Labour epistemology- learnings are very insightful for me to the knowledge production in the context of rural mining area, which is very remote and backward area. Labours working in the mines sector, belongs to the lower castes and the tribes. These are exploited from the brahmanical system. Till now there is no more epistemological studies on the mines labours. They and their life's issues ignore from not only the government but also the scholars. So, I realize the most important thing, there is a need to learn about the mine labour epistemology or production of a labour epistemology through the ontological enquiry by the perspective from within and perspective from below. It's very important for to understand the totality of reality of the labour and the mines affected area. Because the identity of these labours are brutally epistemicide by the upper caste hegemonic hindu society.
Systemic:
To understand the socio-political and economic system of these area- Caste system is very strongly functioning in various dimensions in the mining areas. People who are working in the mines, belongs to the SC and ST. These people are discriminated and exploited from upper caste. The socio-economic and socio-political system system are impacting very badly on daily life of the labours. They are living in very poor economic condition, people don’t have their pakka houses and the basic things. Labours are not fulfill their basic needs, because the daily wages are very low, which is not enough. They don’t afford the one time dinner or lunch without the daily mine work. Because they don’t have an other source of livelihood. They don’t have a voice against to the discrimination, so they are social depressed communities. At the workplace they are humiliated from the owners. Labours has no political representative, they don’t want to enter in the politics by the fear of upper caste. Tribes are survive in backward areas and living in very fear. There is a need to awareness about the education and their rights. Also, important to economic upliftment of the mine labours. Consciousness about the plights of labour (caste and class for itself ) is the needy things.
Structural:
To understand the patriarchal caste-tribe class system in the mines area. Caste structure is very critical in Rajasthan for understanding the ground realities. It was difficult task for me to understand the actual facts. Because, it’s something different rather than Maharashtra. The context is very different of Rajasthan. Some scheduled caste peoples hide their identity and show’s they are upper caste and upper caste people show their identity as a lower caste for the profit of schemes of government, Exa. Yadav and jatav (budhpura-bundi) changed their identity as per the situation. Tribes are most exploited community at the mine work. Also, women are exploited at the workplace. The wages of women are lower than the men. It’s a patriarchal mind, that is women are not doing the hard work of stone cutting. But, they are working as like men and same condition. Ghunghat tradition is continues till now in rural area of Rajasthan, which is depressed to the women freedom. The structure of society is a fixed as a value and norms through which its a functioning. There is a need to fundamental structural changes in this value and norms through the Dalit and Tribal social work.
Sectoral:
According to the modern technologies and the policies are very useful for changing the world. These all are depends upon every sector. It means sectoral improvements are useful for that. Health , education, agriculture and livelihood sectors are not functioning very well. So, these are very backward area in every dimension. By the reason of mine work, people caused by the various diseases such as, silicosis, asbestosis. From the long time there was no good diagnosis system of silicosis. So, doctor reports shows the T.B. to the silicosis disease. That’s why the diagnosis of silicosis patient didn’t properly, people lost their lives. Till now in medical sector, there is no proper medicine and proper treatment for the silicosis. By the reason of poor economic condition, labour don’t get the nutritious food. There is need to proper implementation of health policies through new technologies. Children left from the school for learning a mine work from elder people at work place. Because, there is no awareness of education and the quality of education. There is a need of good education policies. By the reason of mines affected area, the impact is fall on the agriculture, livestock and the environment. Pollution of environment and soil is impacting on air and agriculture, which is directly and indirectly affecting to the life of mines labour. Good governance is totally abolished in that areas. So, it's a need to proper implementation of laws, rights and policies.
Contextual:
In Dalit and Tribal studies, context is play the very important role. Without understanding the context, we don’t understand the ground realities of that regions. Because, every region has a different context. Context of mine labour was a rural area of bhilwara and bundi district of Rajasthan. It's a context of mewar region, mewari is the local language in this area. So, the context of words are depends upon that region.
Owner of the land of mines in bundi district are scheduled tribe. But, this land take by the upper caste on lease for digging the mines in very few money, and continued the mine work from long years. But, now tribes are the labours on their own land. The upper caste people give some money to them as like greed. Mines owner earning profits in crores. But, they don’t provide the basic needs to labour. Labour don’t have a protection at the mine place. The mine work is a very risky work, which is caused by diseases or sometimes lost the life. It is a daily struggle of mine labor for live the life. They are adjusting in different situation, but don’t raise the voice against the system. So, I learn to understand the context of regions, for understand the whole situation of labours.
Personal:
My personal learning is to change in my behaviour to the situation and to accept some ground realities which are happening there. These were useful to the communication with the people. I think it's very important, that is mixed in the culture of respondents and give the response to their questions. Also, adjustment in any situation, in which respondent are living, is most important things. Because, respondent doesn’t respond by the unknownness. He feel uncomfortable with the interviewer. My personal learning are to apply the research methods in the context of DTSA such as perspective from below and perspective from within. Also, case studies and the in depth interviews of directly and indirectly affected people. These will be very useful to theorise the Dalit and Tribal epistemologies.
Ethical:
Ethics are very important in the field work, without its impossible to collect the information. We can’t define the good or bad in the duration of data collection. Our work is only collect the data which is a fact in the context of the mines labour. So, I collect the data of mines labour in the research sense ethically and morally.
Aesthetic learning:
The important thing is to search the beauty in local languages and the culture. Because, it’s a hide things. Without understanding of this rooted things, actual fact or data collection is impossible.
One more thing is very reflective to me about the work of NGOs. NGOs are not working for the fundamental change. Still now they don’t stand a big movement against this exploitation and the upper caste hierarchy on the mines. Therefore, the plight of mine labours is very bad.
Sharad Kodane
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