Official indifference affecting bamboo trade

GOLAKGANJ, July 28: The bamboo-based cottage industries in Dhubri play a pivotal role in improving the socio-economic condition of the people of the char area of the Dhubri district. In absence of any comprehensive planning to wipe out the growing unemployment problem, encouraging bamboo-based cottage industries seems to be an alternative source of income for people living below the poverty line. These industries are concentrated in some char villages like Balurchar, Newghat char, Pahari char, Yogmaya Dham etc. The products are being marketed from South Salmara char bazar on the South bank of Dhubri district. At present more people are adopting it in view of its tremendous demand in other parts of the country and abroad too. A brief survey reveals that nearly 60,000 people are involved in this industry. But the poor artisans are paid a meager amount. They are being exploited at the hands of middlemen who supply the bamboos, the raw material and also collect the finished products. These brokers purchase the bamboo products in bulk and sell them in northern and southern states of our country at a much higher rate. With this modus operandi, a few influential middlemen are earning lakhs or rupees while the skilled labourers are living a hand-to-mouth existence. A proper planning to organising these skilled labourers under a single roof of promoting craft is the need of the hour. In West Garo Hills, one of the nearest transit points, within a radius of 300 k.m, bamboos are lying in heaps for days together awaiting transportation. Even then, the poor bamboo growers of the surrounding areas are selling their produce at much lower price of the suggestion local. The bamboo growers as well as the craftsmen are deprived of their dues because of a proper marketing system. The initial activities like organising people, creating awareness and imparting training can smoothly be carried out but for the marketing. There should be some syndicate which would provide protection to these poor people by fixing prices for their products. Dhubri, being one of the most economically backward district of Assam, rich traditions of bamboo craft may soon vanish owing to official indifference to be plight of these marginalise people.