Shushunia village, located in the Chhatna subdivision of the Bankura district in West Bengal, has been stirring the headlines recently. According to Local 18 Bengal, the natives living here earn their living by making garlands of the bael fruit. It is a very delicate process. Besides being used in the garland, there are many other substantial uses of the bael trees. Once this fruit is separated from the tree, only then this garland is made. The Das family living in Shushunia village has been doing this work for close to 36 years. To make the garlands, this family collects the bael from the local trees and the other 160 pieces of bael are bought from Bishnupur for Rs 400.
It is followed by the shells of this fruit being peeled off from inside. Then, the outer peel of the opening of the bael is carefully peeled off and preserved for the next step. The Das family ensures that they remove all the stuff in the enclosure of the stone apple (bael fruit’s other name) with the help of the tools. Amongst the tools used for this process, a special kind of needle is used which is highly significant for the making of the bael fruit garland. Each mala is sold for Rs 5 and thus the Das family can earn Rs 100 by selling 20 garlands. The village garland makers directly hand over these bell garlands to the moneylenders and then this product is sold in different markets.
The garland manufacturer Sanjay Das said that this work lasts somehow for a few days. According to him, if you work all day at a rapid speed, you can earn Rs 250 to Rs 300. He said that due to inflation, Rs 202 and Rs 150 is nothing. Moreover, the garland makers have expressed their disappointment as there is no government intervention in this work as well. The garland makers feel that it will be a little less problematic for them to make a living with this profession if they get an allowance. Sanjay added that the new generation has no interest in pursuing this profession any further.
Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website
Comments
0 comment