Labour Illustrations
A few years back I started drawing illustrations on labour issues, mostly for the labour news portal Thozhilalar Koodam.
Here is a selection of my work. You can click any of the images for higher resolution versions.
Bullshit jobs and precarious work (September 2021)
I designed and illustrated a flier for my friend Madhumita Dutta’s course at Ohio State University.
A factory fire in Delhi (March 2020)
At around 5 AM on 8th December, 2019, a massive fire broke out in a luggage factory in the Anaj Mandi neighborhood of Delhi. Over one hundred workers were sleeping on the upper floors of the factory when the fire broke out, and found themselves trapped inside. The factory had been operating illegally without fire escapes, and the terrace door had been bolted shut. Many of the 59 workers rescued by the fire department suffered serious burn injuries. The remaining 43 workers perished in the flames. One of these 43 workers, Musharraf Ali, managed to call his best friend Shobhit (Monu) Aggarwal moments before he died. His phone call was recorded and briefly became a sensation in Indian media.
The following graphic, first published in groundxero, illustrates a poem by the actor Sushant Singh which was inspired by this tragedy, and in particular by Musharraf and Shobit’s final conversation.
It was translated into English by Sushmita and into Tamil by Muthuvel. It was later published in Hindi in Mehnatkash , adapted to a video in Tamil narrated by Anandsami , and finally adapted to a video in Hindi, narrated by the actor and poet Sushant Singh.
Media bias in the MTC bus strike (January 2018)
The MTC went on strike for eight days in January, 2018. This graphic was made with Thozhilalar Koodam in solidarity with the the striking bus drivers and highlights the media bias in coverage. I also wanted to emphasize the importance of workers reaching out to the public for support.
Newsletter cover image (January 2018)
From November 27th to 29th, 2017, Tamilnadu nurses went on strike over their abysmal working conditions and salaries. During the resulting public interest litigation, the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court revealed her disdain for the striking nurses, embodying the ensconced sense of power and privilege of the ruling classes. For the Tamil version click here.
A conversation after the strike (December 2017)
This comic was based on a conversation that a member of Thozhilalar Koodam overheard following a strike. The Tamil version was included in the January 2018 Thozhilalar Koodam Workers’ Newsletter, and intended to stimulate further conversations and feedback from workers. For the Tamil version click here.
You are not essential (December 2017)
This image was intended to bring out the hypocrisy in the prevailing argument that providers of essential services cannot organize collectively or go on strike. However, we decided this image can too easily be twisted to support that very argument we were trying to counter, so I am still exploring an effective way of graphically conveying this somewhat subtle idea.
Newsletter cover image (October 2017)
In this cover for the Thozhilalar Koodam Workers' Newsletter, we critique the media coverage of some of the initiatives of the Modi government that have been disastrous for the working class. In particular, we linked demonetization and GST with the labour reforms currently being pushed through. For the Tamil version click here.
Life goes on for the Mahagun Modernes of the world (July 2017)
This image was drawn in the wake of the Zohra Bibi story, which made headlines even in the mainstream press. In the image, workers assume precarious positions to put up a new 'Mahagun Moderne' billboard above a busy road. Meanwhile on the ground, police harass a street vendor, oblivious to the hazardous conditions of the workers above. Yet, despite this bleak status quo, the Zohra Bibi story reminds us of the immense potential for worker solidarity and militancy brimming beneath the surface.
Let's Break Free (March 2017)
Thozhilalar Koodam produced this graphic in celebration of International Women's Day, 2017. Click here for the English version.
The Story of the Garment Workers' Wage (November, 2016)
On July 13, 2016, the Tamilnadu High Court ordered garment factories in and around Chennai to uphold the minimum wage for garment workers, overturning stay orders that had kept the wage stagnant for years. This mandate did not appear out of nowhere, but was the culmination of years of struggle by labour union activists, including the Garment and Fashion Workers Union (GAFWU), an independent trade union affiliated to NTUI. Thozhilalar Koodam teamed up with GAFWU to make short comic explaining the struggle and its current objectives. The comic was printed in Tamil and distributed to garment workers by GAFWU as part of a campaign. (The Tamil version can be seen here: Page 1, Page 2.)
Why We Need a Minimum Wage Law (March 2016)
A strong minimum wage law is an expression of worker solidarity across employment sector, region, ethnicity, caste, and gender. It is also a core demand of the labour movement. In order to better understand this fight, Thozhilalar Koodam created a comic on the Minimum Wages Act of 1948: how it is used, abused, and how it can better serve the interests of the working class. (The Tamil version can be seen here: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4.)
Race to the bottom (February 2016)
Accompanying image for an article on how the states of india are racing against each other to eliminate labour laws and attract foreign investment.
The day we stood as equal (December 2015)
An accompanying illustration for T Venkat’s essay on how the Chennai floods suddenly brought people together across class lines, only to just as suddenly reinforced these dividing lines as the waters receded. Collaboratively drawn with Madhushree Basu.
Book cover (December 2015)
Book cover for অথচ ভারতবর্ষ তাদের (Yet India is Their's) by Tarun Basu, published by Aainanagar. The book is about the denotified tribes of India, and their de facto criminality and treatment at the hands of the State.
Road safety? (September 2015)
An illustration to accompany this interview with Comrade Chandran, General Secretary of Chennai MTC Union affiliated to CITU. In the interview, Chandran describes how the Road Safety Bill is actually facilitating corporate takeover of transportation.
