Dharavi Leather Industry: Tannery Processing Sequence with Kalubai
Director: Richa Hushing
Duration: 00:15:35; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 34.172; Saturation: 0.110; Lightness: 0.287; Volume: 0.160; Cuts per Minute: 16.801; Words per Minute: 15.839
Summary: The leather industry in Dharavi is a male bastion. Since the work involves acquiring skin hide, tanning the leather, carrying heavy loads, delivering for import consignment etc. conventionally women workers were not part of this industry. In the villages where it was a community activity, woman might have played an important role. But in this urban set up this industry has remained exclusively male.
Kalubai is a rare phenomenon of a woman worker in the leather industry. Kalubai is working in this unit for a long time. From her sense of temporality it is difficult to get the exact date. But what we know is that she has been working in this unit since the time when the current owner, Wahaj Khan, was a wage worker here. This should roughly amount to 30 years. Though an immensely experienced worker she still earns only Rs.3000/- . The concept of perks and bonus in this trade is extremely erratic and governed by feudal norms.
Kalubai is capable of doing all jobs in the unit – sweeping, using the machine to iron the rough leather, conditioning process, colouring, stock checking and so on. She often gives proxy for any worker who is absent on any job. But still she is designated as sweeper. Though the leather industry is generally hostile to women workers, Kalubai has survived here for around thirty years. But unlike the male co-workers, she neither climbed up in the work place nor has she shifted out for better fortune. This kind of stagnation is very common for women workers in the urban industries. This is a version of glass ceiling.
Her relationship with the younger male co-workers is quite intriguing. She appears to be detached from the work place politics and ever eager to share anybody else’s work load. In that sense she seems to be the trusted lieutenant of the master whose only interest is to facilitate the work to guarantee profit. She never works only within her brief. At the same time she shares an extremely comfortable relationship with her co-workers. The combination of feminine charm, elderly command and unembarrassed commitment to the establishment make her a unique feature. Though she is the most useful and striking personality in the workshop her designation remains that of the lowest category.
Interior of the leather tannery. The leather being processed is goat leather. Inside the dark and noisy room Kalubai, the only woman worker is working. Following her the camera captures the entire production process in the unit. From her, the camera moves to the rolling drum where the leather is put for processing with chemicals. Her complete ease with the fact that the camera is following her is striking. Amidst the largely Muslim male work force she, despite being the only Hindu woman, moves with exemplary ease of a veteran.
Men working on the setting machine where the leather is passed through the machine to level it up. The whole place echoes of different sounds that the machines make.
A man picks up a pile of leather pieces which have gone through the setting machine and brings them outside; he starts putting it all in order.
chemical
dharavi
environment
factory
leather
leather goods
livelihood
machine
machines
migration
processing
redevelopment
space
tannery
unskilled labour
warehouse
Dharavi
Kalubai is arranging the leather pieces in order. Camera zooms out and Kalubai is in the background.
Camera moves to other men who are also sorting and making piles of leather pieces. Most of these workers are migrants and that too mostly from U.P.
All the workers are aware of the presence of the camera, some are conscious and some are living their few minutes of fame. The camera tilts up and through the small gap on the roof of the factory, is visible a high rise residential building.
The camera is back in the interior of the warehouse where a couple of men are working on the setting machine. The man is conscious of the presence of camera, but he goes on with his work in a very mechanical manner just like the machine he is working on.
dharavi
factory
labor
leather
leather goods
leather processing
machines
processing
semi-skilled labor
tannery
warehouse
Outside in the open space, the area is filled with the piles of leather cut out pieces. In one corner a man is sitting down with lots of leather pieces around and he is cutting them in symmetry. He talks about his work and describes the whole process of the tannery. He has not been trained in the field, but it is due to the exposure that he got by being in the same environment.
The camera moves on to show various other steps of the processing.
Q: What are you doing?
X: I am cutting the leather.
Q: I can see, can you tell us in detail?
X: I am cleaning it. It is not in the same proportion, so I am making it fine.
Now this leather will go in the drum and it will spin in there for 24 hours.
See after cutting the leather we send it for washing, it is cleaned and the chemical is added. Then it goes in the drum for 24 hours. After that we put it in the setting machine where it is leveled. Then we put it out to dry and then send it back in the setting machine.
After leveling it again, we select the good quality leather from the stock and send those selected ones for colouring. It comes back to us and we measure it and then it is ready
Richa (R): So you know how to do all these steps?
X: Yes, I know.
R: All of them?
X: Yes, full. I know everything.
R: Where did you learn all these skills from?
X: When someone works in the same field for long, they automatically learn. I have been working in this field for 6-7 years, so I have learned everything.
chemical processing
dharavi
factory
field experience
labor
leather
leather goods
leather processing
machines
on job learning
processing
quality
selection
semi-skilled labor
step by step method
tannery
warehouse
The camera pans from a narrow lane to the room with a huge drum where the leather is softened. A man is explaining the whole process behind the camera.
Kalubai walking in the narrow lane; picks up a big bucket on her head and moves away. Her body language demonstrates her complete control over the production process of the unit as well as her high comfortable with her co-workers. Infact she appears far more majestic than her designated post of a sweeper. Though the men cringe in self consciousness in front of the camera Kalubai conducts herself with the confidence of a pro.
R: What is happening here?
X: This is the drum. When the leather comes it is hard so it is put in this drum with the chemical and spanned. It becomes soft and then it is dried and put in the machine. After that it is dried again.
chemical processing
dharavi
factory
labor
leather
leather goods
leather processing
machines
processing
semi-skilled labor
tannery
warehouse
Kalubai talking to the workers of the tannery at a distance from the camera.
Camera follows her to another place where she is sweeping the place. While cleaning, she finds a kite. She looks at it with curiosity and inspects it. When she is satisfied she takes it and keeps it with her belongings. And gets back to cleaning.
chemical processing
dharavi
factory
labor
leather
leather goods
leather processing
machines
processing
semi-skilled labor
tannery
warehouse
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