Rich Lands of Poor People

Previous Next

Activist Bhagwati Sahu's grandfather (far right) is one of the oldest village inhabitants. He remembers the village before industrialisation, when harvests were plentiful. Karin Scheidegger

Workers heading to the Bhilai steel plant for their shifts. Karin Scheidegger

The Dhruv family in Rawan without their main breadwinner Audesh Kumar Dhruv. He cannot find work anymore in Rawan because he supported the struggle of contract workers at the Ambuja-Holcim factory. Karin Scheidegger

The Ambuja-Holcim cement factory in Rawan has almost become a part of the rural landscape. Karin Scheidegger

Tales of hardship - Left: A family portrait in Tushar, Chhattisgarh. Absent are the husband and his brother who were freed from modern slavery as bonded labourers. Centre: An indigenous woman or Adivasi in the Durk district of Chhattisgarh. Many Adivasis have been displaced by power projects or the civil war and forced into poverty in urban areas. Right: Tekram Devangan with his mother, Tekram worked 12 hours per day, including half day on Sunday, for Ambuja-Holcim in return for CHF65 (ca. US$70) per month. Karin Scheidegger

Around 15km north of the Bhilai Steel Plant, lies the "Jamul Labour Camp". It is adjacent to the factory of the Associated Cement Companies (ACC), a subsidiary of the Swiss cement group LafargeHolcim. Karin Scheidegger

Hard manual labour at a brick kiln is one of the few options in the region for women to earn a living. Karin Scheidegger

Raj Kumar Sahu, the vice president of the Pragatisheel Cement Shramik Sangh union (PCSS), at home in Jamul, Chhattisgarh. Karin Scheidegger

The Bhilai steel plant looms over the city. Karin Scheidegger

• Picture 1
• Picture 2
• Picture 3
• Picture 4
• Picture 5
• Picture 6
• Picture 7
• Picture 8
• Picture 9