Bamboo craftspeople in dire straits

MYSORE: Siddamma deftly works her hands to fashion out a small basket from bamboo. "This is the only work I know. I've been doing it since my childhood," says the bamboo craftswoman, in her late 60s. But there's worry writ on her face and many others like her in Nanjumalige and Bamboo Bazaar areas, bamboo hubs of the city. For they are not getting access to raw material, business has suffered and customers seem to show little interest in bamboo works.Nearly 25,000 bamboo craftspersons in the city eke out their livelihood solely on this business but the future now lies bleak. "Over the past eight years we have been finding it difficult to source raw materials. We get substandard bamboo and the end products are low in quality."Craftspeople are worried as people seem to prefer plastics over bamboo. Says Uday Kumar, a bamboo craftsperson, "The future of bamboo craft seems bleak. We had approached the chief and deputy conservator officer to provide us the raw materials at nearby places as we depend on daily wages and cannot afford the transportation charges. Over the past three years, the situation has turned bad. They are not helping us source the raw materials." Earlier, there were more than 40,000 bamboo craftspersons in the city. As their business started falling, many have opted to work as domestic helps, construction workers and vendors, he says.J Shantamma, a bamboo craftsperson who abandoned her craft to become a maid, says, "I waited for long for a turnaround but nothing happened. When the forest officers didn't offer to help us, I had no option but to work as a maid to sustain my family. Many of us have been forced to give up a craft we have been engaged in for years. I want the officers to provide the raw materials in subsidy."But forest officers have washed their hands of the issue, saying their hands are tied. Dilip Kumar Das, chief conservator of forests, said, "We are not able to provide the raw materials to them as the places have become wildlife sanctuaries, where sourcing bamboo is not allowed. Earlier, we would provide them the raw materials at Malemahadeshwara hills (M M Hills). Now, they are available only at Madikeri and other far-off places. They have to transport them in order to improve their business."