# On the Move Again

## Overview

This chapter follows the story of Dhanu, a young boy from a village where families migrate for seasonal work in sugarcane fields. It explores the economic, social, and emotional challenges faced by these families, especially focusing on the effects of migration on education, elder care, and dependency on loans.

---

## Key Topics Covered

### 1. Life in Dhanu’s Village

- Dhanu’s extended family gathers to celebrate Dussehra with food like *puranpoli* and *kadi*.
- After celebrations, they prepare to migrate for work.
- The *mukadam* (labour agent) plays a central role by providing loans and deciding where the families will go for work over the next six months.

### 2. Why They Migrate

- There is no work in the village after the rainy season.
- Families work on other people’s farms only till Dussehra.
- Due to lack of water and non-irrigated land, farming is not possible year-round.
- To repay their debts, they work in sugarcane fields arranged by the *mukadam*.

### 3. Impact on Education and Family

- Entire families migrate: Dhanu, his parents, uncles, aunts, and many others.
- Children like Dhanu have to miss school for six months.
- The elderly, sick, and infants remain in the village, often alone.
- Dhanu worries about who will care for his grandmother during this time.

### 4. Life at the Sugarcane Fields

- Families live in makeshift huts made of sugarcane stalks and leaves.
- Men cut the sugarcane; women and children bundle it.
- Sugarcane is transported to factories where it is weighed and accounted for.
- Weekly expenses are given based on sugarcane delivered.

### 5. Hope for Education

- Dhanu’s *mami* dreams of a better future for him.
- She insists Dhanu should stay back next time to continue school and build a better life.
- His family considers letting him stay with his grandmother and aunt to attend school regularly.

---

## New Terms and Simple Definitions

| Term | Definition |
|-------------|------------|
| **Dussehra** | A Hindu festival celebrated with family gatherings and sweets. |
| **Mukadam** | A labour contractor who gives loans and arranges seasonal work. |
| **Migration** | Moving from one place to another, often for work. |
| **Sugarcane** | A tall tropical plant whose juice is used to make sugar. |
| **Receipt** | A written note that shows something was received or paid. |
| **Loan** | Borrowed money that must be paid back later. |
| **Irrigation** | Watering land or crops using methods like canals or tubewells. |

---

## Practice Questions

### Easy (3)

1. **Why do Dhanu and his family migrate every year?**
*To work in sugarcane fields as there is no farming work in the village after the rains.*

2. **What does the mukadam do?**
*He arranges work and gives loans to the villagers.*

3. **Where do Dhanu’s family stay during the migration?**
*In huts made of dry sugarcane and its leaves near sugarcane fields.*

---

### Medium (2)

4. **How does migration affect Dhanu's education?**
*He misses school for six months and cannot continue learning during that time.*

5. **What role do women and children play in the sugarcane fields?**
*They help tie sugarcane into bundles and transport them to the factory.*

---

### Difficult (3)

6. **Explain the relationship between loan, mukadam, and factory work.**
*Villagers borrow money from the mukadam, who then arranges work in sugarcane fields so they can repay the loan through labour.*

7. **What are some challenges faced by old people left in the village?**
*They may not have anyone to take care of them, and feel lonely or helpless.*

8. **Why does Mami want Dhanu to stay in the village next year?**
*So he can go to school regularly and get a better future instead of becoming a seasonal labourer.*

---

### Very Difficult (2)

9. **Suggest some ways in which children like Dhanu can continue their studies even while migrating.**
*Mobile schools, teacher volunteers travelling with families, or seasonal hostels could help them continue learning.*

10. **Compare and contrast the life of a farmer who owns land and one who migrates like Dhanu’s family.**
*A land-owning farmer may grow crops all year with irrigation, stay with family, and send children to school. Migrating families depend on others for work, live away from home, and struggle to educate their children.*

---