For khadi workers, time and pay have stood still

Five decades ago they were filled with the spirit of freedom, but today, they are filled with a sense of betrayal by the nation. For over thousand workers who joined the khadi organisations inspired by Gandhian thought, it is a daily conflict between their idealism and the cold facts of life represented by salaries ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500 a month.

The salaries, paid out of the rebate given by the Union Government to the khadi institutions by their governing bodies - Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) have remained in a time warp - with no significant change over the past half a century.

A senior staffer, with three to four decades of service takes home a salary of Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000.

"We feel proud of selling khadi, a symbol of our pride and patriotism. But, considering the ever increasing cost of living it's difficult to work for such a paltry sum," say Mahalakshmi and Nagaraj T Giddy, employees of the Hubli-based Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS).

Boraiah working here for more than 20 years says: "I sold newspapers in the morning to fund my daughter's education as the salary here doesn't fetch even the monthly groceries."

Though artisans - spinners and weavers - received their first revised scale, albeit marginal, in 1992, wages of workers, whose salary comes under the maintenance charges of sales outlets and institutions, have stagnated.

For the no-profit khadi institutions, the rebate given by the Centre and State governments through KVIC or KVIB is their lifeline.

However, the Union Government in April this year withdrew abruptly the 10 per cent rebate given throughout the year and 20 per cent rebate given for 108 days to mark Gandhi Jayanthi.

Khadi organisations fear that the move would further stifle the growth of the outlets.
Instead, the Centre has introduced the Market Development Assistance (MDA) that envisages financial assistance at 20 per cent of the value of the khadi and polyvastra produced throughout the year.

The scheme ignores the employees, according to Jaman, owner of a khadi silk showroom in Kolar. As for the State government, it washed its hands of the responsibility, declaring during a discussion in the Assembly session March this year that the workers don't come under government services.

The strings attached to the new system stifles the growth of outlets, according to B B Patil, Chairman of the KKGSS. Secretary V Somanatti says that the poor pay is a hindrance to attracting youth for jobs at sale outlets.

The tax structure is loaded against the outlets. The ceiling for exemption of Value Added Tax is fixed at Rs 20 lakh while most of the not-for-profit organisations record an annual turnover in excess of Rs 20 lakh.  

The KKGSS has demanded the government for salary incentive equivalent to the 10 per cent on the value of khadi produced, payable to the workers. The total khadi production in Karnataka is worth about Rs 40 crore and incentive of Rs four crore would not burden the State exchequer, the Sangha contends.

It has urged the Karnataka Government to emulate its Kerala counterpart which has made khadi uniforms mandatory for students and staff of all the schools at least one day a week.