Dear Barua,
I fully agree to the economics of assamese pasi kharahi. These bamboo &
cane made items are in very much demand not only in India also in various
parts of the world. Even if we consider the demand only in India, in the range
of Rs.100-150, these items will be a sale out in almost all the major cities
in assam. During the last two or three International trade fairs in Delhi,
these items sold out within two three days of the fair. In Dilli Hat during
NER festival, these bamboo made items were very poular. There are few
assamese enterpreuners in Delhi & Mumbai, who is doing good business
selling cane made furnitures. But there are so many middlemen involved that
prices become a little high but that has not prevented
people from buying it & these enterpreuners are making good
money.
However, as I have intimated in earlier mails, I don't want to demean
my fellow assamese people, but I find it difficult to resist myself
from stating that the Assamese people are always after easy money and
always content-with-whatever-they-have, which is a root cause for this dire
state of affairs. They are reluctant to work outside Assam for one reason
or other. Those very few, who have dared to venture out are making us
proud.
Regards
Mridul Bhuyan
>From: Chan Mahanta
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "Rajen Barua"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "mridul
bhuyan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
<
[email protected]>
>Subject: Re: The Economy of Assamese
Pasi-Khorahi
>Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 15:29:43
-0500
>
>Rajen:
>
>You have made an impressive
presentation here; which at once, is a
>ground-breaking dissertation on
economics as well as anthropology.
>
>Jaapi off to you
:-).
>
>c
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>At
3:19 PM -0500 5/31/05, Rajen Barua wrote:
>>Earlier I stated that
majority Assamese are Followers (Litikai),
>>Coward and Lazy
(Dhwd). Alpana did not agree with my 'coward'
>>part.
Dilip agreed to agree if I use the word 'majority' which I am
>>doing now as that is what I mean. Much to the annoyance
of some
>>netters, I also want to add the following two or three
>>qualifications to the Assamese. These are that majority Assamese
>>are also 'Naive' , ' Narrow minded' and 'Self
centered'. Frankly
>>speaking, as a group the whole
Assamese nation may be said to be
>>'stupid' and without any
national 'unity'. I also say that
>>Assamese
may be said to be more 'corrupt' than the rest of the
>>Indians. This however I leave it to netters general
judgment.
>>
>>While we all know that Indian 'democracy' has
its own problems and
>>the GOI has problems in implementing its
share of responsibilities,
>>we cannot deny the fact that Assam's
problems are aggravated by the
>>Assamese themselves because of
their above draw backs. Normally no
>>one would like to
highlight these drawbacks of the Assamese and
>>would rather like to
focus on the shortcomings of GOI. That would
>>have been fine to a
limit. However when we try to take the opposite
>>position that
there is nothing wrong with the Assamese people and
>>that all the
problems are there because of inefficient Indian
>>democracy,
corrupt and dysfunctional GOI etc, then however we need
>>to stand
up and say what is the reality. This is important because
>>otherwise we will fail to do any welfare to Assam if that is our
>>goal. I feel very strongly that Assamese are not doing
anything
>>to help the pathetic situation of Assam other than
blaming
>>everybody else, that most of Assam's problems would not be
solved
>>even if we improve the efficiency of GOI and Indian
democracy. For
>>Assam to improve and develop, Assamese
must to improve and develop.
>>
>>With that is mind I would
like to refute some of the defenses being
>>put forward in the net
against these drawbacks of the Assamese.
>>First let me
take the case of Assamese laziness. Basically
>>Assamese
are lazy people. It is a known fact. Ask 10 Assamese.
>>They would vouce for this. In this I would agree with Mridul
>>Bhuyan's examples of the situation Assam and want to take his
>>question as responded by Chandan as an
example:
>>
>>Mridul - How many people in the village now
can make 'khorahi',
>>'Passi', 'Bisoni'? Is 'burha tamul' is
available in the villages ?
>>
>>Chandan *** Guess how much
time it takes to make a basket, and how
>>much as a buyer you would
be paying to the rural basket maker ( not
>>to the Delhi shop--they
would make out like bandits) for one? Have
>>you ever made a basket
Mridul? Have you seen one being made? If you
>>want to know more
about it, let me know, I will be pleased to spend
>>an hour to
educate you. I know all about it, because I have done
>>it. It is
all about time spent and reimbursements received for it.
>>Still
rural folks would make it for their own use, or when there is
>>not
much to do, will make a few to take it to the 'haat', to sell
>>for
at most, five to six rupees a piece, even in today's
>>environment.
>>
>>This brings us to the issue
of
>>
>>Economy of Assamese
Pasi-Khorahi
>>
>>Chandan is trying to tell that the reason
why the Assamese
>>villagers do not make pasi-khorahi-saloni any
more is because it
>>takes time and basically it is not economical
and that there is no
>>market for it. Let us take the
case very seriously and try to see
>>what exactly is happening
here.
>>
>>Chandan says that an Assamese villager would make
a pasi (bamboo
>>basket) for Rs 5 or 6 and sell it in hat (weekly
community market)
>>. First this shows how out of reality Chandan
is. So first I would
>>like to give Chandan a raise. Let
us give the villager not 5 or 6
>>but 50 rupees for a good quality
bamboo basket because that is what
>>the present market
is. Assamese household in Assam will pay Rs 50
>>without
any problem for a good quality pasi khorahi. In place like
>>Guwahati a good quality bamboo basket will probably sell for Rs
>>75/100. In place like Delhi (Dilli Hut) these will sell foe Rs
>>100/150.
>>
>>Now while this market is there one
will not find in the village hat
>>or in any govt emporium any good
quality Assamese
>>pasi-khorahi-saloni. If one goes to
place like Delhi, one will not
>>find any Assamese pasi khorahi
saloni. I did not find it in Dilli
>>Hut which was full of handy
crafts from all other states.
>>
>>Now let us pause and
reflect what is happening here.
>>
>>First Assamese are very
fortunate that they have inherited the
>>Bamboo culture
which is found mainly in South East Asia and China.
>>There are not
too many places in the world where bamboo grows.
>>Assam is
one. Assamese have inherited the special skills of making
>>these handicraft. They have this knowledge which a
Bihari or a
>>Rajasthani does not. There is also a market for such
products more
>>than the 'naive' Assamese would like to
think. Then the question
>>is why the Assamese cannot
sell it.
>>
>>The answer is Assamese are lazy to try to
improve their lot.
>>
>>What is lacking from the above
equation is the Assamese
>>entrepreneurship of some ambitious
unemployed energetic youth who
>>would give contracts to the
ignorant Assamese villagers to supply
>>good quality pasi khorahi at
competitive rates (of Rs 50 each) and
>>who would in combination
with others in towns like Guwahati, Jorhat
>>would sell these in
shops and open market (Rs 75 each) and
>>eventually would sell these
in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata etc (Rs
>>100/150
each).
>>
>>That there is a world market for good quality
Assamese pasi khorahi
>>is evident if one would simply visit say a
Import store in USA like
>>PIER 1 Imports or Target etc. I checked
and am very pleased to find
>>that such Assamese pasi khorahi saloni
would sell for $8/10. (Rs
>>400/500). This means that in
collaboration with partners in USA,
>>Assamese can sell these to
PIER 1 or Target at least at half that
>>price which is say $5.00 =
Rs 250. If some Assamese youth can
>>supply say 1000 such bamboo
baskets to PIER 1 in USA through a
>>middleman, he can sell the lot
for Rs 10/15,000 at least. I have
>>just shown some
numbers for case of analysis. The fact remains that
>>this market is
there and all the existing bamboo baskets or other
>>bamboo products
in PIER 1 and other shops are being imported from
>>Philippines or
China or Thailand. It is a question of Assamese
>>learning the
tricks of the trade, learning quality control,
>>learning how to do
export market in bulk quantity and do it. BTW,
>>one may
visit the following web sites of PIER 1 and TARGET and see
>>the
actual prices of bamboo products.
>>(<http://www.pier1.com>www.pier1.com;
>><http://www.target.com>www.target.com
etc)
>>
>>At present Assamese are not doing it because
Assamese are not hard
>>working, smart and are willing to
improve their lot like the
>>Chinese, Phillipines and
Thai people. So let us understand the
>>reality
and let us not come up with some false defenses why the
>>Assamese do not make pasi
khorahi.
>>
>>I fear that this Assamese laziness is going to
cost the Assamese
>>people very dearky. They are going to loose
these skills entirely.
>>
>>In the next message later, I
will follow it up with the case of
>>'Assamese Tilika Goru', the
Wretched Assamese Cow-Why and How.
>>
>>Rajen
Barua
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
