Downing alcohol after work is all Mallesh (name changed to protect identity), 31, can think of as he toils away at a powerloom unit in Madanapalle town. Beginning his day early, Mallesh spends long hours behind the loom, its loud hum and the thick, permeating smell of dye, a necessary evil he enjoys. Mallesh finishes weaving two silk sarees by the evening, and leaves for home with his daily wage of ₹1,500 for a job well done.
Before going home, Mallesh pays a quick customary visit to the local ‘wine shop’, and ends up spending half of his wages there, sometimes even more. The liquor helps dull his body ache, or so Mallesh believes, and he hits the bed soon after going home. Mallesh’s life is like one of thousands of loom workers across undivided Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.
At the end of every month, workers like Mallesh are left with little to no money, and all too often, end up taking loans from private moneylenders (who, in some cases are their employers), to meet the expenses of important family events, such as the wedding of a daughter. Many abscond to their native villages unable to repay the money, only to be quickly replaced by a new batch of workers.
