The Hindu Business Line : Lac of concern

Naeemunnisa, 38, walks rapidly down the narrow lane, nimbly avoiding the puddles. The winding lane is filled with haphazardly parked twowheelers,clotheslines, small washing areas, huge containers of water and cement bags.Naeem, as she is fondly known, is rushing off to work just three streets away from her home.

She is late and concerned about the full day's work that awaits her. She is one of the thousands of workers in the old city of Hyderabad who earn a livelihood by making lac bangles. These craftspersons are part of the unorganised sector, working out of small units, usually within the confines of a house, and most bangle units are family affairs. In some cases, as with Naeem, members of different families come together to work."I used to work from home when my husband and brother-in-law made bangles. Now they have switched over to construction work. So I go to a friend's place and chip in there," explains Naeem.

Hyderabad is well known for the traditional, bright lac bangles that are sold in shops in the historic Laad Bazaar, also known as Chudi Bazaar, adjacent to the city's monumental landmark, the Charminar. Most shopkeepers sell the bangles loose,leaving it to the customers to mix and match the bangles. While the thick bangles are sold in singles, the thin ones can be purchased in sets of six, 10 or 12. The shopkeepers give a commission to the bangle-makers and the glimmering bangles are sold for outstanding profit margins. But the profits are not passed onto the makers of these dazzling creations - one of the reasons why many artisans, such as Naeem's husband and brother-inlaw, have given up the craft in search of a better livelihood.

DISMAL WORKING CONDITIONS

Dismal working conditions are another reason. Bangle-making is a laborious process. Glue is melted in a kadhai and lac powder, sourced from local markets, is mixed into it and then kneaded into a loose dough. The bangle-maker then rolls the dough into a long bar. The lac bar is allowed to cool, and to make the bangle, a small lump of the bar is warmed and softened. Colour or gold powder is kneaded in until the lump resembles a gold nugget. Once again, it is heated over coals before a coat of gold or colour is applied. Strips are then cut from the malleable bar that is rolled onto thin metal rings. The bangle is then mounted on a wooden instrument resembling a rolling pin to give it a round finish.

This part of the work is done by men. Once the bangles, in various shapes and sizes, have been crafted by the men, they are embellished with shiny artificial stones, beads, and glass fragments in a riot of colourful patterns by the women, who meticulously affix each of these tiny pieces onto the warm, one-inch, or even less, lac base.

A basic set of bangles can be made in about 20 minutes. During the entire process, the material is repeatedly heated over coals so that it stays malleable. The melting and mixing is done on kerosene stoves. This industry i s all about small money. Over 180 bangles are crafted out of a kg of lac powder bought for Rs 350. The colours cost about Rs 200 a kg and can be used for almost 1,000 bangles.

SMALL MONEY

Even the tools are small; and the space required, limited. Small money thus indicates that the craftspersons, who are paid a daily wage by the commissioning bangle-sellers, receive very little of the profits. The men earn Rs 110 per day, less than the daily wage of an unskilled construction worker, which is Rs 150.The women get an average of Rs 75 a day. "Women who do the stone studding work on the lac bangles get Rs 75 per set of bangles, eventually sold in the shops for Rs 2,000. It takes almost a day to complete the work and, usually, two or three women work together," says Asad Baig, an entrepreneur.

"We are dependent on small-time businessmen to buy our products. Our business can grow only to the extent that theirs does. These arrangements have been in place over generations. I can't violate them," says Irfan Ali, a bangle-maker. The meagre earnings are the primary livelihood for most of the artisans in the area surrounding the Charminar, says Hyderabad-based conservation architect and planner Vasanta Sobha, currently exploring the possibility of a project to bring bangle artisans under a single roof, to boost effective marketing.

Sobha says the bangle-making industry is becoming unsustainable, with no wage improvement.Artisans are forced to seek other avenues of income generation, and unhealthy work environment compounds poor wages.

Saramma, lives in a small courtyard complex in a 50 sq yard plot, rather similar to a chawl. The building houses 14 families and more than 60 people share a bathroom. During the day, the crowded tenements become workplaces. Saramma chose to send her infant granddaughter to her maternal grandparents as "there was too much smoke and smell" in her home. " Bachche ke liye khatarnaak ho sakta hai, (it could be dangerous for the baby)," she says.

CHILD LABOUR

Ironically, while artisans are reluctant to have their children learn the craft, child labour does persist in this industry. Children from neighbouring slums are engaged as trainees and paid only commuting fare. The workers are largely illiterate and have no retirement or old-age benefits. When in need of money, the traders loan them an amount and deduct it every week from their wages. "This is a typical example of the unorganised sector. Livelihood as long as they are working!" says Sobha. Nor are there any standard rates for selling items in the main market.

Regardless of how good a deal a seller strikes, the bangle-maker will get only his/her nominal wages. "There are some NGOs working for the betterment of their living conditions but I think better, bigger, more organised marketing facilities are the solution," she adds. Not just a livelihood option but even as a traditional craft, bangle-making needs to be kept alive, she adds.

Naeem's family is the perfect case study that shows a traditional craft can gradually fade into oblivion. With the men in her family seeking alternate employment and her children studying, Naeem is her family's last link with the traditional craft.

Women's Feature Service

More Stories on : Gems & Jewellery | Work Life

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Bun maska ho jaye