International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-9 Issue-1, November, 2019 Occupational Mobility and Economic Development in the Dhobis of and Towns of

Suresh Kumar Sahu

Abstract: The Dhobis in Assam is passing through gradual Majority of them work in tea garden as labourers and few of economic development due to occupational mobility since them work as washer men (Dhobi), sweeper (Bhangi), independence. The traditional economic way of life of Dhobis barber, mochi, lohar, sonar, mason, carpenter, rickshow has been changing gradually. Therefore, this paper aims to study pattern of occupational mobility and analyse its role for their puller, daily wage labour and small traders etc. These economic development. The data were collected on 25th Oct to 3rd labourers did not go back their home land, rather they Dec 2015 by administering structured interview schedule to a settled down in the tea garden and their adjoining areas. random sample of Dhobi respondents in Dibrugarh and Duliajan With the increase in the number of tea gardens, the number towns in upper Assam. of labourers who came from other parts of the country also Keywords: Dhobis, Occupational mobility, Economic went up considerably. On the other hand, since the partition Development, Social change. of the influx of Hindu refugees from East Pakistan continued unabated to India mainly to West Bengal, Assam I. INTRODUCTION and Tripura. The coming of Hindu refugees from East Occupational mobility is defined as movement from one Pakistan did not stop altogether. They continued to come up status category to another status category i.e., origin to to 1971 surreptitiously because of deteriorating law and destination. It may be intra-generational, within the same order situation and economic condition in East Pakistan. generation or intergenerational, between one or more Though after liberation of Bangladesh this population had generations. It can be studied from the various point of view returned back, yet it is safe to assume that a large number of of its various dimension i.e., rates, causes, processes or such populations did not go back to Bangladesh. Rather consequences. These dimensions are revealing about the settled among their kiths and kins in India and in West nature of social structure and the influences upon attitudes Bengal and Assam. A large number of these Hindu refugees and behaviour (Western, 2006). Occupational mobility belong to scheduled castes; they have settled both rural and among Dhobis is an important area of investigation in itself. urban areas in Assam. The Hindi speaking Dhobi write their The mobility of Scheduled caste lead us the larger issue of title as ‘Rajak’, ‘Ram’, ‘Baitha’ and ‘Dhobi’ and the caste system and social change. The spread of education, Bengali speaking Dhobis write their title as ‘Shuklabaidya’, reservation policies of government in jobs and educational ‘Baidya’, ‘Shukla’ and ‘Das’. (Singh,1995). institution and policies of state government led to the emergence of middle class in society. At present, the II. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY educated Dhobis have entered into the modern occupation 1. To Study patterns of occupational mobility among and have witnessed improvement in their position. Many of Dhobis. them still face discrimination as well as resistance to their 2. To analyse the interrelationship of occupational assimilation in the mainstream. mobility and economic development among Dhobis. The Dhobi (washermen) is a caste primarily in India and Pakistan specialized in washing clothes, occupying a lower III. DATA AND METHODOLOGY position in society. Being a part of the depressed classes, they are economically backward, socially depressed and The study is based on oral responses collected from a educationally neglected section of society, all over India. In random sample of 428 Dhobis in Dibrugarh and Duliajan Assam, they are migrated from Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar towns by administering a structured interview schedule. A Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and some of them from other stratified sample of around 30% from adult Dhobis has been parts of India. Dhobas are washermen who came from West taken from the universe (1397) after enlisting all the units Bengal and Orissa while Dhobis come from Bihar and Uttar with the help of electoral rolls and informed persons of the Pradesh and other parts of the nation as a part of labour Dhobi communities in the two towns. First, the universe supply to tea garden plantation after 1855, in view of acute (total adult Dhobis in the two towns) was divided into three shortage of local labour for a growing tea plantation. age groups (18-35, 36-59 and 60 & above) and then males and females were selected by random sampling method. The sample consists of the units selected from the two genders equally in each of the age groups.

Revised Manuscript Received on November 02, 2019. Dr. Suresh Kumar Sahu. Asst. Professor (Contractual), Department of Sociology, College, Naharkatia.

Published By: Retrieval Number A4497119119/2019©BEIESP 617 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.A4497.119119 & Sciences Publication

Occupational Mobility and Economic Development in the Dhobis of Dibrugarh and Duliajan Towns of Assam

Since the figures with fractions of the units selected were V. THE DULIAJAN TOWN rounded off to the subsequent number, the sample size Duliajan town is located in the east of the . increased, a little, over the pre-decided 30% of the universe. It is bounded by Naholia in the east, railway station in the The study has analysed the empirical data in a comparative west, Bijulibari tea garden area in the north and Tipling perspective of occupational mobility of the Dhobi Buridihing River in the south. It is situated at a distance of communities in the two towns. At First, tables are classified 50 km from Dibrugarh town, 27 km from , 38 km and analysed those who experience occupational mobility from Digboi, 14 km from Naharkatia and 29 km from and those who do not; and finding are drawn by analysing town. The area of the town is 6.5 square km average of two towns, comparison of towns on occupational (approx) and population is 28,626: males-14,898 and aspects. The demographic and socio-economic females-13,728. Literacy rate of the town is 93.98%: males- development of Dibrugarh and Duliajan towns in upper 96.57% and females-91.16 % (Directorate of Economics Assam with reference to Dhobis is briefly summarized here. and Statistics, Govt. of Assam 2014). At present, it is the homeland of large number of cultural and ethnic groups IV. THE DIBRUGARH TOWN with different languages and dialects, religions and customs. Dibrugarh town, an important commercial town of North- Most of the people have migrated from various parts of the east India, has a total population of 139565, 72384 (51.86%) country to the town for better life. Today, Duliajan is the males and 67181(48.13%) females. Literacy rate is 85.85%: Head Office of Limited. All modern amenities males-88.57% and females-82.92% (Directorate of including captive power piped domestic gas, good drainage Economics and Statistics, Govt. of Assam, 2014). At and water system, hospitals, nursing homes, clubs, schools, present, the town has two Law Colleges, two B Ed Colleges colleges, parks, playgrounds, offices and markets make and study centers of India’s several universities. The Duliajan a self-sufficient town in North-East India. Bogibeel Bridge over Brahmaputra, Gas Cracker project, There are 492 Dhobis in Duliajan: 280-Hindi speaking and Assam Medical College, Regional Medical Research 212-Bengali speaking. Of these 208 Hindi speaking and 164 Centre, Lahowal Polytechnique (District), Dibrugarh Bengali speaking Dhobis are above 18 years of age. They University, District Library, Newspapers, Assam Natya are settled in Kamalabari Dhobhi Ghat No.1 and No. 2, Sanmilan, Amula patti Natya Mandir, 14 Hospitals, 29 Natunpara, Anandapara, Sonapur, Indrapuri, Bijulibari, Banks, good transport and communication have played Assam Gas Company Limited colony etc. (Field Study significant role for socio-economic development of the Conducted during the period 25th Oct to 3rd Dec 2015) Dibrugarh town. A. Patterns of Occupational Mobility There are 1378 Dhobis in Dibrugarh: 1248-Hindi speaking and 130-Bengali speaking. Of these 924 Hindi speaking and Of the five occupations; namely, washermen’s, 102 Bengali speaking Dhobis are above 18 years of age. The homemaking, labour, business and service (Government or Dhobis have an organization called Razak Samiti. They are private), the first two are traditional occupations for the settled in Paltan Bazar near polo ground, Graham Bazar, Dhobis and the rest are new. And any shift from traditional Assam Medical College colony, nearby CISF colony, to new occupation is considered as occupational mobility. Kalibari and nearby Dibrugarh University colony etc (Field The following table shows occupational mobility of the Study Conducted during the period 25th Oct to 3rd Dec respondents in the two towns: 2015)

Table 1 Occupational Mobility of the Respondents Hindi No. of Respondents Speaking Bengali Duliajan Town Dibrugarh Town Dhobis Dhobis Bengali Bengali Dhobis Dhobis

Hindi Hindi Speaking Speaking Grand Occupation Dhobis Total Dhobis Total Total Total Total 38 9 47 141 5 146 179 14 193 Washermen -57.57 -18 -40.51 -50 -16.66 -46.79 -51.43 -17.5 -45.09 Home 10 12 22 20 6 26 30 18 48 making -15.15 -24 -18.96 -7.09 -20 -8.33 -8.62 -22.5 -11.21 6 10 16 44 7 51 50 17 67 Business -9.09 -20 -13.79 -15.6 -23.33 -16.34 -14.36 -21.25 -15.65 3 11 14 22 7 29 25 18 43 Labour -4.54 -22 -12.06 -7.8 -23.33 -9.29 -7.18 -22.5 -10.04

Published By: Retrieval Number A4497119119/2019©BEIESP 618 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.A4497.119119 & Sciences Publication International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-9 Issue-1, November, 2019

Private/ 9 8 17 55 5 60 64 13 77 Govt. Service -13.63 -16 -14.65 -19.5 -16.66 -19.23 -18.39 -16.25 -17.99 66 50 116 282 30 312 348 80 428 Total -100 -100 -100 -100 -100 -100 -100 -100 -100

(Percentage in Parentheses) Source: Field Study Conducted during 25th Oct-3rd Dec 2015 The table shows that out of 428 respondents, nearly half (45.09%) are engaged as washermen; 17.99% are service holders 15.65% are Business persons, 11.21% are Home makers and, (10.04%) labour. Comparatively, the respondents from Dibrugarh town engaged in washermen’s job (46.79%), business (16.34%) and service (19.23%) more than those from Duliajan town. Majority of the Hindi speaking respondents are engaged in washermen’s job (51.43%) and services (18.39%), while the Bengali respondents are more engaged in business (21.25%) and labour (22.5%). Thus, one half of the population among the Hindi speaking respondents belong to washermen category and less than one fifth are engaged in Business. In the Bengali respondents majority of them have left washermen’s job and less than one fifth of them are engaged them in washermen occupation. It is found that more than one fifth of the total respondents are engaged in business in both the towns. Thus, occupational mobility is greater in the Bengali respondents than in Hindi speaking respondents. The Bengali respondents are leaving washermen’s occupation and are attracted towards business and other occupations.

VI. OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Occupational mobility has led to economic development among Dhobis. Rising in income and household gadgets indicate economic development among Dhobis.

A. Occupational Mobility and the Income Monthly income indicates respondents’ economic status in the society. In the study, income of the respondents is divided into eight categories; viz., Rs 2000-12000, 12001- 22000, 22001-32000, 32001-42000, 42001-52000, 52001- 62000, 62001-72000, 72001-82000.

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Occupational Mobility and Economic Development in the Dhobis of Dibrugarh and Duliajan Towns of Assam

Table 2 Occupational Mobility and the Income among the Respondents from Duliajan & Dibrugarh Towns (Percentage in Parentheses)

Status No. of Respondents Grand of the Total Respon dents’ Occup Dibrugarh Town ational Mobilit Duliajan Town y

2000 1200 2200 3200 4200 5200 6200 7200 Total 2000- 1200 2200 3200 4200 5200 6200 Total 2000- 1200 2200 3200 4200 5200 6200 7200 Tot - 0- 0- 0- 0- 0- 0- 0- N=11 1200 0- 0- 0- 0- 0- 0- N=31 1200 0- 0- 0- 0- 0- 0- 0- al 1200 2200 3200 4200 5200 6200 7200 8200 6 0 2200 3200 4200 5200 6200 7200 2 0 2200 3200 4200 5200 6200 7200 8200 N= 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 428

Experi 32 15 ------47 101 45 ------146 133 60 ------193 enced (68.0 (31.9 (69.1 (30.8 (68.9 (31.0 No 8) 1) 7) 2) 1) 8) Occup ational Mobilit y

Experi 44 11 3 2 3 1 2 69 115 17 11 8 5 7 3 166 159 28 14 10 8 10 4 2 235 enced (63.7 (15.9 (4.34 (2.89 (4.34 3 (1.44 (2.89 (69.2 (10.2 (6.26 (4.81 (3.01 (4.21 (1.80 (67.6 (11.9 (5.95 (4.25 (3.4) (4.25 (1.70 (0.85 Occup 6) 4) ) ) ) (4.34 ) ) 7) 4) ) ) ) ) ) 5) 1) ) ) ) ) ) ational ) Mobilit y

Source: Field Study Conducted During 25th Oct-3rd Dec higher income groups. Thus, chance occupational mobility 2015. play significant role for their socio-economic development.

Of 428 respondents, 193 (45.09%) experience occupational B. Occupational mobility and Possessions of household mobility and 235 (54.9%) does not experience occupational gadgets/ amenities mobility. Among 235 occupationally mobile respondents Possessions of household gadgets/ amenities indicate a level 67.65% belongs to the income group of 2000-12000 while of material life. A change in it is observed among 11.91% belongs to 12000-22000, 5.95%-22000-32000, occupational mobile respondents in respect of possession of 4.25% each-32000-42000 and 52000-62000, 1.7%-62000- electricity connection, modern furniture, bike/scooter, 72000 and 0.85%-72000-82000. On the other hand, of 193 car/four wheeler, fridge/ inverter, computer, internet respondents who do not have occupational mobility, 68.91% connection, bank account, personal insurance and bank loan. belongs to the income group of 2000-12000 while 31.08% Variation in possession of gadgets/amenities among the belongs to 12000-22000. Similar patterns are found among respondents is shown in the following table: Dhobis in both towns. In sum, majority of the occupational mobile respondents belong to low level income groups i.e., 2000-12000 and 12000-2200. 100% respondents who do not experience occupational mobility belong to low level income i.e., 2000- 12000 and 12000-22000 income groups. A few occupational mobile respondents who get government jobs belong to

Published By: Retrieval Number A4497119119/2019©BEIESP 620 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.A4497.119119 & Sciences Publication International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-9 Issue-1, November, 2019

Table 3 Variation in Possession of Gadgets/Amenities among the Respondents in Duliajan and Dibrugarh Towns S No. of Respondents t a Gadgets/ Amenities t u s Grand Total o Duliajan Town Dibrugarh Town f E M B C F C I B P B N T E M B C F C I B P B T E M B C F C I B P B N T t l o i a /r o n a e a o No l o i Fa /r o n a e a No l o i a /r o n a e a o No h e d k r Ii m t n r n n =t e d k or Ii m t n r n =t e d k r Ii m t n r n n =t e c e e / nd p e k s k e 1a c e e u/ nd p e k s k 3a c e e / nd p e k s k e 4a R t r / F vg u r o 1l t r / r vg u r o 1l t r / F vg u r o 2l e r n S o e t n A n L o 6 r n S w e t n A n L 2 r n S o e t n A n L o 8 s i c u r e e c a o f i c h r e e c a o i c u r e e c a o f p c F o r t r t c l a c F o e t r t c l a c F o r t r t c l a o i u o w e c o I n t i u o e e c o I n i u o w e c o I n t n t r t h r o u n h t r t l r o u n t r t h r o u n h d y n e e n n s e y n e e n n s y n e e n n s e e C i r e n t u C i r r n t u C i r e n t u n o t l e r a o t e r o t l e r a t n u e c a b n u c a n u e c a b s n r r t n o n r t n n r r t n o ’ e e i c v e e i c e e i c v O c o e e c o e c o e e c t n t n t n c i i i u o o o p n n n a ti o n a l M o b il it y E 4 1 1 - 2 6 4 4 3 5 2 4 1 5 2 - 4 1 8 1 7 3 1 1 7 4 - 6 1 1 1 1 8 6 1 x 7 9 6 - 1 6 1 7 2 3 9 - 1 1 4 4 4 7 2 5 - 2 7 2 8 0 9 p 9 1 6 6 7 5 3 e ------ri 1 4 3 4 1 8 9 6 1 4 8 3 1 2 7 5 9 5 2 9 3 2 2 7 6 7 7 4 3 e 0 0 4 5 2 . 7 5 0 . 8 6 9 8 . . 6 0 . 1 7 3 6 . . 9 0 . . n 0 . . . . 5 . . . 2 . . . . 5 4 . . 0 . . . . 2 2 . 1 1 c 4 0 6 7 1 8 9 6 5 3 3 8 0 3 7 5 6 5 1 3 3 3 3 1 5 4 e 2 4 5 6 7 5 3 5 6 8 7 8 9 1 8 7 d N o O c c u p a ti o n a l M o b il it y E 6 3 2 1 3 1 6 5 4 7 1 6 1 6 4 9 5 1 9 1 1 6 1 2 9 6 2 9 3 1 2 1 1 1 2 x 3 1 1 2 8 5 7 7 9 5 2 7 5 9 6 0 6 2 3 8 1 3 4 5 2 5 3 3 p 7 5 3 6 0 2 0 5 e ------ri 9 4 3 1 5 2 1 8 6 1 1 9 3 2 5 3 1 5 9 6 3 9 3 1 8 3 1 6 9 6 5 0 e 1 4 0 7 5 1 2 2 8 0 . 4 7 8 . 3 1 . 9 2 . 3 9 5 . 9 4 . 4 3 . . n ...... 4 . . . 4 . . 4 . . 6 . . . 9 . . 3 . . 5 4 c 3 9 4 3 0 7 7 6 1 1 4 5 3 3 2 1 4 2 3 0 1 6 5 8 3 5 4 8 4 8 3 2 2 3 9 7 3 6 1 4 7 4 1 3 4 9 4 1 7 8 7 6 6 2

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Occupational Mobility and Economic Development in the Dhobis of Dibrugarh and Duliajan Towns of Assam

e d O c c u p a ti o n a l M o b il it y

(Percentage in Parentheses) iii) Majority of the respondents belong to electricity Source: Field Study Conducted During 25th Oct-3rd Dec connection, bank account, personal insurance. 2015. Comparatively, occupationally mobile respondents Of 235 occupationally mobile respondents 93.61% have belong to more modern furniture, fridge/inverter, electricity connection, 94.46%-bank account, 63.82%- computer, car and four wheelers than those who do not personal insurance, 39.57% each have modern furniture and experience occupational mobility. Thus occupationa fridge/inverter, 15.88%-bike scooter, 14.46%-computer and mobility brings socio-economic development in their 8.93%-car/four wheeler while out of 193 respondents who society. do not experience occupational mobility, 91.19% have electricity connection, 79.57%-bank account, 70%-personal VIII. CONCLUSION insurance, 37.3%-modern furniture, 26.38%-fridge/inverter, 23.31%-bike scooter, 7.23%-computer. Similar patterns are Patterns of occupational mobility are observed in Dhobis. found among Dhobis in both towns. This mobility results economic advancement in their In sum, majority of the respondents belongs to electricity society. In terms of income, majority of the occupational connection, bank account, personal insurance. mobile respondents belong to low level income i.e., 2000- Comparatively, occupationally mobile respondents belong 12000 and 12000-2200 income categories. 100% to more modern furniture, fridge/inverter, computer, car and respondents who do not experience occupational mobility four wheelers than those who do not experience belong to low level income. A few occupational mobile occupational mobility. Thus occupational mobility brings respondents who get government jobs belong to higher socio-economic development in their society. income groups. Thus, chance occupational mobility also play important role for economic development in their VII. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION society. Similarly, occupationally mobile respondents belong to more modern furniture, fridge/inverter, computer, i) There is occupational mobility of the Dhobis from car and four wheelers than those who do not experience washerman’s to services and labour, and, to some occupational mobility. Thus occupational mobility brings extent to business. Comparatively, washermen socio-economic development in their society occupation has been gradually decreasing over generation in both towns while labour, REFERENCES private/government service has been gradually 1. Das, Bhakta. 1986. A glimpse of the scheduled caste and their socio- increasing. It is also noticed that business has been economic development in Assam. New Delhi: Omsons Publications. increasing in Dibrugarh town while it has been 2. Lipset, S.M. and Bendix, R. 1959. Social mobility in industrial society, decreasing in Duliajan town. On the other hand, the California: University of California Press. Bengali Dhobis seem to be more mobile towards the 3. Lynch, O.M. 1969. The politics of untouchability: Social mobility and social change in a city of India. New York : Columbia University new occupations and also they further shift from Press. business to services and labour. This is due to their less 4. Singh, K.S. 1995. The Scheduled castes, Peoples of India (vol. II), conservative towards caste mentality. Anthropological survey of India. Delhi: Oxford University Press. ii) Majority of the occupational mobile respondents 5. Statistical Hand book Assam. 2014. Directorate of Economics and Statistics, belong to low level income categories i.e., 2000-12000 6. , -28. Western, B. 2006. Punishment and 12000-2200. 100% respondents who do not and inequality in America. New York: Russell Sage foundation. experience occupational mobility belong to low level income groups i.e., 2000-12000 and 12000-22000. A

few occupational mobile respondents who get government jobs belong to higher income groups. Thus, chance occupational mobility play important role for economic development among Dhobis.

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AUTHORS PROFILE Dr. Suresh Kumar Sahu. Asst. Professor (Contractual), Department of Sociology, Naharkatiya College, Naharkatia-786610, Assam. Parmanent address Dr. Suresh Kumar Sahu. S/O Jiut Sahu. Vill- Tipling Boragadhoi Gaon Near New Water Supply P.O &P.S- Duliajan, Dist- Dibrugarh Assam, PIN-786602

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