A decade ago, from around the second week of February, Basanti Tudu and Durga Hansda would be frequently seen in the deep forests of Ranibandh Baromile Jangal in Bankura district of Bengal. They would be collecting fresh kendu leaves from the lower to middle sections of kendu trees from morning until noon.
Kendu leaves are a crucial raw material for bidi-making, as they are used to wrap tobacco. Locally, these leaves are known as “kendupata.” The two used to sell these leaves to the Large-Size Multipurpose Co-operative Society (LAMPS), an organisation built under the Backward Classes Welfare and Tribal Development Department in return for wages.
Now, neither Tudu nor Hansda do this work.
Thousands of women like them are now engaged in grazing goats, cows, and sheep in the fields near the forest areas of Jangalmahal, spanning the districts of Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, and Paschim Medinipur. This shift occurred because they lost their primary source of livelihood, which was once facilitated by the state government-sponsored LAMPS, allowing them to collect kendu leaves and other forest products and make a decent earning in the process. Unfortunately, many LAMPS have become largely non-functional, sustaining their existence in an almost stagnant state, the volume of their procurement, negligible.
A critical issue affecting these collectors is the directive from the Trinamool Congress-led state government, which mandates that LAMPS can purchase kendu leaves only from tribal collectors. This policy has been in effect for the past seven years in the Jangalmahal region. Consequently, a significant number of non-tribal yet traditional kendu leaf collectors have been barred from engaging with LAMPS.
Kendu leaves collector Moni Shabar at laljol village, Belpahari, Jhargram district.
For years, tribal and non-tribal communities have coexisted in the Jangalmahal region, sustaining their livelihoods through the same labor. This government policy has sparked concerns, as many question why a distinction has been made between tribal and non-tribal people regarding employment opportunities. Before the TMC regime, LAMPS provided equal opportunities to all collectors.
In this challenging scenario, those who continue to collect kendu leaves independently are forced to sell them to private buyers at significantly lower rates, leading to extreme exploitation. The reality is that most kendu leaf collectors in Jangalmahal, whether tribal or non-tribal, are subjected to indiscriminate exploitation.
Is LAMPS deliberately being kept inactive to facilitate the transfer of this business to private entities? Is this an attempt to implement a divide-and-rule strategy? Kendu leaf collectors in Jangalmahal wonder if they have ever faced such an unfavourable situation in the past.
History
The kendu tree does not require plantation; it grows naturally in forests. Its roots penetrate deep into the soil, allowing it to survive for centuries. A local proverb is, “Bon furale kend (Even when the forest disappears, the kendu tree endures).” New kendu trees sprout from the base of existing ones, ensuring their perpetual presence. The tree bears a sweet fruit called kendfal, rich in Vitamin C and iron. Slightly larger than kulfal (Indian jujube), kendfal ripens in March and is highly sought after in the Jangalmahal districts of Bengal. The tree’s leaves resemble those of the sal tree.
The godown of Ranibandh LAMPS has been closed for 12 years.
Kendu leaves are an essential component of bidi production, as they are used to wrap the tobacco. For decades, poor, marginalised tribal and non-tribal people across the four districts of Bengal’s Jangalmahal region have collected kendu leaves for their livelihood. “In the 1960s and 1970s, these leaves were sold to private businessmen, primarily from Gujarat, who travelled to the region to purchase them,” said Gangadhar Mahato, an elderly kendu leaf collector from Raipur, Bankura. Similar sentiments were echoed by Basanti Tudu and Rathu Singh from Bandwan in Purulia, and Tapan Mahato from Lodhasuli in Jhargram.
In the late 1960s, the wage for akchhata (2,000 leaves) was five paise. By 1969, a mass movement erupted across the Jangalmahal area demanding a wage increase to ten paise per chhata. This struggle culminated in a two-month strike in 1971. The police, siding with the traders, often clashed with the workers. Ultimately, the movement succeeded, marking a historic victory still remembered as the Kendupata Andolan – ‘kendu leaf revolution’.
Dense forests are of Ranibandh Holutkanali, where kendu leaves collectors work.
In 1975, the Tribal Sub-Plan was introduced in West Bengal, leading to the establishment of Large-Sized Multipurpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS) under the Backward Classes Welfare Department. These were formed using funds from the Five-Year Plan and were overseen by the West Bengal Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation Ltd. (WBTDCC), which was registered on March 26, 1976. The objective was to provide financial, technical, and marketing support to both tribal and non-tribal communities for their socio-economic development.
After the Left Front came to power in West Bengal in 1977, LAMPS expanded across the four districts. “The state government provided adequate financial support to ensure that LAMPS remained self-sufficient,” stated Upen Kishku, a resident of Raipur, Bankura, and former minister of the Backward Classes Welfare Department of the state. He further explained that LAMPS helped people utilise the natural resources of the forest to improve their quality of life.
“It wasn’t just about kendu leaves,” said Bimala Mahato, Joba Mahato, and Sandhya Shabar of Moula Shabarpara village in Ranibandh block, Bankura. They said that LAMPS also provided seeds to cultivate babui grass, which was used to make ropes. Additionally, they collected sal seeds, neem fruits, and resin, all of which were purchased by LAMPS at what they said were fair prices.
Women from across Jangalmahal, irrespective of their community, played a significant role in these economic activities. “During November and December, when kendu tree branches were pruned to encourage new leaf growth, we were paid by LAMPS for this work because the fresh leaves were in high demand,” said Fulmoni Mandi and Shyamali Mandi of Pakurdihi village in Taldangra block, Bankura. These women would later collect the leaves and deposit them at LAMPS depots, where all the collected leaves were purchased.
Also read: Why States Should Emulate Maharashtra on Kendu Leaf Deregulation
Beyond leaf collection, LAMPS also provided livestock such as cows and goats to supplement the income of local communities. Training programs were conducted to teach women how to make disposable plates from sal leaves. Several male employees –mates, munshis, mahuris, and checkers – were assigned to oversee the kendu leaf collection process, ensuring fair wages for workers.
“LAMPS elections were held regularly in a democratic manner. Elected board members oversaw operations, ensuring transparency and fairness,” said Rohini Mahato, former chairman of Kathiyam LAMPS, Ranibandh, Bankura.
The closed Raipur Motgoda LAMPS.
A total of 64 LAMPS were established across the four Jangalmahal districts – 23 in Purulia, 20 in Bankura, 12 in Jhargram, and nine in PaschimMedinipur – engaging over 40,000 people, most of whom were poor and marginalised women. “People no longer needed to migrate in search of work. In essence, LAMPS laid the foundation for Jangalmahal’s economy,” stated Pranab Hazra, librarian at Sidhu Kanhu University in Purulia.
Now
According to data from the West Bengal Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation (WBTDCC), 64 LAMPS still exist across the four districts of Jangalmahal. However, the majority of them remain non-functional, with little to no activity.
Tarasankar Mandi, an accountant at Kathiyam LAMPS, stated, “Most days, the LAMPS office remains locked. I am the only employee here and also hold additional responsibility for Churku LAMPS in Jhilimili. Managing two LAMPS alone is nearly impossible, and there are no additional staff members. Since 2011, no new recruitments have taken place, and women who used to collect kendu leaves no longer visit the LAMPS.”
Bijoya Mahato and Joba Mahato of Moula Shabarpara, Ranibandh, Bankura collecting kendu leaves from nearby forest. They are not entitled to sell it to LAMPS.
Former kendu leaf collectors, including Bijoya Mahato from Moula Shabarpara (Ranibandh), Taramoni Tudu from Jhilimili, Nirmala Mahato from Goyalbari (Sarenga, Bankura), Kalpana Sardar from Bandowan (Purulia), and Dipali Kishku from Banspahari (Jhargram), have witnessed a significant decline in LAMPS operations since the Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011. They reported that the wages previously paid for trimming kendu branches before the leaf collection season were suddenly discontinued. They emphasised that without pruning the branches, high-quality new leaves cannot grow. However, when they approached LAMPS authorities regarding this issue, they were informed that the decision was a government directive beyond LAMPS’ control.
When questioned about this matter, Barsharani Sarkar, regional manager of WBTDCC in Bankura, said, “There is no government provision for wages to be paid for trimming kendu branches. If someone chooses to do it voluntarily, it is their personal decision.” As a result, many women have lost interest in collecting kendu leaves.
Urmila Saren, a leaf collector associated with Matgoda LAMPS in Raipur, pointed out that old leaves are not suitable for sale – a situation that gave rise to the current conundrum.
“Every year, WBTDCC auctions kendu leaves, which are in high demand. However, a significant portion of the leaves collected in 2010-11 were never auctioned and eventually deteriorated, leading to losses amounting to several crores of rupees. This financial crisis within WBTDCC ultimately resulted in the discontinuation of payments to LAMPS,” said Chunaram Mahato, former chairman of Taldangra LAMPS. He further alleged that this situation arose due to negligence on the part of the Trinamool Congress-led state government.
Sanjay Handa, former secretary of Taldangra LAMPS, reiterated that due to these challenges, LAMPS have become virtually defunct.
Employment
Workers previously employed by LAMPS, in positions such as mates, munsis, mahuris, and checkers, have also lost their livelihoods. Dhanapati Mandi from Taldangra, along with Lakshmikanta Mahato, Biswanath Mahato, and Mangal Tudu from Ranibandh (in Bankura), stated that they used to earn wages equivalent to those of unskilled labourers but are now unemployed.
Dhanapati Mandi at Pakurdihi village, Taldangra. He was a Munsi of Kendu leaves collection work of Taldangra LAMPS.
Several kendu leaf collectors from Jangalmahal reported that they are now forced to sell their leaves to private traders at significantly lower rates. Although the government has set a price of Rs 175 per chata (2,000 leaves), LAMPS procure only a minimal quantity. Those unable to find alternative employment are compelled to sell their leaves to private traders for as little as Rs 75 per chata, making them victims of severe exploitation.
Additionally, there is the ‘tribal-only’ clause. Former minister Upen Kishku condemned this decision, calling it “terrible.” He remarked, “A large portion of the Jangalmahal population is engaged in this work. Why are they being excluded? This was never the policy during the Left’s time.”
WBTDCC regional manager Barsharani Sarkar acknowledged that elections for LAMPS managing committees have been halted for over a decade. Currently, Block Development Officers (BDOs) oversee LAMPS operations. She further admitted that kendu leaf collection has significantly declined. “We are conducting awareness campaigns in various areas to encourage people to collect leaves. However, we do not have a clear directive on where they should sell them,” she said.
As LAMPS struggles to regain its former glory, the once-thriving livelihoods of kendu leaf collectors in Jangalmahal continue to deteriorate. The lack of government support, financial mismanagement, and policy changes have left many marginalised communities vulnerable to economic instability.
All photos are by Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.