Understanding the ‘labour question’ in early post-colonial india through the lens of the economic [and political] weekly

Abstract

This project studies the theme of labour in the organised industrial sector of India, in the period 1949 to1960, using the journal Economic Weekly (EW), now addressed as Economic and Political Weekly, as an archive. It analyses how the ‘labour question’ evolved in the post-colonial nation-state that inherited many legacies from colonial statecraft. In this project, EW is treated not just as an archive but also a critical lens to evaluate dominant attitudes towards labour, especially that of the state, in the context of popular sovereignty, electoral democracy, and a mixed and planned economic model. Besides the state, the EW played a vital role in orienting labour as a popular public discourse. Therefore, a study of this platform as well, to analyse the labour question is essential. This project highlights discussions around significant concepts such as wages, industrial relations, trade unionism, and welfare and social security that came to formulate the ‘labour question’. It is a comprehensive study of how these categories emerged as a significant discourse in India's public life, accessed through the works of EW authors.