Rains in the month of May hit tendu leaf collectors in Madhya Pradesh

At 4 AM in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, millions begin their desperate race against time. They're not hunting for gold or precious stones—they're collecting leaves from the humble tendu tree, the backbone of India's most overlooked billion-rupee industry.

The tendu leaf wraps bidi, famously called the "poor man's cigarette." What's ironic? The very people who make this possible are themselves trapped in poverty. In Khari village, Sehore district, our ground report revealed a harsh reality that millions face every May.

This isn't just any seasonal work. For 7.5 million forest-dwelling families across central India, tendu collection is their lifeline during the lean month when no other income exists. In Madhya Pradesh alone, 3.5 million collectors—over 2 million of them tribals and 40% women—depend entirely on this backbreaking labor.

The numbers are staggering. Madhya Pradesh produces over 25% of India's tendu leaves, creating a ₹2,000 crore industry spanning MP and Chhattisgarh. Yet the ground reality tells a different story.

This year, continuous May rains have prevented proper leaf maturation. While the Forest Department has begun procurement, collectors struggle to find quality leaves. They venture deeper into forests, work longer hours, all for wages that often fall below daily manual labor rates.

The irony deepens when you understand the history. In the 1960s-70s, states "nationalized" the tendu trade, promising better returns for tribal collectors while maximizing government revenue. Today, the Madhya Pradesh Minor Forest Produce Association controls everything—collection, trade, and marketing.

Recent government announcements sound promising. Remuneration has allegedly increased from ₹1,250 per standard bag in 2017 to ₹4,000 today. But collectors on the ground tell a different story. Despite producing leaves for a multi-thousand crore industry, they earn barely enough to survive.

The government promises to spend 70-100% of tendu revenue as bonuses for pluckers, yet holds back portions for "community development schemes"—funds that rarely reach the intended beneficiaries.

As millions of Indians light their bidis daily, few realize the human cost behind each leaf. Behind every puff lies the story of forest dwellers who wake before dawn, brave wild animals and harsh weather, all to feed their families from an industry worth thousands of crores.

The tendu leaf isn't just wrapping tobacco—it's wrapping the hopes, struggles, and survival of India's most marginalised communities. 

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