Economy

Budgetary Allocation Urged for Craftspersons, Artisans


A two-day seminar on ‘Issues in Muslim Entrepreneurship’ ended here on Feb. 22 with a call for urgent initiatives to expedite the socio-economic amelioration of the Muslim artisans, and craftspersons. The seminar held under the aegis of the Centre for Promotion of Educational and Cultural Advancement of Indian Muslims (CPECAMI), a statutory organ of the Aligarh Muslim University.


Dr. Abusaleh Sharief, Chief Economist, National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) set the tone for the Seminar by urging the Muslim community to press for budgetary allocation for small enterprises, family held crafts and other entrepreneurial ventures that do not require a large amount of investments. Dr. Sharief said the Muslim entrepreneurship goes unnoticed as it does not fall into the mainstream category nor does it fit the definition of small scale industries. He said artisans, craftspersons, musicians, entertainers, painters, or hovel workshop owners contribute 12 per cent of the GNP but do not receive any kind of support from the Government financial agencies or banks as they do not fit the category of small scale industry category. He said non-farm sector in India employs 31 per cent workforce and these enterprises are their mainstay.


He said it was time that concerted effort is made to recognize the share of this sector into the national economy. He said the sector could be identified through its investment needs which range between Rs. two to three lakh, their urban nature and contribution of labour by the entire household. He said artisans are inhabitants of middle sized towns and do not qualify for finance from either agricultural or industrial funding agencies. He said farm sector and the entrepreneurship by artisans provide a firm bulwark against crisis like 1997 Asian meltdown.


Sharief said Muslims though held zamindari on large scale, have largely been non-cultivators in India. In urban centers they have mainly survived by dint of their skills and entrepreneurship which by nature involves risk-taking. He said handloom and handicraft centers in India were dominated by Muslim artisans and craftspersons and thereby need institutional support, market linkages, skill upgradation, funding. He said it was the responsibility of the economists to coin a proper term for this key sector of economy and include it in the Government schemes. He said Muslims could benefit from the latest concept of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) which help channelise government funds. He opined that the quantum of interest on Government loans for such entrepreneurial ventures should not be considered religious prohibited (haram) as it was minimal and was not exploitative in nature. He said the Quran forbade the competitive interest and it was upto ulema to consider the financing schemes with low rates of interest.


Prof. Saifuddin Kichlu of Madura College, Madurai in his paper on decline of tanneries of Dindigul said, effluents problems haunts this traditional business of Muslims and has led to its decline. Chandini Bi of Department of Sociology in the Aligarh Muslim University presented a socio-economic profile of the Telugu speaking Muslims belonging to Acchakotti and Panchakotti communities in some southern district of Tamil Nadu who were engaged in cleaning cotton. She said the individuals from the community were not able to enter their original caste names in admission registers as Tamil Nadu government recognizes only ‘Lebbai’ and ‘Deccani’ Muslims. Chandini Bi noted that these people were settled in Madurai and Salem districts of Tamil Nadu by former Nawabs of Arcot. Dr. S. A. Aziz Sahib of the Anthropological Survey of India, southern chapter, Mysore, presented a profile of Chakkitakara (people engaged in roughing of the surfaces of household stone implements) Muslim community of Andhra Pradesh. He said the livelihood of the community was under threat due to modernization of home appliances.


Journalist Maqbool Ahmed Siraj from Bangalore presented two studies titled ‘Modernisation of Leather industries pays rich dividends’ and ‘Success by Lorry Loads-cooperativisation of transport business in Modasa town in Gujarat’. He said 22,000 strong Modasa Muslims organised themselves under cooperative framework and today own nearly 500 lorries. Each lorry provides livelihood for 22 persons and they successfully run several school, a cooperative bank, a 100-bed hospital and 22 housing societies. In his paper on leather tanneries and footwear units in North Arcot towns, he said the Lebbai community kept pace with technology and changing policies vis-à-vis export of finished leather and footwear and today produce some famous brand of shoes for Western markets. He however noted that most entrepreneurs only collaborate for European brands and none has so far been successful in floating its own brand. He said the only popular ‘Red Tape’ brand of India shoes were being manufactured by Mirza Tanners of Kanpur. Siraj’s paper noted that no company from Tamil Nadu is listed on the National Stock Exchange of India. He however pointed out that socially collaborative effort in tackling environmental pollution has borne fruit and three towns have today effluents control plant constructed with an investment of crores of rupees.


Three studies were presented on Ansari weavers of Benares. Dr. M. Shoeb, formerly from Gandhi Institute of Regional Studies, Varanasi, said weavers prospered during the between 60 and 80s but the business slackened during the 90s due to deluge of synthetic silk from Surat. He said the weavers were continuing with traditional skills and there was need for innovation in designs, new financial structuring of enterprises, need to break the monopolistic stranglehold of mahajan (middlemen) whom he said took away the entire profits. He however noted that the community was strict no, no in matters of interest based transactions. He said the community traditionally known as ‘Julaha’ and politically rechristened as ‘Ansaris’, has set up three hospitals during recent years which provide medical relief to all regardless of affiliation of faith and caste. He said the community panchayaths were strong social organization and they were led by ‘Mahto’ who is community sardar. Author Nita Kumar’s paper focused on ‘leisure role’ of the community and noted that the Ansaris hated ‘naukri’ (employment) and cherish their freedom. She said the Mushairas and Akharas held prominent place in the community’s social life. She said the entire family contributes to their trade and women’s role in shaping individuals is very important. She said most weavers get education at madrassas which guarantee that the individuals from the community do not walk out of the profession. She noted that affiliation to Barelvi, Ahle Hadees and Deobandi schools by individuals in the same family, has had no effect on the social cohesiveness and homogenous nature of the community. In a third paper, research scholar Waseem Akhtar noted that new economic policies have badly hit the bunkers (weavers) of Varanasi. He endorsed the point that mahajans (middlemen) had rendered the weavers out of touch with dynamics of the trade. He cited instance of weavers children selling blood to keep themselves alive.


Dr. Jeffery from Giri Institute of Labour Studies, Lucknow presented a paper on income level of Muslims and their work participation in Uttar Pradesh in the light of the recent Census by Religion report. Sabeena Mustafa, a research scholar at the AMU presented a profile of the weavers of Khairnagar.


Arvinder Aijaz from the AMU analysed the impact of communal riots on economy of Muslims. She said of late, the State instead of being an unbiased guardian of law and order, had become an indulgent participant in the violence against the community. Prof. Abdul Wahab from the AMU’s Centre of Inter-Disciplinary Studies presented a profile of the lock-makers of Aligarh in the light of a survey of 562 household held by the department.


Dr. Abdul Waheed, Director of CPECAMI welcomed the participants.