflections of Bhatt’s own maturity while addressing the problems of women from a socio economic strata initially alien to her. Her understanding of a trade union as an entity merged in with the identity of individuals it seeks to serve and not as a personality divorced from them is an obvious breathtaking revelation. To the student of labour law and the ordinary layman these associations represent either intimidating political forces serving vested interests or organizations dedicated to the cause of ‘labour’ – a concept distinct from the needs of the worker. The simplicity of the writing of the book is striking when understood in the context of the complexity of the issues it seeks to address. Bhatt speaks extensively of not SEWA or its members alone but also of its genesis which lay in the divisive politics of the TLA and its problems rooted in age old employer-employee hierarchies and domination. This spare clarity is one which can be recognized as an integral part of the manner in which Bhatt comprehends the obstacles which lie before her for the same overarching theme of simplicity extends from her writing to her methods of problem solving. A method of understanding which resonates from her firm belief in Gandhi’s ideas on work and economics. An extension of this belief is her fundamental conviction that “adding complexity is not progress…that nothing that comprises a person’s humanity is acceptable and that poverty is wrong as it strips a person of their humanity and takes away their freedom.” On this premise she has based a movement, and a phenomenon which rewrote common assumptions of the capabilities of poor, illiterate women. A movement that is considered a confluence of three movements: the labour movement, the cooperative movement and the women’s movement. SEWA as an organization is one of a kind and its socio legal history forms an intriguing narrative from the perspective of labour law and policy making. By challenging the stereotypes of the poor it provides an inspiring read for those interested in welfare, removal of poverty, legal reform and the widening of employment opportunities for the poor.

SEWA is a trade union registered in 1972 to provide support to poor, self-employed women workers who compose the unprotected, ‘unorganized’, ‘informal’ labour force of our nation. Refreshingly the author uses none of these terms in her book – insisting on terming these women ‘self employed’ ensuring no other jargon is used to pigeon hole them into categories inherently derogatory due to the nature of their nomenclature. This is indicative of a mindset which does not unconsciously view self employed women as objects of pity but of a perspective which attributes dignity to their struggles. Bhatt recognizes the limitations of labour law with regard to its unhealthy involvement with such terminology and rightly calls for a removal of such “conceptual blocks.” Dealing with women who hold myriad jobs which are performed in manners not addressed by most Indian labour legislation Ela Bhatt has fought such unfair classifications over an extended period of time for it is this rigid categorization which makes extending protections to the vulnerable impossible. Constituting 93% of the labour force, these are workers of the unorganised sector. Of the female labour force in India, more than 94% are in the unorganised sector. However these women workers remain uncounted, and invisible to the law, the media and the self obsessed middle class who may aid them in their struggles.

In the face of such obstacles their achievements have been great. To list a few they have spread the movement to Yemen and Turkey, as home based workers have now begun to organise there; started two communiity based tuberculosis diagnostic and treatment centres, in partnerships, with the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO); and through their support, Artisans of Banaskantha and Kutch exhibited and sold their textile products in Paris and three other cities of France.

The most important chapter in this book is definitely the introduction which provides not only a summary of how SEWA came to be but also provides an insight into the author’s own life and what led her to espouse the causes she did. The holistic manner in which this has been treated lends a unity to the book and a personal connection with reader. The incomplex, identifiable pictures Bhatt paints with her words lead us to an understanding of these women, these rag pickers, chindi and garment stitchers, street vendors and embroiderers which has been lying latent. What makes this book striking is Bhatt’s ability to bring into focus all the individuals who populate the background of our lives – those who form the backbone on which all our pretensions of development rest. She insists on repeating the manner in which their days progress, their habits and the ways in which they accommodate the limitations imposed on them. Returning over and over again to the real life stories of these women gives the book the biting edge of reality while their endurance and success with SEWA infuses optimism. These descriptions are invaluable and no number of statistics can take their place in ensuring that the reader not only acknowledges and understands but truly empathizes with these women. What is truly remarkable is not only that the author empathizes so completely with lives so different from hers but also that she manages to transfer this empathy to the reader by offering a lucid description of exactly what goes on in the lives of the subjects of the book. Combined with the presence of a few, well placed statistics regarding the exact wage rates, savings, expenses and economics of these women Bhatt’s arguments prove to be emotionally and logically well placed. It is this perception of Bhatt – this compassionate apperception which colours her motivations and her writing and leads her repeatedly to success. While initially there may be apprehensions with regard to the fallouts of a trade union specifically oriented towards women – these are wiped away with the holistic manner in which women’s issues are broached. SEWA is inspiringly independent – the community of workers who face a dilemma are allowed to recruit leaders from themselves and choose their own solutions. This decision making power empowers women to make braver decisions both at work and at home for the support of others who are similarly placed proves to be a source of great strength. The organization conducts its own surveys – a methodology which is accurately given great importance by Bhatt who insists that for the effective recognition of the nature and scope of a problem a series of preliminary and more detailed surveys are required. In this manner there is no question of a majority dominating or intimidating other members of the union. when addressing the power structures inherent in any association due to the prevalence of the caste system Bhatt with characteristic maturity states that non discrimination, unity and the concomitant power of the collective is a transformation which cannot be forced and the futility of caste barriers have to be removed only through an internal process of realization. It is this faith which she has placed in these women which has propelled SEWA to success for with full confidence in the organizational capacity of these women she has allowed them to express their own needs in their own way. In fact the chapter dedicated to banking provides an incredible account of how a collection of uneducated women from Naranghat, Gujarat started a bank with their own meager savings and went on to run it so effectively that year after year since its inception in 1973 SEWA Bank shareholders have received dividends without fail – a feat accomplished without the aid of any subsidy and in the face of a condescending bureaucratic mindset which would not allow the Registrar of Cooperatives to register the bank. The reasons given for such a refusal were that the applicants were poor illiterate women with scattered occupations and of a lower community. None of these criterion are disqualifications under the Urban Cooperative Bank Act yet common perception is such that it could simply not accept that a strata lower than the middle class attempt to access a bank. Yet the most striking feature of the struggle of SEWA is that such perspectives have not jaded the drive of its members or creator. The organization caters to the financial, work related needs of its members while providing them with support during times of crisis through their own collective strength. Commendably despite the vastly successful nature of the programs carried out and the wide support base created at the grassroot level the organization has always maintained a distance from local, regional and national politics. A trade union without political affiliations is a rare occurrence these days but learning from how increased political influence resulted in the dissociation of TLA from its members SEWA has maintained a staunchly apolitical stance often at great cost to itself. The truth is that with a political association comes greater bargaining power, a more cooperative government structure and greater access to resource. Yet admirably they have maintained their distance from such acts and proved that despite the juridification of the law and the corruption of the state the voice of the people cannot be drowned. Similarly they have followed a clear policy of staying away from commercial profit oriented activities although they have facilitated capability expansion amongst workers by allowing them to access methods of improving their own livelihood. These principles have maintained the credibility of the institution and stood them in good stead.

By way of criticisms one has few to offer but there are things to take note of in the book. Firstly the author has a tendency to get repetitive with stories which are so numerous that they lose their impact eventually. Secondly, although numerous intelligent questions are raised by the author there is no attempt to answer them in full. Thirdly, in the chapter dedicated to reforms one wishes that there was more by the way of suggestions both for individuals and the state to implement to ensure the amelioration of the situation of self employed women. Although an account of Bhatt’s journey is a learning experience in itself a further elucidation of her ideas for change would have made the book more thought provoking as often it sinks into being a log of incidents in the lives of women; families and SEWA organizations. Lastly with regard to the layout of the book the pictures could have been used in a manner much more effective.

In conclusion one feels compelled to comment on the inadequacy and often barbaric nature of the laws and the manner in which they are implemented against the vulnerable. This forms a recurring theme in the book where most commonly the greatest obstacle to achieving equity between employer employee relations is an uncooperative legislature and judiciary. This was specifically brought out with the story of the vendors who are the main source of groceries to cities but who are considered illegal salespeople, encroachers and consequently penalized for the same. This sort of lack of understanding on the part of the state administration is disturbing and begs for change. However what must be changed before the laws is the mindset of the people who frame and follow them and this can be done through the effective dissemination of information with regard to the plight of the oppressed through mediums like this book. In that manner this book is a valuable teaching tool for those who need to learn more about the working conditions of the unorganized sector, for those who need the unorganized sector to be made visible to them and also for those of us who feel a need to initiate change but don’t know how. A must read. Definitely.

 

By Gruhalakshmi Kumar and Yashasvini Kumar