Like that of Sanatan Koley from Joymollah village. At 60, Koley works in the fields while his son Pradip is attached to a service provider at the Nano plant as an unskilled labourer. The father leaves home at 4 a.m. and the son at 6 a.m. The father gets home at 6 p.m. after a day’s toil while the son is back home by 2 p.m.

“My son works less than me, but earns much more. But I am confused. The land has stayed with us through generations. Will we get a job guarantee for generations like we get from our land?” asked Koley.

That’s where it all began.

The numbers

Population

2,60,827

Area

174.77 sq km

landless farm workers

15,584

Marginal workers

10,591

Household industry

8,788

Literacy

71%

(state average is 68 %)

Primary schools

122

High schools

10