Kerala-Based Dinesh Beedi Up In Smoke

Dinesh Beedi Workers’ Co-operative Society, an institution born out of a labour movement in Kerala in 1969, is struggling to keep its core business of beedi making afloat. The Kannur-based society which used to employ 42,000 women workers, today has only 2000 workers. As part of its survival strategy, many branches are being merged in Azhikode and Kannur into a single entity. During the best of its time, Dinesh had 16 branches under which 82 small scale units existed. Supporting the beedi manufacturing cause were 18 primary societies spread over Kannur and Kasargod generating a turnover of Rs 60 crore. Interestingly, working at Dinesh Beedi was considered as good as a government job, according to a beedi worker Savithri PV Dinesh used to pay Rs 50 for every 1000 beedis rolled. Today the competition is paying Rs 75 for 1000 beedis. Things took a turn for the worse in 1990 after increased health awareness, ban on tobacco promotion, smoking ban at public places, beedi being considered inferior and easy availability of cheaper brands from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Foreseeing an alarming future, the primary co-operative board of directors — all of whom were beedi rollers, chalked out an expansive diversification with the launch of Dinesh Foods in 1997. This was followed by Dinesh Information Technology Systems, Dinesh Umbrella, Dinesh Auditorium, 2001, Dinesh Apparels 2007 and Cafe Dinesh 2015. Almost all the beedi rollers who lost their jobs, found employment in garments and umbrellas making units, running cafes and upgrading their skills to IT. The diversifications are taking shape but it will take time to make up the loss of Rs 60 crore turnover from beedi rolling.