The Politics of "Pombilai Orumai": The 2015 Kanan Devan Strike in Kerala, India

Colonial hegemony was retained in the South Indian plantations of Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Limited, where the workers belonged to marginalized classes. The landless employees were given housing facilities, and this compelled them to remain there for generations despite poor wages. These uneduca...

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Main Author: Anagha S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mount Saint Vincent University 2023-12-01
Series:Atlantis
Subjects:
Online Access:https://atlantisjournal.ca/index.php/atlantis/article/view/5762/4808
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author Anagha S.
author_facet Anagha S.
author_sort Anagha S.
collection DOAJ
description Colonial hegemony was retained in the South Indian plantations of Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Limited, where the workers belonged to marginalized classes. The landless employees were given housing facilities, and this compelled them to remain there for generations despite poor wages. These uneducated and geographically secluded people found it difficult to come out of the plantation labyrinth, and the labour acts or land legislation acts were not much help. In 2015, around 5,000 women workers called “Pombilai Orumai” led a successful strike for a wage increase. The most remarkable aspect of this was the disassociation with political parties and trade unions and the solidarity of women workers despite all odds.
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spelling doaj-art-27df9b689e094ab599bdecdebc35c74f2025-08-20T03:09:08ZengMount Saint Vincent UniversityAtlantis1715-06982023-12-014427274The Politics of "Pombilai Orumai": The 2015 Kanan Devan Strike in Kerala, IndiaAnagha S.0Pondicherry UniversityColonial hegemony was retained in the South Indian plantations of Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Limited, where the workers belonged to marginalized classes. The landless employees were given housing facilities, and this compelled them to remain there for generations despite poor wages. These uneducated and geographically secluded people found it difficult to come out of the plantation labyrinth, and the labour acts or land legislation acts were not much help. In 2015, around 5,000 women workers called “Pombilai Orumai” led a successful strike for a wage increase. The most remarkable aspect of this was the disassociation with political parties and trade unions and the solidarity of women workers despite all odds.https://atlantisjournal.ca/index.php/atlantis/article/view/5762/4808colonialismplantationstrade unionswomen's strikewages
spellingShingle Anagha S.
The Politics of "Pombilai Orumai": The 2015 Kanan Devan Strike in Kerala, India
Atlantis
colonialism
plantations
trade unions
women's strike
wages
title The Politics of "Pombilai Orumai": The 2015 Kanan Devan Strike in Kerala, India
title_full The Politics of "Pombilai Orumai": The 2015 Kanan Devan Strike in Kerala, India
title_fullStr The Politics of "Pombilai Orumai": The 2015 Kanan Devan Strike in Kerala, India
title_full_unstemmed The Politics of "Pombilai Orumai": The 2015 Kanan Devan Strike in Kerala, India
title_short The Politics of "Pombilai Orumai": The 2015 Kanan Devan Strike in Kerala, India
title_sort politics of pombilai orumai the 2015 kanan devan strike in kerala india
topic colonialism
plantations
trade unions
women's strike
wages
url https://atlantisjournal.ca/index.php/atlantis/article/view/5762/4808
work_keys_str_mv AT anaghas thepoliticsofpombilaiorumaithe2015kanandevanstrikeinkeralaindia
AT anaghas politicsofpombilaiorumaithe2015kanandevanstrikeinkeralaindia