Tribal people living in villages around Kadambur, and Bargur hills are being subjected to exploitation by contractors for cheap labour.
Ragi and tapioca are the main crops on the hills.
With the population on the rise, the fragmented land holdings are not sufficient for their economic sustenance.
Those who own upwards of two to three acres have not yet felt the need to shift their base, but those with less than an acre have been migrating over the last decade, say economically backward farmers.
A lesser number of farmers transform into construction workers and shift out of the hills permanently. Many others cultivate the small holdings, and simultaneously go to the plains to work in the sugarcane fields.
It is this category of workers that the labour contractors target.
The workers are sought after for work in fields for their stamina and productivity, but are poorly paid by the labour contractors who have tie-ups with farm owners, and supply workers for a commission.
According to Madaiyan, a worker, the contractors pay their wages after deducting commission from them as well. Children who also accompany the elders are paid much lesser.
Ironically, the labour contractors too belong to the tribal communities.
According to representatives of non-government organisations working with the tribal communities, such exploitation cannot be stopped, since it was a question of daily survival of the poor people.
But, there was enormous scope for government intervention by putting in place long-term measures for income generation for adults through promotion of food-processing industries.
Ragi cultivated on the hills is of high quality as it is grown organically.
Alongside ragi, infrastructure for processing of tapioca must also be put in place for arresting migration of the tribal adults to the plains, the social workers say.
Most of the labour contractors are from tribal communities
They tie-up with farm owners, and supply cheap labour for a commission
