Ethnographic Profile of the Textile Workers of Uttar Pradesh

Ethnographic Profile of the Textile Workers of Uttar Pradesh

Ajeet Jaiswal, Department of Anthropology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India
Phone: 09791201427, 08122594335, E-mail: rpgajeet@gmail.com

Anthropologist, 14(2): 231-237 (2012): International Journal of Contemporary and Applied Studies of Man

KEYWORDS Religious Rites. Rituals. Workers. Hindu. Muslim

ABSTRACT With the changing industrial landscape of the country, new working class areas have come into being and old
ones are expanding. In the new areas, adaptability to this culture depends on the extent and strength of the workers’ link with
rural areas. The characteristics of the Textile Workers revolve around Social Composition, Sex Composition, Emergence of
Tribal Labour, Low Level of Literacy, Heterogeneity of Working Class, High Rate of Absenteeism, Labour Turnover and
Migratory Character. An anthropological attempt has been made in the present study to analyse the ethnographic profile of
the textile workers of Uttar Pradesh. A total number of 463 adult workers working in different sectors in seventeen different
factories were interviewed, The religious and ritualistic analysis of the observance of actions or procedures in a set and
ceremonial way of the Hindu and Muslim textile workers of Uttar Pradesh, reflects that the religious rites and rituals of Hindu
workers were more complex than Muslim workers and they believe in the concept of actions (karma) and earn merit (punya)
for themselves, their families, their ancestors, their future and society in general.