ASSAGAO: In an era where mechanisation has revolutionised agriculture, offering significant relief from labour costs, it also threatens the livelihood of those who have relied on manual farm work for survival. Nanda Haldankar, 47, is a living testament to this shift. For years, she has dedicated her life to manually tending the fields of Sangolda, Parra, and Guirim villages.
Nanda originally hails from Maharashtra and moved to Goa with her father at the age of 15, in search of a better life. Coming from a very remote village and impoverished background, her family sought new opportunities in Goa. “Our family background was very bad, and we had no means to live. My five siblings and I came to Goa in search of jobs. We could hardly afford much education, except for my brother, who completed his SSC. We never felt that education was a priority but instead believed work was essential as it ensured we could fill our stomachs,” Nanda recalls.
Initially, Nanda worked in people’s homes and during the paddy season, assisted locals in cultivating their crops. Her dedication and hard work earned her and her team a reputation, making them the preferred choice for many villagers. Nanda’s journey was fraught with challenges. She married at 17, but two years later, her husband left her. “I was completely lost - jobless, homeless and with no husband to support me. Life had sort of brought me to a crossroads where everything seemed a challenge to me,” she recalls. Despite the hardships, she persevered with the support of her family, ensuring her children received an education. One of her daughters will soon graduate and become a nurse, a feat Nanda achieved through relentless effort and sacrifice.
Throughout her life, Nanda has cherished her work in the fields. She recalls that villagers would often pay her in kind
for transplanting work and in cash for harvesting. Several families in Sangolda and Guirim still rely on her for their monsoon field activities. “Our day starts at 4 am. After finishing house chores, we leave by 5.30 AM to start work at 6. We have our breakfast, tea, and lunch in the field and
return home by 8 pm,” Nanda explains. She leads about eight families in this laborious work, earning a seasonal salary of
Rs 10,000 to 12,000, which helps them sustain themselves for a few months due to their simple lifestyle.
Nanda highlights the challenges faced in their village occupation due to wild animals like bison, wild boar, and bears, which destroy crops, forcing them to seek income elsewhere. Despite the popularity of mechanisation, Nanda’s clients still insist on manual paddy work, valuing the traditional methods she upholds