The people of Rubáiyát
Dhananjay & friends (civil workers)
A land, not their own.
Of demographics and labor economics
Dhananjay and his friends are Bengali, part of a wave of migrant laborers from India’s poorer northern and eastern regions who travel to the richer southern and western states in search of work. Wealthier states like Kerala rely on this labor force to fill gaps left by a shortage of young people due to international emigration and years of declining birth rates.
Dhananjay and friends in the garage where their contractor put them up during construction. The garage was also partly used to store construction materials like cement.
Some known, mostly unknown.
Some aspects of construction work in Kerala, such as managing heavy downpours, are familiar to Dhananjay and his friends. Their villages in Bengal also endure monsoon rains. However, many other aspects—like food, language, and culture—are unfamiliar to them. In fact, they were unsure which part of Kerala they were in. Yet, these differences are overlooked, as daily construction wages are more than three times what they can earn back home.
Dhananjay helps move rebar from under tarps during heavy rains
A common crisis
Although separated by over 1,500 kilometers, Bengal and Kerala are experiencing increasingly severe weather events linked to climate change. Once-in-200-year floods have occurred multiple times within a decade, and soil erosion and biodiversity loss are widespread. Traditional construction methods are proving inadequate to protect homes from these extreme weather conditions.
The house sits on a series of interconnected and closely spaced footings, designed to provide resistance during landslides
Labor intensive
Civil construction across India relies heavily on reinforced concrete, which takes advantage of inexpensive migrant labor. Faster techniques using steel can end up being twice as expensive. This contrasts with more advanced markets, where high labor costs make concrete construction less economical.
Dhananjay and friends inspect a newly cast concrete column on the upper level
New learnings in a foreign land
Dhananjay and his friends also work with construction materials and techniques indigenous to Kerala, often taking their learnings back home. Unlike the more commonly used concrete blocks for masonry construction across much of India, projects in Kerala utilize rough-cut laterite or other stone masonry. Traditional masonry knowledge is shared freely at the construction site.
Random rubble masonry being used to create foundation walls for the outhouse building
Gain-of-function
Migrant laborers like Dhananjay typically start off as unskilled site hands. With experience, they acquire new skills and move up the construction value chain, transitioning to roles such as masons, stucco finishers, and even plumbers, electricians, or aluminum fabricators. Skilled workers earn, on average, 40 to 60% more in wages compared to their unskilled counterparts.
Dhananjay and friends attempt to trouble-shoot an electrical failure in their garage.
High risks
Due in part to strong labor unions, workers' rights in Kerala are more advanced than in many other parts of India. The Communist parties of India often hold a majority in the state legislature. However, the plight of migrant laborers remain ambiguous. Many do not speak Malayalam well enough to fully understand their rights, and most laborers are primarily focused on maximizing their earning potential.
A worker hoists a roof framing rafter while perched on a concrete beam.
A tale as old as labor
Life on the site is spartan, with wages almost entirely saved and sent back home. Meals consist mostly of carbohydrates, with meat and other proteins consumed only once a week. There is little attention paid to personal well-being. However, the money sent back tells a story of upward mobility from lower to lower-middle class. This transition brings with it peculiar status symbols back home, such as children attending English-medium schools.
(L) Evening meal of rice porridge being cooked on site. ® Dhananjay takes a break from an outdoor shower