Ima market of Imphal

Nosumuddin at work

Sweet and Sweat in Nosumuddin’s life

Nosumuddin smiled, paused a few times holding tears. His small business of rasgollas [sweet] has abruptly come to a halt with the declaration of nationwide lockdown due to COVID 19 on March 24, 2020. Life was sweet despite being full of sweats. Nosumuddin was confident to afford two meals a day. That confidence is fading fast. A deep fear and uncertainty of economic condition keeps hurting him.

Its been eight years now, Nosumuddin Sheikh, 40 years, along with his family staying in my parent’s old house as tenant. Lean, average built man with salt and pepper hair never forgets to wear a smile. My interaction with him is limited to my occasional visit to Mahendraganj, South West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, my home, my village. Nosumuddin is helpful to my parents and often looks after our kitchen garden.

One day I asked him if he ever went to school. He smiled and nodded in negation. ‘Humiliating, undignified and exploitative’, this is how Nosumuddin remembers his childhood. Born in a family with 7 siblings at Urarbhui, Diyara, Mankachar in Assam state, he was sent off to a rich family to work as ‘rakhal’ [cattle care taker] at the age of 7. His wage was not even a topic for discussion. ‘Petibhat’ system that includes two meals a day, a shelter to sleep at night and two sacks of rice at the end of harvesting season was the only things he could expect as wages for one agricultural year. Agricultural year is nine months starting from summer.

In rural areas bordering Assam and Meghalaya, a culture prevails where children are ‘given away’ by their parents to rich farmers be ‘employed’ as cattle care taker, which is simply a kind of bonded labour. Nosumuddin’s two elder brothers also met the same fate. His father Hussain Ali, now 80 years old, was a farmer. But he never own lands. He would cultivate lands on lease system called ‘Bagi’ or ‘Aadhi’ [corp sharing] or ‘Chukti’ [agreement] system and grow rice. As per agreement 50 percent produce will go to the landowner and whatever left including the cost of production is to be born by him. Due to the high cost, his father could hardly afford to cultivate more than 7-8 bighas of land [7.5 bighas makes a hectre].

Education or schooling was beyond Nosumuddin’s imagination. He was made to believe that he is born slave and will continue till his last breath. But then he had a dream, a dream to stand on his own feet and to lead a dignified life.

Nosumuddin was hard working. His day would start with cleaning the cowshed, then procuring fodder and helping in the paddy field. At times, he felt helpless, home sick and cried silently hiding his face in the pillow at night. Ordeal seemed never ending.

At the age of 15, his father changed his employer. This time he was sent to the house of Soda Bepari, a rich businessman in the locality. Food, accommodation, two sacks of rice at the end of the harvesting season along with a cash of 400 rupees was the ‘yearly salary package’. Daily chores included cattle grazing and cleaning the cowshed. Life was little better for Nosumuddin. He was grown up and could work more efficiently. Moreover, his employer Soda Bepari was kind. Good meal, new dress during Eid festival together with a special care bonded Nosumuddin with this family that blessed him lifetime memories. However, his father had another plan. Nosumuddin was sent to another employer after two years. Barek President [president of Panchayet] employed him at the age of 17 years with a salary of 1500 rupees per year and few sacks of rice at the end of harvesting season.

Another year in life went on. Nosumuddin’s dream didn’t come true but it was growing its wings by that time. It was ready to fly and was determined to take risk to reach its destination. Nosumuddin noticed a new trend in his village. With the opening of foreign investment, globalization and financial sanction of developmental projects by the local governments, young boys of his village start migrating outside in search of work [1990s]. Young boys of his age was no more sitting at home or had interest to be ‘rakhal’ any more. They travel to the cities, earn 300 to 500 rupees a month and return home with ‘big’ cash. Nosumuddin would feel restless to see them playing brand new radio and wearing automatic China made watches. Few afforded bicycle too. Nosumuddin made up his mind. He gathered information that jobs are available in Baghmara, Meghalaya, a distance of about 80 km from his employer’s village. He secretly inquired about the travel route and made a plan.

One fine morning, instead of taking out the cattle for grazing, Nosumuddin started running. He ran 10 km without looking back. After reaching Singimari (Hallidayganj), he found a bus for Baghmara. Nosumuddin felt relaxed with just ten rupees in his pocket but impatiently waited the bus to start the journey. Uncertainty of the days to come couldn’t suppress the joy of his freedom from bonded labour and strong desire to fulfill his dream of being independent.

Nosumuddin arrives at a customer's house

Whole day went in to reach Baghmara. That ten rupees note was gone as bus fare. With empty pocket and an empty stomach Nodumuddin reached his dream destination Baghmara. He got down in front of a tea stall and kept staring at its big banner read as ‘Romoni Cha Dukaan’ [Romoni’s Tea stall]. Seeing a lone boy with hungry eyes, the owner of the stall Romoni signaled him to be inside. Nosumuddin got food, place to stay and also a job in the tea stall as dishwasher cum cleaner. That night was a night of tears for Nosumuddin. He cried thinking over his pending salary amount of one thousand rupees. Nothing else was his concern at that time.

Three months time passed quickly. He learnt to clean the teacups and plates. He would arrange those in a table for reuse. Skill of making tasty tea was a quick gain. He was paid 500 rupees a month. With a saving of 1500 rupees, a new-found confidence and happiness, Nosumuddin dared to return home. His family almost lost hope of meeting him again. Nosumuddin’s main worry was to convince his father of his decision to run away to Baghmara. He handed over all his earnings to his father. This convinced him to forgive his son. A long time family debt was cleared and his family felt proud of him.

After a month of holidaying, he returned to Baghmara and took employment in another tea stall ‘Lakhan Da Chai Dukan’ [tea stall of Lakhan] with a wage of one thousand rupees a month. His tea making skill favoured for a wage raise. He was soon promoted as waiter. Much needed up-gradation to heal his soaring hands caused by detergents, an occupational hazard for working as a dish cleaner. He would work in the front serving tea, sweets and snacks. Good profit at the tea stall ensured Nosumuddin’s job for next four years. Everyday the tea stall would make lots of tea that required 20 kgs of sugar. In 4 years, Nosumuddin saved enough to built a corpus for himself and returned to his village.

With an aim of ‘settling in life’, Nosumuddin returned to his village. Agriculture labour was the only employment he could engage. Ploughing, sowing, cleaning kept him busy whole day in the field. One day, a group of ‘Haloi’ [sweet makers] was passing by raising his curiosity and regret. Despite working for several years in a tea stall, he neither learnt to make rasgollas nor he thought of sweet making as an alternative income option.

By 1990s, hybrid seeds became popular in agriculture. Cultivation of IR8 rice verities gained popularity for increasing productivity per bigha of land from 5 to 20 quentals if dedicated watering system is ensured. This trend also generated employment opportunities for men and women. People would fix manual water pumps and employ women to do the job of watering. One of those women became Nosumuddin’s crush. He would keep staring at her through the lush green paddy fields and dreaming of her. Finally one day he gained courage to approach her for a conversation. It proved fatal. The girl stopped working from next day and disappeared from sights.

To heal himself, Nosumuddin decided to get married. With help from his brother in law, Nosumuddin found his wife Bali Khatun, daughter of a Haloi. Soon he discovered that his first crush is actually his wife’s aunt and it was embarrassing for him.

Marriage opened a new opportunity to learn sweet making. Nosumuddin’s trial in making rasgollas started with 3 kg of milk. He made 100 rasgollas and sold for rupees one fetching a net profit of 50 rupees. Soon it became his regular income that allowed him to clear family debts and losses in agriculture made due to perennial floods. Climate change is bringing unexpected drought or flood creating recurring losses to farmers in this region. Nosumuddin found it too difficult to continue with debt and agriculture.

In 2005, Nosumuddin realized he should look for better areas to generate income. He ventured into a new place similar to his adventure in Baghmara. He travelled to Mahendraganj, Meghalaya, a border town with a mix population of both tribal and non-tribal having a community with a sweet tooth. However, being a stranger to Mahendraganj was a challenge for him. It was not so easy for him. The day he reached Mahendraganj, he couldn’t find accommodation for the night. He decided to spend the night in front of a shop when a street vendor was kind enough to take him to his house and provide space to sleep at the night. No food was offered. Nosumuddin slept empty stomach. Those days incidents of robbery and looting were taking place in Mahendraganj creating an atmosphere of insecurity and people were skeptical of strangers to be generous to them or to rent house. It took three months for him to find a settled rented space and almost three years to make a market to sell sweets. He dedicated himself fulltime to this business and settled in Mahendraganj. For last few years, Nosumuddin is earning about 18-20 thousand rupees per month. His business is expanded. Along with rasgolla, he also makes jilebis with help of his wife in preparation.

Ever since the lockdown started, Nosumuddin earned nothing. Savings are depleting fast. His regular supply of milk is no more available. Nosumuddin’s life has taken sharp U-turn and future looks uncertain. ‘I am nowhere now. I have to restart everything. How can I start my business again?’. I could only stare at him as he questioned. I have no answer.  

April 26, 2020

#LockDown #labour