: Sitaram Harijan, a youth from Mernas village under Dahana panchayat in Nowrangpur district is in search of his link with Laxmipur region of Koraput district . Sitaram’s family like the 140 odd families in the village make their lives by selling brooms in the market . However the most interesting part of their means of livelihood is that the broomsticks do not grow near their habitation, Ramchandra added. But no one knew why their families dating back to several generations took the profession of collecting broomsticks from the mountains of Pandakapadar , Bandigar , Lachmani , Sorishpadar , Nerka , Jamuguda , Bhaluguda and Marichmal , all from Laxmipur and Kashipur region covering distances ranging to more than hundred kilometers .
Probably their families had migrated to their present habitation in Nowrangpur district from Laxmipur region in the past for some reason and had stayed there for ever by carrying out the profession and practices they were used to while staying in Laxmipur region , he said . With growing need of the urbanites in the state and neighbouring state of Chattisgarh , these families have got engaged in the trade with greater intensity than the past despite of serious difficulties in procuring the materials from far off places, he added . While the male members of the family engaged themselves with the business of collecting the broomsticks from the gatherers in the mountains and binding them into bundles before selling in the market, their women folk took the responsibility of the family by staying back in the villages , he said .
However their search for establishing the link of their forefathers with the places of Laxmipur region might face a setback if the state government does not come up with innovations in supporting the expansion of trade of the community , Banamali Harijan , another villager added. The community was facing the challenging competition from rich traders of the region for the lack of support from the government to strengthen the hands of the community .
While the cost of transportation of raw materials was at its height , there was shortage of finance with the community to collect the materials in bulk, he added . This has further crippled their growth in the trade for many a times they had no raw materials to purchase against the rich traders holding more cash to lift stock from the gatherers at a higher price, he said . However adequate intervention by the government to support their community by training them on the modern ways of binding apart from supporting their groups financially through creating bank linkages would go a long way in strengthening their lives and the ongoing search for their identity , he added.
(EOM)
Probably their families had migrated to their present habitation in Nowrangpur district from Laxmipur region in the past for some reason and had stayed there for ever by carrying out the profession and practices they were used to while staying in Laxmipur region , he said . With growing need of the urbanites in the state and neighbouring state of Chattisgarh , these families have got engaged in the trade with greater intensity than the past despite of serious difficulties in procuring the materials from far off places, he added . While the male members of the family engaged themselves with the business of collecting the broomsticks from the gatherers in the mountains and binding them into bundles before selling in the market, their women folk took the responsibility of the family by staying back in the villages , he said .
However their search for establishing the link of their forefathers with the places of Laxmipur region might face a setback if the state government does not come up with innovations in supporting the expansion of trade of the community , Banamali Harijan , another villager added. The community was facing the challenging competition from rich traders of the region for the lack of support from the government to strengthen the hands of the community .
While the cost of transportation of raw materials was at its height , there was shortage of finance with the community to collect the materials in bulk, he added . This has further crippled their growth in the trade for many a times they had no raw materials to purchase against the rich traders holding more cash to lift stock from the gatherers at a higher price, he said . However adequate intervention by the government to support their community by training them on the modern ways of binding apart from supporting their groups financially through creating bank linkages would go a long way in strengthening their lives and the ongoing search for their identity , he added.
(EOM)
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