INDUSTRIES

section ii -COTTAGE INDUSTRIES

 Introduction.

At the beginning of the twentieth century the industrial activities in the district were confined to handicrafts and cottage industries. The manufactures of the district were also of very little importance. The Karagiri at the village level was then predominantly provided by the caste system and most of the industrial activities were hereditary in character. Thus, gold-smithy, carpentry, leather working, pottery, oil crushing and many other such occupations were strictly followed by the people who belonged to the respective castes named after their occupations. Gold and Silver workers in 1908 numbered only 4,000 in the whole of the district. Darwha and Yeotmal tahsils together contained about three-fifths and Kelapur and Wun only two-fifths between them. About thirty years earlier they numbered about 3,000. The ornaments they made included san (necklace), kada (bracelet), has or hasli (children's necklace), toda (anklet), ball and bugadi (earring), garsoli (gold necklace), and waki or dandwali (armlet). The ornaments were made out of the metal supplied by the customers by hammering it and not by casting. When hollow they were generally filled with lac.

The blacksmiths, Lohars, numbered about 4,600 in 1908. Usually they did the work required for ordinary agricultural implements. Besides, there were 6,800 carpenters whose chief employment was making carts and agricultural implements. All such workers who carried on business on a small-scale were included under the common system of those days viz., balutedari. They were generally paid in kind for the services they rendered to the village community. Such payment was usually made at the time of harvesting. The cottage industry of oil pressing was in the hands of Telis. There were about 100 looms producing woollen goods in the district and all of them were managed by Dhangars and Mahars who then made coarse blankets. Of the 800 looms, over 500 were in Darwha tahsil and all of them were used by Koshtis (weavers), for coarse cloths. A few hand-looms were set up at Godhni, three miles south of Yeotmal. At Wun cotton fabrics were stamped for use as table cloths and floor-cloths. Some operators used to do rough hand paintings on cloth. At Ner in Darwha tahsil, dyeing was carried on. The passage of time however brought about a marked change in the structure of these industries. The impact of modern civilisation including the educational advancement and economic progress have in course of time largely succeeded eliminating the caste sorting of occupations. The occupation at present can be selected by individual choice.

The impact of western ideas also caused, to a great extent, the establishment of large industrial units in various sectors. As a result the traditional small-scale industries received a set back and could not compete with the comparatively cheap factory goods produced on large scale. For instance with the establishment of cotton textile mills handloom weaving suffered considerably. The tanning industry in villages also was hit hard by the competition from the chrome tanning. So also various occupations, such as, oil pressing in tel ghanis, rope making, rough woollen blanket weaving, etc., got the stamp of out-dated products. Most of the cottage industries, which some how have managed to continue, have to face numerous difficulties. Some of them need finance, some organisation and still others up-to-date technical know-how and modern machinery. This affects their products which lack finish and suffer in competition with the mill-made goods. The artisans engaged in such units, therefore, have suffered heavily.

Such a state of affairs, however was sympathetically taken note of by the Government especially after Independence. Small-scale and cottage industries were Mainly considered important for creating employment for a large number of people, for reviving the traditional occupations and also for providing subsidiary occupations to the rural masses in the countryside. Moreover such industries also serve the needs of local people by producing articles of every day consumption. This prompted the State Government to adopt a policy of encouraging the establishment of cottage industries and ensuring their steady growth.

The important cottage industries in the district include, hand-loom, khadi and village industries, handicrafts, cane and bamboo works, oil ghanis, brick-making, pottery, leather tanning, carpentry and smithy. These industries are coming more and more under the co-operative fold. The co-operative societies in the sphere of cottage industries which have been organised in the district are as under:—(1) weavers societies, (2) oil pressing, (3) cane and bamboo works (4) carpentry, (5) pottery, bricks and tiles, (6) leather working and tanning, (7) forest societies, (8) soap manufacture, (9) neera, tad-gul etc. Khadi and Village Industries.

The khadi and village industries in the district comprise various industries such as oil, pottery, soap, lime-stone, leather, khadi, tad-gul, etc. All of them are run on the co-operative basis. In all there are 46 industries in the district. Besides, there is a district industrial union (Zilla Audyogik Sangha) which looks after the organisation of industrial co-operative societies and their smooth working. The following statement gives information regarding the workers employed in different industries and the total wages given to them during 1965-66: —

The last two, viz., gul khandsari and woof societies have been defunct since 1965-66. Soap manufacturing was Mainly confined to schools, and as such, no wages were paid for the performance of the job.

Of the above stated industries oil, leather, pottery and soap industries have a greater scope to develop. Both man-power and the raw materials required for promoting these industries are available in abundance in the district. Non-edible oil-seeds are also available. Detailed statistical data in this connection are given in the respective sections in the chapter on Agriculture and Irrigation. What is required is a proper execution and good management of the various industrial co-operative societies coupled with the imparting of training to workers and the use of modern techniques and implements.

The following statement gives information regarding the progress made by the above referred industrial units:—-

The various industrial societies and the individual members of these societies get loans and subsidies from the Khadi and Village Industries Board and the Zilla Parishad.

Besides the industries sponsored by the Maharashtra State Khadi and Village Industries Board, the district contains various other cottage industries, such as, pottery-making, brick-making, bidi-making, blacksmithy, carpentry, leather-working, oil-seed crushing, etc. Most of these industries are of traditional types. However, to improve the organization of these industries by enabling them to equip themselves with modern tools and equipment and to bring them out of the traditional ambits and to make them viable and profitable, Government extends financial assistance to individual workers and also to the various institutions and co-operative societies. Given below is the description of important cottage industries in the district.

" 3,649 persons are working as carpenters, joiners and cabinet makers in the district. They are the carpenters who manufacture, fix or repair doors and doorframes, wooden roof beams carts, furniture and agricultural implements. A fair amount of furniture is made in Yeotmal town.

" 1,709 persons are working as blacksmiths. They are the persons who do the iron work required for ordinary agricultural implements. 1,610 workers are engaged as potters. They are the village potters most of whom still work on the traditional baluta system under which they get a fixed quantity of food-grains at the harvest time for supplying earthenware during the year.

" Wool-weaving is also common at some places in the district and coarse blankets of woof are prepared. Darwha and Yeotmal are known for looms for cotton. Dyeing is also carried on at Ner in Darwha taluka. Cotton fabrics are stamped for use as table cloths and floor cloths at Wani. Rough hand paintings on cloth are also done at that place. At the end of May 1961, there were 703 cotton handlooms in the district.

" The proportions of different groups of artisans to one lakh of total population in the district are as follows: —

" Blacksmiths 156, Carpenters 305, Shoemakers 142, Potters 147, Tailors and Dress-makers 322, Spinners and Weavers 144, and Basket-weavers 64. " [District Census Handbook, Yeotmal, 1961, pp. 44-45.]

Amongst the balutedars in the olden days, the carpenter occupied an important place. Even now in the rural areas of the district he is equally valued by the agriculturist class and forms an integral part of the rural economy. He is paid in kind as was customary under the balutedari system, on the basis of a certain quota of: foodgrains, vegetables, fruits, etc. Besides the Main work of making agricultural implements, these artisans locally known as Sutars are engaged in preparing building materials and furniture, furniture making is concentrated at Yeotmal. In 1961, there were 305 carpenters in the district.

The tools of a carpenter generally include wasala, patasi, an, girmit, whet stone, karwat, hatoda, randha, screwdrivers, etc., the entire set costing about Rs. 200. In rural areas the carpenters get maximum work at the sowing season. If he is employed by building contractors in other non-agricultural work, his earnings rise up to Rs. 8 per day.

To enable the needy and deserving persons in the district to undertake carpentry as a means of livelihood, the Zilla Parishad and the Panchayat Samitis often organise training centres for imparting training in carpentry. Sometimes loans and grants-in-aid are also made available to such persons. Co-operative societies of carpenters are also organised. There were four carpentry societies in 1963-64. Financial assistance is also given to these societies.

Pottery making.

It is usually the hereditary occupation of the Kumbhars. Almost all the grown-up members of the family form a working group in this industry. The tools of a potter are very simple, such as, a wooden wheel, brick-kiln for baking earthen pots and wooden moulds of various shapes and sizes for making earthen pots. The clay required for making pots is carefully and systematically prepared. Red earth is at first mixed with horse-dung, and soaked in water for sometime before it is used for pots.

The mixture is then kneaded properly and trodden twice. The clay is then given the required shape by pressing on the rotating wheel. It is an interesting sight to see the artisan placing a lump of clay on the centre of the wheel, fixing his stick or chaknait into the slanting hole in its upper surface and making the wheel to revolve very rapidly by giving sufficient push to it to keep it in motion for several minutes. The potter then lays aside the stick, and with his hands moulds the lump of clay into the required shape, stopping every now and then to give the wheel a fresh spin as it loses its momentum. When satisfied with the shape of his vessel, he separates it from the lump with a piece of string and places it on a bed of ashes to prevent its sticking so the ground.

The manufacturing of earthen pots is usually in full swing during the summer season. During the rainy season potters make idols for the festival days such as mahalaxmi, ganeshotsav, etc. The development programme of the Zilla Parishad, amongst others includes organisation of pottery and brick-making cooperative societies. There were 16 such societies in the district in 1963-64.

Brick making.

Like pottery, brick-making was also found as a cottage industry at many places in the district. This industry, however, mainly met the local demand. It was a seasonal occupation practised usually between November and May. The raw materials required included earth and ash, and fuel comprised coal, wood, branches of trees, etc. Generally this occupation requires abundant supply of water. The bricks are made with the help of moulds. The skill of the bricklayer lies in the arrangement of raw bricks in the furnace before it is set on fire. The cost of making 1,000 bricks varies between Rs. 25 and Rs. 30.

Bracksmithy.

Another industry which engaged not less than 1,709 persons in the district in 1961 was blacksmithy. This industry also is a hereditary occupation of the Lohars who generally make and repair small agricultural implements. In big towns, however, the followers of this occupation were engaged in making agricultural implements of big size and also various other building materials. At big centres of trade, the materials used by a blacksmith comprised iron-sheets, round bars and flat bars. old tins and scrap materials were also used for repair works.

The Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad authorities impart training to the artisans in the use of improved tools and refined methods of working at training centres specially organised for the same. Financial assistance is also given to the trained and deserving persons.

Handloom Weaving.

Handloom weaving was one of the most important cottage industries in the district with a very long tradition. In the beginning of the twentieth century it included 100 looms for woollen goods and more than 800 for cotton looms. As many as 500 cotton looms were then located in Darwha tahsil. Of these two types of looms, cotton handlooms were of great importance as they engaged a large number of persons. However, in the subsequent years, this industry suffered heavily due to the competition of cotton mills which could produce multi-coloured cloth at cheaper rates.

In the olden days this industry was Mainly in the hands of Koshtis, a class of weavers. At present however other artisans are also engaged in this industry. The industry is given priority in the development programme due to its usefulness as an alternative source of employment, and thus, helping solve the unemployment problem in the district. In 1961, there were 703 cotton handlooms which engaged 251 males and 245 females. Of these, only two male and seven female workers were from urban areas.

The oldest looms in the district worked with the throw shuttle sleys. These are still seen in some parts of the district especially in villages. It consists of one sley, one bamboo reed, one warp beam and one cloth beam. It is fitted on four posts with a cross bar for the support of the sley. Shading is clone through heddle's heads by the motion of the feet. Most of these throw-shuttle looms have now been replaced by the fly-shuttle looms.

The manufactures of the handloom weavers Mainly included saris, dhotis, shirtings, towels, carpets, etc. The cloth produced was of a coarse variety and was sold in the local market. The finer products of handlooms were costly and were hence less in demand.

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