Children at a temporary camp for migrant workers near Chikkamagaluru. Hundreds of people from the central parts of Karnataka migrate to harvest pepper in the coffee plantations of the Malnad region. Children who accompany their parents miss school for months during the pepper harvest. | Photo credit: Sathish GT
“My teacher contacted me on the phone and scolded me for skipping class. But what should I do? I can’t stay alone in my village when my parents are here,” said the Class 8 student from Karnataka’s Ballari district. Currently, the boy lives in a makeshift tent along the road connecting Chikkamagaluru to Adlur.
They are among hundreds of children from central and northern Karnataka districts who skip school for several months as they accompany their parents who move to Malnad districts to work in coffee plantations during the pepper harvest season.
Caring for siblings
Many families from Davangere, Haveri and Ballari districts live in tents on both sides of the road between Chikkamagaluru and Aldur. While the parents go to the estate during the day to harvest black pepper, their children stay in their temporary camp. These camps are occupied by children between the ages of 2 and 13. They spend the whole day taking care of their younger siblings. Most of them were enrolled in schools in their native village. However, they miss the lessons when they accompany their parents to the Malnad districts.
“My mother prepared rice and sambar in the morning before leaving for work. We had the same for lunch. Our parents will return in the evening,” said the Class 6 student, currently living in a tent in Chikkamagaluru.
From tanda
Most of these migrant workers are from Lambani tandas. With meager land in their native villages, they migrate in search of jobs that pay well. Some of them leave their children in the care of their elderly parents in their native countries.
Harvesting black pepper is a skill. They use the ladders to climb up and harvest the peppers without damaging the plants. “Employers pay ₹12 per kilo of peppers harvested. A couple can harvest about 150 kilos a day, earning about ₹900 each,” said Vishnu, a native of Davangere. They barely earn ₹400 a day in their native countries.
Workers are hired through labor contractors – mestris – who act as intermediaries between property owners and workers. They help with local provision of accommodation, temporary power supply and drinking water. However, there are no provisions for the education of children.
Shashidhar Kosambe, chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, told The Hindu that there are cases where such children have been subjected to various forms of abuse. “They deserve proper care and education. There used to be tent schools for the children of these workers,” he added.
What the law says
He said he would contact the officials concerned and instruct them to ensure the safety of the children and ensure their education. “According to the Right to Education Act, the children of migrant workers are assigned to the nearest schools,” he added.
Published – 16 Feb 2026 11:12 IST