Bijnores bamboo furniture artisans find it difficult to survive

By Sarfaraz Khan

By Sarfaraz Khan

Bijnore, Aug.22 (AN): There was a time when villages in the Rajasthan's Bijnore District were known for their quality bamboo furniture.

The bamboo furniture, of late, is facing stiff competition from plastic furniture.

In olden times, bamboo chairs of Bijnore, were a favourite even with royal families. Today, the craftsmen, who manufacture the bamboo chairs, have to compete with modern furniture and are also under pressure from environmentalists.

Many fear that their ancestral profession is all set to fade into oblivion. They have not cultivated any other skills. And, most of them are facing starvation.

According to an estimate, around 20,000 persons are engaged in the manufacture of bamboo furniture.

These bamboo furniture-makers also face a lot of problems due to strict regulations enforced by the Forest Department that keeps a check on the raw material.

Dharamveer Singh, owner of a bamboo furniture unit, said: "We don't get raw material easily now. We bring it from Forest Department and their officials create problems for us. Police want palm-greasing. Our business is badly affected. "

A bamboo chair takes a full day to prepare. It is sold at rupees 60 and the profit is rupees forty.

Artisans complain that they get a meagre amount for their labour.

Mansingh, another bamboo chair maker, said: "Our furniture gets little money. Officials at the Forest Department stop our private vehicles and demand money at the check-posts. We receive rough treatment everywhere."

ANI