Post News Network
Rourkela, Dec 18: The future of their children has gone for a toss as they have been on the move round the year to lead no more than a hand-to-mouth life.
As many as 35 persons of four carpenter families of Telangana, braving cold and inclement weather, are lying under the open sky close to RSP compound wall at Sarana Chhak here for the last few days to guard their items. They sell newly-look rolling pin and boards collected from a Gujurat-based company.
While the elders spend the evening around bonfire to fight the chilling cold, their children are seen guarding products as per their capacities. Locals throng the place to watch how the nomads spend the nights using their truck-load of products as a wall around them.
They also put the products on the ground and spread bedsheets on them to have baby naps. These carpenters have been the centre of attraction for the Steel City citizens for the last couple of days and many don’t forget to buy a piece or two for their domestic needs.
According to reports, these families of Adilabad district of Telangana have entered this trade about nine months back. Earlier, they used to make wooden items to eke out a living but had to quit their original profession due to acute shortage of wood. The families contacted a Gujurat-based company which manufactures attractive fibre-made rolling pin and steel board. They directly procure the products from the manufacture and sell them to customers at a cheaper cost from roadside. People get attracted to buy them at Rs100 a pair. The carpenters have already travelled most of the states and reached Orissa just a few days back.
“We have no complaint about the adverse weather condition since about a half truck of products have been sold over last four days,” Kailash and Balu of the group said.
During last nine months, they have travelled states including West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and the earning was not bad, they said, adding, they would next move to Bargarh and Sambalpur.
“We have to spend nights in hazardous condition only to fill our stomachs. Our children never get an opportunity to study,” some female members of the group lamented and said they hardly get time to plan their future.
They cannot afford to hire a room for their business as they would run short of money to return to Telangana, the carpenters explained when suggested to go for a rented accommodation.
“God is great. We have never faced any serious trouble despite our products being on display in the open. We can never forget the goodwill of people of Rourkela,” Venkatesh, another group member said.
