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Unfree Labour : did indenture reduce labour supply to tea plantations in Assam?
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Gupta, Bishnupriya and Swamy, Anand V. (2013) Unfree Labour : did indenture reduce labour supply to tea plantations in Assam? Working Paper. Coventry, UK: Department of Economics, University of Warwick. CAGE Online Working Paper Series, Volume 2013 (Number 177).
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Text (Working paper)
WRAP_177-2013_gupta.pdf - Published Version Download (1350Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/resear...
Abstract
Migration to tea plantations in Assam in the 19th century used indentured contracts. These
contracts differed by conditions of harshness. Migration under the Special Act gained notoriety
by giving tea planter the right of private arrest. Using a new set of migration by types of contract,
the paper assesses if harsh terms of indenture discouraged labour flows. We find that regions
using the harsh contract saw lower response to rise in the price of tea. Disaggregating by types of
recruiter, we find that the response to market recruitment was high in all regions, but response to
recruitment using community networks is statistically insignificant, suggesting that informational
asymmetries may be an explanation for continuing migration despite concerns raised by the
nationalist movement, social reformers and policy makers.
Item Type: | Working or Discussion Paper (Working Paper) |
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Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor |
Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics |
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Indentured servants -- Assam, Slave labor -- Assam, Forced labor -- Assam, Tea plantations -- Assam |
Series Name: | CAGE Online Working Paper Series |
Publisher: | Department of Economics, University of Warwick |
Place of Publication: | Coventry, UK |
Official Date: | September 2013 |
Volume: | Volume 2013 |
Number: | Number 177 |
Number of Pages: | 44 |
Status: | Not Peer Reviewed |
Publication Status: | Published |
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