Unveiling the Struggle of Pandemic-hit Beedi Workers

India's Beedi manufacturing industry employs lakhs of workers and Tamil Nadu alone accounts for nearly 4 lakh workers while generating Rs.4000 crore of business per annum. The beedi workers in the production area are mostly women and many of them suffer from health issues. Now, the continuous lockdown due to COVID-19 has pushed the workers and their families into a life of hardship. They are getting work only one or two days a month even after relaxations in the lockdown. Meanwhile, the government has done nothing for them saying they are unregistered. In a ground report from Chennai, NewsClick looks into the challenges faced by beedi workers.