Khunta: A sharp decline in farm animals’ population has hit several cobbler families in this block of Mayurbhanj district. Since animal hides are the main raw materials to make their products, their shortage is hitting their businesses so hard that some cobblers are struggling to make ends meet.
Purnachandra Das, a cobbler of Gayalamara village under this block who makes varieties of musical instruments, said he has been in this age-old profession following in the footsteps of his forefathers. However, shortage of animal skin has made his life difficult, Das added.
“We generally make Dhumsa, Mardal from the hide of buffalo, dholki from cow skin, mridanga, digi and tabla from goat skin,” said Das.
Earlier, people used to rear farm animals such as cow, ox, buffalo, goat and sheep for cultivation and compost in farmlands. The cobbler community people used to collect the skins of these animals after their death and use them in making various musical instruments. Shoe-making was also a cottage industry which depended on the animal skins.
Now, thanks to modern farming methods, animals’ use in agriculture operations has come down considerably. More and more farmers are using tractors and power tillers. They are also using fertilizers instead of dung. Maintenance of livestock has become more expensive than the farming tools at the moment, some farmers pointed out. With the need of farm animals getting reduced, their population has also declined which has hit the cobblers’ vocation.
The biggest blow, perhaps, to cobblers was dealt by electronic goods and big shoe-manufacturing companies. People these days prefer electronic instruments and machine-made shoes to the hand-made items.
Earlier, the hide of a buffalo or cow was costing the cobblers Rs 100 and that of a goat or sheep skin around Rs 40. They used to sell an instrument made from cow or buffalo hide at about Rs 1,200 and instruments made from goat skin fetched them about Rs 400. Now-a-days, it is difficult to sell the items made from buffalo hide at even Rs 500, the hand-made instrument makers lamented.
Maheswar Das of Mochisahi near Bholagadia village said two of the four cobblers’ families have moved to other profession after failing to eke out a living from instrument or shoe making.
The administration should take measures to help out these traditional instrument makers, some other villagers said. PNN
