Can Bottleneck of the Prospect of Traditional Ssi Be Inevitable?
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Article can be accessed online at http://www.publishingindia.com CAN BOTTLENECK OF THE PROSPECT OF TRADITIONAL SSI BE INEVITABLE? Bidyut Pramanik Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Haldia Government College, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India. Email: [email protected] Abstract Small scale industry (SSI) though sounds small but has a pivotal role in the sustenance of a nation’s economy. But unfortunately many traditional SSI have gradually plunged towards darkness and lost in the past. Jari industry is one of the traditional SSI existing in India, especially in Howrah, Bengal. The study portrays number of problems appearing forth in the smooth journey of a progressed rural economy depending on the jari industry in the context of Howrah district. Unlike many other traditional crafts, the jari industry gave the bent down torso of rural economy a steadiness to stand against in the battle with their underdeveloped standard of life. But jari industry, a very old but important in terms of its popularity and low pollution, is under the threat of destruction like many others in the past, and puts up a question whether the vintage SSI can be saved from being extinct or not. Keywords: Small Scale Industry, Jari Industry, Financial Problem, Governmental Ignorance, Future Prospects Introduction sense and a flair for embroidery work. The industry from that point of time has been largely under the control of the Indian fashion in terms of designed apparels is very famous mahajans (Entrepreneurs) of Burrabazar (Kolkata) who all over the world. This apparel fashion is highly indebted normally supply the materials including gold and silver jari to jari industry of this country. Jari work consists of a procured from Surat in Saurashtra (Banerji, 1972). special kind of embroidery done with gilded threads on The spread of jari industry in Howrah largely owes to the sari, veils, and blouse pieces especially prized by Marwari many skilled workers from the districts, who were famous women (Banerji, 1972). Even in nineteenth century the for jewellary setting and polishing and got engaged in description on jari can be found in the write up of Watson jewellary industries in Maharastra and Gujarat since (Watson, 1866), the author of a classic catalogue of Indian nineteenth century. After two or three generations, some of fabrics, where the jari is defined as twisted silver thread with them gradually learnt the art of jari-craft and came back to a golden shine, a widely used material on the borders or native district Howrah to start this industry with vigor. surface of decorated cloths. It was generally woven on cotton or silk, or embroidered by hand. No other major industry The jari industry even from the very beginning was under was so closely associated with silk and, occasionally, the cloud of different problems, like the competition from with cotton weaving (Roy, 1999). The popularity of jari Western Europe garment designer industry, financial crunch, even in that time is evident in the write up. The handloom and poor domestic markets etc. Though at present the weaving, untouched by the progress of power-looms, clearly domestic market is prosperous, many new problems have demonstrated the mesmerizing artifacts of the contemporary been added to make the life of a jari worker very appalling. jari workers. The craft is said to have originated at Banaras, The existing geographical or sociological literatures are, Uttar Pradesh, the “infant industry” gradually expanded its however, have not focused to those problems, which is branches in Western India. The growth of this appealing essential to nurture the Small Scale Industry (SSI) in India industry was very apparent when it laid its footstone in in the present context, when Central Government is also the district of Howrah, West Bengal. In 1966-67 about 150 framing different acts (Misra and Puri, 2009) like New artisans with 10-25 apprentices, were known to be operating Small Enterprise Policy 1991 (NSEP- 1991), Micro, Small in the villages of Dakshin Kolara, Natibpur (Domjur P.S.), and Medium Enterprises Development Act 2006 (MSMED Dhaulagari (Sankrail P.S.), Panchla, Uttar Panchla (Panchla Act- 2006) etc for this purpose (“Project Profile on Zari P.S.), Deulpur, Jalalsi (J.B.Pur P.S.), Theatta and Baikhali embroidery”, 2011). This work unfolds the painful saga of (Uluberia P.S.). They were all muslims with a keen artistic jari workers in Howrah district and tries to explore possible Can Bottleneck of the Prospect of Traditional SSI be Inevitable? 25 remedies in a research based discussion which can be very M�t�odo�o�� useful to put up a solid framework of this country in terms of SSI, and thus in the fi eld of employment and trade. Main methodology of the present research work is broadly divided into two parts: Stud� Ar�� �nd it� S���ction i. Statistical analysis, and ii. Cartographic representation. Howrah, one of the smallest districts in West Bengal, is situated between 220 12′ 30′′ and 200 46′ 55′′ north The statistical analysis mainly incorporates data collection, latitude and 880 22′ 10′′ and 870 50′ 45′′ east longitude. It tabulation and analysis. Data have been collected both from was transferred from Burdwan Division to the Presidency primary and secondary sources. Primary data have been Division under Govt. of West Bengal Notifi cation No.999- collected from fi eld study. Total sample families of 500 have G.A. dated March, 4th, 1963 (Banerji, 1972). been selected from all 13 blocks as dominant economic activity which included about 1550 jari workers of Howrah Howrah district has an area of 1467 km2 with a population district. of 42, 74,010 (according to 2001 census). Howrah district is chosen for the study because jari works are primarily A detail fi eld survey has been conducted during 2008 to concentrated in this district of West Bengal. In the districts 2010 to gather the knowledge of different problems the jari like Hooghly, East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas too, workers are facing there. The sources of secondary data are jari works and workers are found though quite insignifi cant. mentioned earlier in database. Table 1 gives the percentage distribution of total workers of D�t����� Howrah district in the 13 C. D. (Community Development) blocks of West Bengal and also percentage distribution of A. The collection of primary data through survey and jari workers in those blocks. The study blocks are selected interviewing of offi cials. in terms of importance, employment and concentration of B. Collection of secondary data is from- workers in jari industry. a. Census of India, 2001 In West Bengal it is only the Howrah district where jari b. District Industries Centre, Howrah, 2006. works are concentrated in large numbers. In no other district, such large concentration of jari workers is found. c. Statistical handbook, Howrah, 2005. The reason behind this non-uniformity in concentration of jari workers is already discussed in the section Introduction. In Howrah district, jari workers constitute about 11.02% of Table 1: Percentage distribution of jari workers in different C. D. blocks of Howrah district Total % of total Total jari % of jari Sl.No. C.D.Block workers workers workers workers 1 Panchla 79819 37.3 49900 62.3 2 J.B.Pur 79167 35.2 24781 31.3 3 Sankrail 100026 34.4 11400 11.4 4 Udaynarayanpur 61719 35.9 1177 1.9 5 Uluberia-I 55107 30.3 6005 10.9 6 Uluberia-II 49581 30.6 25380 51.2 7 Amta -I 72162 36.1 23575 32.67 8 Amta-II 61303 32.4 4535 7.4 9 Bagnan-I 55528 29.0 1975 3.56 10 Bagnan-II 45330 31.0 597 1.32 11 Shyampur-I 60400 33.1 3400 5.63 12 Shyampur-II 54933 32.1 463 0.84 13 Domjur 106523 34.2 5410 5.08 Source: District Industries Centre, Howrah 2006 and Census of India, 2001. 26 Journal of Rural and Industrial Development Volume 1 Issue 2 October 2013 total workers. The entire 13 C.D. blocks of Howrah district Table 2 where the difference between prices in local market contain jari works as major economic activity other than and Kolkata market has been depicted graphically. agriculture. There are 2 blocks where jari workers constitute Table 2 shows that the ostagars get a very handsome profi t over 50% of the total workers. They are Panchla (62.3%) by selling raw materials. Figure 1 also depicts this fact. and Uluberia-II (51.2%). Second largest concentration of jari workers are found in Amta-I (32.7%), J.B.Pur (31.3%) Figure 1: The comparative graph between price rate and third largest concentration is found in Sankrail (11.4%) of Kolkata and local markets. The blue line indicates block. The percentage distribution of jari workers in price rate in local market. The red line indicates that remaining 8 blocks are below 10% of the total workers. The in Kolkata market. The serial numbers in x-axis are distribution of jari workers among 13 blocks of the district described in table 2. refl ects the signifi cance of jari works as an economic activity. In the backdrop of closure and sickness of industries in Howrah district which has become a common phenomenon not only in W.B. but throughout India, a large number of workers from other occupation have shifted to jari works. As jari industry of Howrah district is becoming an important economic activity both in terms of income and employment generated, entire 13 C.D. blocks are taken into consideration for the fi eld survey. Accordingly, survey has been conducted in all blocks during the period 2008 to 2010.