The poor socioeconomic status of the majority of the
population is the foremost issue in the contemporary world especially in
developing countries. Socioeconomic indicators provide insights on education,
gender, poverty, employment, housing, and so on. The present study intends to
examine the socioeconomic status of tea plantation laborers in the Gudalur
taluk of Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. Gudalur is situated at the third
junction of the three states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. Gudalur block
geographically lies between 9°41´, 9° 68´ N to 77°2´7E.Gudalur is the foothill
of the Nilgiris district, 50 km west of Ooty. It has an area of 855.82 sq km
and altitude of 1117mts above sea level. Nearly, one fourth of
the area is covered by forest.
The block is divided into two taluks –Gudalur taluk and Pandalur Taluk, and
Gudalur is a major connectivity of the three states Kerala, Karnataka, and
Tamilnadu. The entire study is based on
primary and secondary data which is collected from taluk and village offices of
Gudalur. The primary data were collected through the random sampling method.
Total sample size of the study is 70 respondents who were interviewed by using
a well-structured interview schedule. Graphical and statistical techniques were
used to analyse the data and relative socioeconomic status. The study found
that the socioeconomic status of the tea plantation laborers’ is very poor due
to geographical isolation, irregular job opportunity, and lack of education.
Therefore, encouraging education and skill development of tea plantation
laborers will help to achieve higher socioeconomic status.
Keywords: Socio-Economic Status, Tea Plantation Labor, Unorganized Sector, Unskilled Labour, Plantation Sector.
