Garima Singh
Introduction
Industries in the southern Indian states, particularly Tamil Nadu, are industrialising and economically progressing textile and spinning mills as key links in international supply chains. But behind these productive enterprises lurk disturbing truths about the Sumangali scheme, a labour practice that has entrapped thousands of young women under conditions resembling modern slavery. Ironically, its name ‘Sumangali’ means ‘gladly married woman’. Instead of imparting happiness, dignity, or freedom, this scheme is a tool of exploitation, bringing to the fore the societal vulnerabilities concerning gender, caste, and poverty in India.
This blog examines the Sumangali scheme, analysing its origins, features, and consequences in the socio-cultural context of Indian society. A review of the laws with respect to labour rights is carried out, also pinpointing some weaknesses, and constructive proposals are made to ultimately eradicate this exploitative practice.
Origin and Nature of the Sumangli System
The earliest implementation of the system can be traced back to the textile industry in Tamil Nadu in the late 1990s, which is closely linked with the global fashion supply chain. It was framed as an employment opportunity for rural girls from marginalised communities. Young women, typically aged 14 to 21, were promised three years of work in spinning mills, after which they would receive a lump sum payout. Marketed as a “dowry substitute,” this opportunity was supposed to be attractive to families beset with high costs of marrying off their daughter in a society where marriage expenses are conspicuously heavy.
However, the reality turned out to be yawningly dim. At hostels inside or near factory premises, the girls were restricted from going out. Long hours, poor living conditions, low wages, and complete surveillance were the hallmarks of their work. Many could not even complete the three years due to health issues, injuries, or harassment, thereby losing their lump sum. Thus, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for empowerment soon turned into exploitative working conditions resembling bonded labour.
Socio-Cultural Roots: Understanding the Reasons
Sumangali can never be complete without a discussion of the deeply embedded gender and caste hierarchies in India:
- Gendered Exploitation: In the textile industry, women are considered interchangeable labour, mostly because they are perceived as more “docile,” are less likely to unionise, and would accept lower wages. Lump sum payment reinforces the patriarchal notion of associating a woman’s value with marriage, thus further perpetuating her status as an economic burden.
- Caste Dynamics: Most workers recruited in this scheme come from Dalit and other marginalised castes, groups that have historically been deprived of resources and social mobility. Recruiters deliberately focus on these vulnerable masses precisely because of their reduced bargaining power.
Thus, the Sumangali scheme situates itself at the intersection of patriarchal, caste discrimination and poverty, demonstrating how social hierarchies directly encroach upon labour markets in India.
Legal Framework: Rights and Reality
Indian Government has framed a very strong legal framework for protecting the rights of
workers as follows:-
- The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 -it bans both bonded and forced labour in explicit terms;
- The Factories Act, 1948, creates regulations regarding working conditions, including hours of work, health and safety.
- The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, prohibits hazardous work by children.
- The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, guarantees minimum and equitable wages to be paid to the workers.
Even with a comprehensive legal framework, violations happen for various reasons, such as:
- Weak Enforcement: The inspectors have insufficient resources, and they are generally overworked or complicit with most factory owners.
- Informal Contracts: Several Sumangali workers never sign formal contracts and are thus rendered unaccountable to the employers.
- Corporate Complicity: Growing demands for fast fashion on the suppliers forces them indirectly to cut costs, thus generalised practice of exploitation.
- Fear and Silence: Labourers whose majority happens to be among marginalised segments of society usually will shy away from exposing abuse due to fear of losing jobs or facing a greater social stigma.
Transformation in the Modern Age
To avoid not only detection but also legal scrutiny, “the Sumangali scheme” has evolved. Though the phrase “Sumangali contracts” has started to be dropped because of the NGOs, media, and international buyers’ condemnation, it seems that different forms of exploitation continue. Instead of longer contracts offering lump sums, mills now employ women mostly with short-term contracts or through labour intermediaries, similarly continuing exploitative control over wages and mobility. Workers are still denied union rights, have low medical benefits, face harassment, and live in hazardous conditions in workplaces.
In other words, now though there seems to be less of the formal Sumangali scheme, its exploitative core is very much present in different guises.
Governmental Response and Limitations
The Tamil Nadu government has collaborated with the Central Government to establish measures that would prevent labour rights violations in the state’s textile industry. Such include enhanced monitoring of factories, provision of helplines for workers, and engagement with NGOs in awareness creation campaigns. Some added reforms were inspired by international pressure from global brands.
The Way Forward Towards Eradication
The present-day approach to tackling the Sumangali system and its new versions entails a thorough, multi-dimensional strategy:
- Boosting the enforcement action by independent mill auditing and imposing stricter punishment in case the employer is guilty.
- The supply chain of the global fashion brands through which labour rights could be ensured via corporate social responsibility in this regard should be made more visible.
- Supporting collective bargaining and union rights of women labourers and creating complaint channels that are safe and fearless.
- Grassroots awareness campaigns to prevent daughters from entering exploitative work. Community and civil society groups should mobilise to elevate survivors’ voices to overcome stigma and silence.
With the Sumangali scheme serving as a constant reminder against celebrating economic growth based on the exploitation of the most vulnerable, it is incumbent upon us to rise from superficial reforms in demanding a serious commitment to dismantling the intersections of gender, caste, and economic vulnerability that fuel such exploitation. Only then will the promises of dignified work and gender justice become a reality for thousands of young women working in India’s textile industry.
References:
- A, V., Jumde, A., & Kumar, N. (2024). “Mutated Sumangali Scheme”: challenges in
enforcement of labour laws in spinning mills of Tamil Nadu. Indian Law
Review, 8(2), 170–184. https://doi.org/10.1080/24730580.2024.2353529 - M Karthik and Ram Kumar Mishra, ‘Social Marginalisation of Women Textile Workers – A Study on the Textile & Garment Clusters at Coimbatore, Tirupur, Ahmedabad & Surat’ (2018) 8(2) Journal of Governance & Public Policy 85.
- Yamuna Menon, ‘Sumangali System: Is the Truth Ugly?’ (2019) 4(2) Cambridge Law Review 138.
About the contributor: Garima Singh is a Doctoral Research Scholar at the School of Law, Bennett University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. She is a fellow of the YWLPPF 3.0 – Young Women Leaders in Public Policy Fellowship, Cohort 3.0.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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Acknowledgement: This article was posted by Rashmi Kumari, a research intern at IMPRI.
