Abdul Sattar stands in a dimly lit aisle surrounded by dozens of electric-powered looms that make a rhythmic din several decibels above what is considered healthy for a human ear. With his flowing white beard and a wispy head of hair, he could be mistaken for a professor or a philosopher, but, at 70, he has spent most of his life working 12-hour shifts on power looms in poorly ventilated, noisy workshops.
When he arrived in Bhiwandi as a 15-year-old boy, workshops weaving cloth on the looms were thriving, providing ready jobs for many unskilled workers from far-flung villages in north India. The wages were poor and the hours long, but it was steady employment.
