A Tightrope Walk : Chronicle of a Circus Trade Union

Only five days were left for the New Grand Circus camp to shift from Belgaum, bordering Karnataka and Maharashtra. Small loads were already being sent in trucks to the next camping site. Though a workers’ union had already born by the time, not much happened publicly. It was a secret known only to a few people. But the owner of New Grand Circus, Anif, had his doubts regarding the existence of the union. The labourers from Andhra and Tamil Nadu were always complaining that they were being punished and tormented because of the union membership. They were becoming wrong doers in the eyes of the owner and the management.