Socio-Economic Conditions of Collectors of Post- Consumer Clothing Waste in Mumbai, India
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International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 4, No. 1, January 2014 Socio-Economic Conditions of Collectors of Post- Consumer Clothing Waste in Mumbai, India Suman D. Mundkur, Member, IEDRC and Ela M. Dedhia one of the largest flea markets in India [3]. Abstract—Discarded clothing from households are collected Second-hand clothes find a market on footpaths, railway in exchange for utensils by men and women called bhandivale bridges, street side and weekly markets in various parts in in Mumbai. This unique door-to-door recycling service earns the City of Mumbai. them a livelihood. With the objective to understand the Bhandivale are not rag pickers by definition but studies background of the bhandivale in Mumbai, the percentage of bhandivale in various age groups, the male to female ratio on rag pickers done in Mumbai [4], New Delhi and among the sample of respondents, caste-wise and sub-castes Kurukshtra [5] refer to those who deal in old clothes as rag distribution, their migratory status, State of origin, original pickers. The research in Delhi between the years 2003-2008, occupation, domicile, possession of ration card and income are presented as narrations on the way they deal with studied. A field survey was undertaken; data was gathered housewives and go about their daily business[6].Literature through personal interviews. Literature reviewed showed the reviewed provides insights into the Waghri tribe involved in presence of Waghri tribes involved in the trade of used clothes. In this study the presence of two more tribal communities were the trade of old clothes in Delhi [4]-[7].There are many sub- found, namely Gondhali and Kunchikorve.A comparative study castes in the tribes in the un-organized sector. They are seen between the three sub-caste revealed that Gondhali and pursuing different occupations to earn their living. Apart Kunchikorvehave better educational and socio-economic from exchanging steel utensils for old clothes, they are also conditions than the Waghri. engaged as daily wage labourers in Mumbai. They follow the Hindu religion and worshiping differnt Hindu Gods and Index Terms—Bhandivale, collection, clothing waste, Goddesses [7].Data available on the bhandivale who redistribution. exclusively make a living by collection and redistribution of clothes in Mumbai is limited. The objective is to study the present socio-economic profile, family and educational I. INTRODUCTION background of clothes collectors called bhandivale in Cloth and clothing is never just thrown away in Mumbai City. India.Whether the used clothes are passed on for reuse, given in charity or exchanged for money or commodities, the key word is recycling. Rag pickers do the tasks of collecting waste in small and big cities. They earn their II. METHODOLOGY livelihood by collecting waste in the city. This activity Descriptive Research Design was found suitable for the provides income opportunities for migrants, unemployed study. The primary data was obtained through personal children, women and handicapped [1]. In the city of interviews with the bhandivale through field survey in Mumbai, rag collectors collecting old clothes from different localities of the Western and Eastern Suburbs and residential areas are called Bhandivale. Bhandivale arethose Central Mumbai. Data was collected by the use of a semi- engaged in collection of used clothes either from door-to- structured interview schedule with structured questions and door collection or at street corners in exchange for stainless some open ended questions were included. Non-probability steel utensils or plastic articles. convenience sampling design was used to select the According to a website, a profitable market for used representative sample. Random sampling and snowball clothing is conspicuous both in the urban and village areas technique was used as they have a mobile nature of [2]. They are known to be economically backward people. work.Most of the indicators were quantifiable for analysis. They may sell the clothes that are collected directly to Secondary data was gathered from books, e-books, national consumers at the flea market in Mumbai called ‘Chor and international research journals, newspaper articles, Bazaar’ or through agents called Chindhivale. Chor Bazaar thesis, dissertations and select websites as limited printed is the thief market where second-hand clothes are sold. Chor data was available exclusively on bhandivale. Bazaaris located near Bhendi Bazaar in South Mumbai, is III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Manuscript received June 25, 2013; revised August 8, 2013. This work was done by the financial support of the University Grants Commission, To understand the background of the bhandivale in Government of India under Grant for Minor Research Project for which the Mumbai, the percentage of bhandivale in various age author was theprincipal investigator. S. D. Mundkur is with the Department of Textiles and Apparel Design, groups, the male to female ratio among the sample S.V.T College of Home Science, S.N.D.T Women’s University, Juhu respondents, caste-wise and subcastes distribution of Road,400049, Mumbai, India (e-mail: [email protected]). bhandivale, their migratory status, State of origin, original Ela Manoj Dedhia is with the Textiles & Fashion Technology, Nirmala occupation, domicile, possession of ration card assets and Niketan, Affiliated to University of Mumbai, 49 New Marine Lines, Mumbai 400020, India (e-mail: [email protected]). income are studied. DOI: 10.7763/IJSSH.2014.V4.321 68 International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 4, No. 1, January 2014 A. Caste and Subcaste, Religion and Language that they speak Marathi in a dilect which is a mix of Marathi All the bhandivale under this study followed Hindu and Kannada languges. The Kunchikorve originate from Religion. There was no respondent following any other Sholapur District of Maharashtra. Most of them carried their religion than Hinduism though it was assumed that there original culture, language and accent but their origin could may be other communities involved in the collection by be identified by the researcher by their appearance. They bartering of old clothes. During the data collection for this claimed to have migrated to Mumbai more than two study, other than the Gujarati speaking Waghri[4], [6]-[9] generations ago. Most of them could not report their original the presence of two other communities were found, they are occupation, the year in which they migrated or the number the Kunchikorve and Gondhali. Both these sub-castes called of generations back that their family had moved to Mumbai. themselves as Marathias they speak the Marathi language. Few could recollect their native place and some of them had The two distinct caste population who are in the bhandivale their relatives living there and from continuing their original business are namely the Waghri and Marathi in equal occupation. A brief description herewould help understand numbers in the sample. The number of respondents from the background of these bhandivale better. each of these castes being in a ratio of 50:50 is co-incidental. C. Waghri Though the proportion of Kunchikurve subcaste (n=8) were The Gujarati speaking Waghri are migrants from Gujarat in the minority as compared to Gondhali (n=18, and belong to the tribal community originally from Kutch, N=52).Having lived in Mumbai, most of the Waghri were Bhuj and Kalol Districts of the neighbouring State of able to speak in Marathi with a Gujarati accent and Gujarat [8]. The Waghri they adopted the occupation of pronunciation. As seen in Table I, nearly35 percent exchanging old clothes for steel utensils....pursuing the bhandivale belonged to the Gondhali Samaj and the same occupation in Maharashtra since generations who have remaining 15 percent to the Kunchikorve. settled in Bombay, Pune, Kalyan, Thane, and Dhulia TABLEI: DISTRIBUTION OF BHANDIVALE IN THEIR SUB-CASTE districts of Maharashtra. Apart from exchanging steel Cumulative utensils for old clothes, they are also engaged as daily wage Sub caste Frequency Percent Percent labourers in Bombay. Those who have money are also in the Waghri-Dattani 26 50.0 50.0 business of ready-made clothes [7]. Gondhali 18 34.6 84.6 D. Gondhali Kunchikurve 8 15.4 100.0 Russel described Gondhali as a caste or order of Total 52 100.0 wandering beggars and musicians found in Maratha District Age and Gender of the Central provinces and in Berar. The name derived TABLEII: AGE WISE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BHANDIVALE from the Marathi word gondharne, to make a noise. In 1911 Age Subcaste the Gondhalis numbered about 3000 persons in Berar and 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 Total 500 in the Central provinces, and they are also found in Waghri- 2 13 7 4 0 26 Bombay.Kitts stated as in [10] that in the Berar Census Dattani Report of 1881, that Gondhalis are attached either to the Gondhali 0 7 2 2 7 18 temple of Tukai at Tuljapur or the or the temple of Renuka Kunchikurve 0 0 8 0 0 8 at Mahur. They were performers and musicians and perform on the occassion of marriages [10]. Total 2 20 17 6 7 52 E. Kunckikorve Most of the bhandivale that is above 70 percent (n=37, Limited literature was available on Marathi speaking N=52) were in the younger and middle age-groups between Kunchikorve. According to the barefoot researchers of 21 and 40 years.A marginal number of less than four PUKAR, an NGO this community has lived in Mumbai percent were less than 20 years of age. But there were no since decades: community originally hails from the Nilgiri minors independently involved in the trade. Although, more hills in Tamil Nadu. Migration took some to Andhra women in the bhandivale trade were noticed on the streets Pradesh, some to Karnataka and brought some to of Mumbai; statistical data showed that the presence of both Maharashtra and Gujarat.