paddy prices attracted large number of agricultural labourers
from the surrounding areas to Kuttanad during the harvest seasons. Thus the shortage of local female labourers during the peak harvest season was offset by the inflow of migrant labourers in every year. Feudal landlords and tenant farmers then realized that it was quite unnecessary to retain a huge labour force permanently as attached labourers and preferred instead to use casual labourers. The pace of transition from attached labour system to anew system of casual labour gained momentum with the spread of trade unionism among farm labourers since the early s.
Share with your friends: