Mohammed Ansari toils for about 12-13 hours a day to make a gain of anywhere between Rs 20 and Rs 60. The handicraft certificate from the government has unfortunately not made any difference to his living. His is not the only story. This is the sorry state of affairs of the hundreds of lak bangle makers who sweat it out everyday in their tiny sheds in the bylanes of the famous Chudi Bazaar or Laad Bazaar, near the historic Charminar in Hyderabad.
Lak bangle-making is an unique art and the city takes pride in it. Among the four southern states, only in Hyderabad these bangles are made in such huge numbers. But sadly, the Pearl City is now turning a deaf ear to these craftsmen.
The shop owners here sell bangles not only in the local market but also export to other countries such as Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia and UK. But unfortunately the benefits offered to the exports industry do not get passed on to them.
But it is the artisans who are in a worse state. Says Mohd Osman, who took to his father?s bangle-making business when he was a child. ?We spend about 3-5 hours to prepare the design for a family set, which is a set of 14 lak bangles studded with colourful stones. The shop owners will give us the order and the stones, and the product gets delivered within eight days depending on the order?s size. We also get individual orders, but it is negligible.?
Other raw materials like the lak and rings are sourced from the local market. ?With six people working in a shop and we make anywhere between Rs 120 and Rs 200 per day per person. Our cost itself would work out to Rs 90-100 per family set, leaving us with just Rs 20 on a normal day and Rs 60 during the peak season.?
The ?family set? then gets sold in the shops for over Rs 1,200 per set. But the profits are not passed onto the makers.
Significantly, the handicrafts certificate from the government also doesn?t help, even in getting loans from banks. ?To set up a small shop with bare minimum tools, we need to invest Rs 12,000 but the bankers are not willing to provide us the loan. The government is also not coming forward to help,? Osman adds.
It is often said if you think of lak bangles in the South, you think of Hyderabad. ?So why can?t the government and financers extend their helping hand to promote this art form,? asks Ansari.
