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 situa! tion 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 Internat! ional 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
> >
>
>
> >
> >
>
>
> &! nbsp; >
>
>
> >
> >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 peop! le 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 def! enses 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
> &n! bsp; >>
>
>>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
> >&g! t;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
happen! ing 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 fro! m 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 Ass! amese 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.
>
>>
> &! gt;>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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