The Political Economy of the Textile Industry and Its Labor

Abstract

The political economy of textile labor in colonial Bombay cannot be fully understood without accounting for the structural negligence of workers’ health and physical well-being, which were crucial to the global dynamics of the textile markets and the competitive practices of cotton manufacturers. This chapter delineates how from the inception of the industry, the labor force encountered carbonic emissions, close contact with cotton particles, and an excruciating working schedule without recess or regular holidays. Inadequate housing and dismal sanitary management in the chawls posed serious threats to workers’ health. However, both the colonial state and Indian millowners evaded responsibility for workers’ health and well-being. Because Indian millowners dominated the commercial and political life of Bombay, they could thwart regulations regarding workers’ welfare. Contemporary nationalist thought, which defended a nascent Indian enterprise against unfair foreign competition, ignored the indifference of Indian millowners.