Joda: For the last several years, people of Kalindi, a riparian village on the banks of the Baitarani under Joda block of Keonjhar, have been left high and dry after chit fund companies like Rose Valley and Seashore fleeced them of their hard-earned savings. While recovering their lost money has remained a dream, the poor families now are struggling to make both ends meet by taking up bamboo ware.
“By selling bamboo wares in the local market, we hardly manage to get Rs 1,000 a month. Forget about repairing our thatched shanties, it is an uphill struggle even to feed our families from the meagre earnings that we make from this,” say the womenfolk.
According to reports, there are scores of villages along the Baitarani, which meanders though forested areas. Their livelihood of the people here hinges solely on forest economy. The people of Kalindi Sahi in Chamakpur panchayat collect bamboo from forests with which they make a variety of items like winnowers, baskets, sieves, flower baskets and hand fans.
While some villagers sell the bamboo items in Keonjhar market, others go hawking them in nearby villages.
The village, just 20 km away from Joda block, is surrounded by mines. Though bamboo ware making was a tradition livelihood source for them, many residents had left this age-old occupation preferring to work in various mining companies to earn a decent salary with which to run their homes. However, for the last few years, due to a sluggish iron market, mines have remained closed leaving many residents jobless.
Under the changed circumstances, they have again returned to their age-old profession to make ends meet.
The tables have turned in more than one way: now the men are out of jobs and it is the women who are putting the bread on the table.
“Our men are all out of jobs. They are no longer able to make an earning,” said a woman.
However, many families have abandoned this occupation. Families of Keshab Kalindi, Suresh Kalindi, Gurucharan Kalindi, Dushashan Kalindi, Ranjit Kalindi, Hiranya Kalindi, 80-year old Jena Kalindi, Chandrai Kalindi, Ratna Kalindi, Lili Kalindi, and Phulatoli Kalindi have been in the bamboo ware business for the last 50 years.
Villagers say they purchase bamboo from distant villages like Naradpur, Saraspasi, Nuagan, Dhobakuchuda and Birikala.
“A bamboo plant is bought for anything between Rs 150 to Rs 300. The bamboo pieces are split with various methods before making them into various items,” they said.
Suresh Kalindi delved into the basic problems afflicting the village. “We have no land for cultivation. All that we have is our homestead land. The government provides us only subsidised rice and kerosene. Whatever we earn from selling bamboo items is hardly enough to meet our daily expenses. We are still living in darkness as our village has not been electrified,” he added.
“Nobody is aware of our plight and the difficulties which we face on a daily basis. Sometimes, we fail to provide even three square meals a day to our children,” rued Chandri Kalindi. 70-year old Jema Kalindi said her family has been in this profession for the last 60 years. “The price of bamboo items is not increasing. Managing our families is becoming increasingly difficult due to dwindling earnings from sale of bamboo items. I dread to imagine the kind of future that is in store for our young children,” she said. PNN