In the heart of Maharashtra, India, the plight of sugar cane workers reveals a grim reality. Gighe Dutta, a dedicated father, decided to escape the harsh conditions of sugar cane cutting when his daughter turned twelve. He realized that continuing in this line of work would mean his daughter dropping out of school, a common precursor to a life marred by abuse and poverty. Yet, when he expressed the desire to quit, his employer violently retaliated. Accounts of Dutta reveal he was beaten and forcibly confined to a sugar mill, where he spent two days reflecting on his fate as he lay on a cold floor.
The sugar-rich state of Maharashtra caters to prominent global brands, including Coca-Cola and Unilever. While local politicians claim workers are free to leave their jobs, the reality is starkly different. Without written employment contracts, these laborers depend solely on their employers’ goodwill to determine their freedom, often facing threats of violence, abduction, or even murder.
A lack of concrete data on these abuses means many incidents go unreported, as laborers fear the repercussions of speaking out. However, various stakeholders—from workers’ rights advocates to mill owners—acknowledge that kidnapping and threats are widespread in the sector. Without legal rights or protections, the sugar workers of Maharashtra remain entrapped in a cycle of exploitation that controls their lives and futures.
