Dear Barua,
Its a pleasure for me replying to your mail. Yes, I agree to your remarks
about Assam emporium comared to Kerala or emporiums of other states. I was
aware of the fact that 'Gamwsa' is imported from outside the state. The silk
yarn to make the silk clothes in Sarthebari/Palashbari area are also imported
as far as I know. Even, I remember our grandmother used to make those 'muga'
& 'Eri' yarns from cocon. But, now, I can assure you nobody in the village
try making them even after abundant 'Keseru' plants are available in the
villages. My mother used to make 'Gamwsa' and 'chadors' till we were in class
X. But, now nobody in our family know how to make them. A muga saari in
delhi fetches arround Rs.6000-10000 depending upon the workmanship. I am
happy that the people from Sarthebari & Palashbari is
retaining monopoly in this business till now. But, from the last few
years, lots of marwari are also in the fray.
The need of the hour is industrious people. I have one relative in Sibsagar
town, who uses to purchase the electronic spare parts in wholesale paying a
paltry sum in Delhi & distributes the same in Radio/TV repairing stores in
Upper Assam areas, thereby earning very good money. I am always of the
opininon that Assamese people should develop an outgoing nature to come out of
the 'hole' in Assam and fight it out the harder way in an wider platform with
others. I am very happy that some of the younger generation recently have come
out from Assam and started competing with the people from other states in
Delhi. Few years back, the population of assamese in Delhi were handful,
however, now about 2000/3000 assamese people are in delhi fighting for their
livelihood. Mr.Manoj Das, GS, assam association might be able to put the
correct figure.
Regards
Mridul Bhuyan
>From: "Barua25"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "mridul bhuyan"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
<
[email protected]>
>Subject: [Assam] Re: The Economy of
Assamese Pasi-Khorahi
>Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2005 02:13:10
-0500
>
>Dear Bhuyan:
>Thanks for your reply. I am glad that
some Assamese youth are working in the Assamese Handicraft business. There are
lot that need to be done in this field. Consistent quality control is a big
problem for Assamese products. BTW if someone want to explore
exporting Assamese handicraft items and want additional information, I will
volunteer to help. Assamese are yet to go a long way but things can be learnt
from others. One example: We have two states which are famous for Elephants:
Kerela and Assam. If one visit a Kerela Emporium and Assam Emporium in any big
city, one will see the difference of quality and style of wooden elephants.
Those of Kerela are far superior in workmanship and style and art compared to
those of Assam. I donot think Assamese artists are inferior, but I
think somebody need to open training schools for making these Handicraft items
to improve things. Youth should not depend on Government. States like
Rajasthan is exporting millions of dollar every year in Handicraft items. I
think you will agree that Assam has much more potential. I donot understand,
why Assamese have to wait for some non Assamese to show them the way. Recently
I have heard that there had been a protest to stop import of Gamwsa from out
of state. What a pathetic news item. I donot understand why items like
Assamese Gamwsa etc have to be imported from outside Assam. What about the
Assamese Japi? Is it also being imported to Assam? What about Assamese Riha,
Mekhela? As Ram has pointed out, Naga Shawl etc are also hot items for
export. I think irrespective of the political situation in Assam, a
section of people will have to create a cultural and economic revolution in
Assam to improve things. I think the net can provide valuable guidance in this
respect.
>I like your views. Please keep up the posting.
>Rajen
Barua
> ----- Original Message -----
>
From: mridul bhuyan
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ;
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ;
[email protected]> Sent:
Wednesday, June 01, 2005 12:56 AM
> Subject: Re: The Economy
of Assamese Pasi-Khorahi
>
>
> 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
> >>
>
>>
> >>
>
>>
> >>
>
>>
>
>
>
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