The period between March and June is peak season for members of the Medar community (those who are into preparing products by weaving bamboo sticks) for earning.
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This is the time when they make a good business as their hand-made products are sold largely for weddings and traditional jatra during the weekly markets. But the nationwide lockdown has hit their business hard; these poor people are unable to sell their products.
“The annual jatra (fairs) held in different villages are our potential source of earning as we prepare lots of domestic bamboo products for these fairs. But after lockdown, the government cancelled all these fairs”, said Tippawwa Medar.
Belonging to one of over 100 families of Nidagundi village who are into this occupation, she said that since handmade bamboo products are largely sold in rural areas, the traditional weavers depend on rural markets for livelihood. They earn around ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 during every market, but even the limited earning is gone now.
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These weavers make baskets, containers to store grains or vegetables, ladders and some special baskets normally used by Hindus during wedding or festivals as a tradition.
“ I had prepared around 500 baskets of different sizes. But just before the start of our season, the government imposed lockdown and our products remained unsold”, she said.
Dharmappa Medar, who prepares bamboo ladders with his younger brother, said that already metal ladders have replaced the traditional ones. “But still in rural areas, people prefer bamboo ladders as they are affordable. Almost every rural house will have at least one ladder which they keep for regular use”, he said.
Now, a good source of earning of this year has gone.
However, since market is gradually getting opened after relaxation in the lockdown, these weavers are hopeful of earning something to sustain themselves.