Where fingers move fast but not wages, Bengal's bidi belt votes tomorrow

For 22-year-old Heera Khatun, rolling bidis is like a religion.

- ISHITA AYAN DUTT

The income from the small, thin stick of tobacco wrapped in kendu leaves helped fund her college education - at least, until she was married off and dropped out. Notwithstanding the meagre earnings, she is now looking forward to making a future with her husband on the back of her skill to roll bidis.

Heera's father was a small-time tailor who did not have the talent to make anything from scratch. Mending and repairing were more his forte. But it translated into little income.

"The family was always in need; whatever I have managed is from rolling bidis," she says.

Her husband, a mason, is currently in Kerala, scouting for better opportunities. "The wages are double there (Kerala), and I roll about 500 bidis a day we have to plan for the future of our one-year-old infant."

In the narrow, winding roads of Pathanpara in Lalgola, the scene for the women-at-home bidi rollers is invariable. The women finish their domestic chores and get going to make a living.

The raw material and tools for the finished product-kendu leaves, tobacco, thread, and a pair of scissors - are neatly laid out on a kulo (bamboo tray). Seated cross-legged, the fingers start working deftly.

The wages are low here -₹150 for 1,000 bidis rolled, which even the best don't manage to achieve in a day. And the hours are long, often leading to postural cramps.

But, it's a skill honed for years and the lifeblood of many homes in this rural hamlet.

Numbers speak Lalgola is part of the Jangipur Lok Sabha (LS) constituency in Murshidabad district, the bidi hub of India.

According to the Ministry of Labour & Employment annual report for 2022-23, West Bengal has the largest number of bidi workers in the country at nearly 37 per cent.