Ashim Roy (Ashwini), Bandarban Correspondent:
Time and technology have robbed blacksmiths of all their happiness.
People are becoming dependent on foreign technology. The demand for indigenous blacksmithing is also decreasing day by day. However, the artists of Kamar Palli are not doing well, despite the sound of tung tang in front of Eid al-Adha. Still, Bandarban is spending a busy time with his chest full of hopeBlacksmith artists.
The blacksmith artists are suffering from depression due to the crisis of raw materials, increase in the price of goods and relatively low prices of finished products. Although the blacksmiths are busy sharpening new and old axes. But doubts do not stop as if they. Sales are lower than before. Some sharp things like chapati, da, knife, bati are used for cutting the meat of the sacrificial animal and spreading the skin. Blacksmith artists are not doing well even though their profession is somewhat busy around Eid. Some blacksmith artisans said that due to various adverse conditions, including increase in the price of raw iron and production materials, decrease in the price of manufactured goods, unequal competition with steel-made machine-made goods and financial constraints, the blacksmiths are about to lose. are forced to leave this profession and look elsewhereGiving, and those who are holding on are living inhuman life. Blacksmith artist Anand Karmakar of Bandarban said, I was 12/13 years old when I came to this profession. were 30/35 blacksmith shops in the city. Currently there are 7/8 stores. No more busy like before. As if the blacksmith artists are passing the time slowly. The demand of blacksmith artists is that this year, this Eid is better than other yearsThere is no work on the occasion. Still, the prices of iron and coal have gone up a lot.
In our long working experience, we have never seen such a jobless life before. It was busy until the day before Eid. But the current picture is completely opposite. A buyer said that knives, bows, knives do not have to be bought every year. Now a few to spread the skinI need a knife so I came to buy a knife. It would have been possible to retain this noble industrial blacksmith profession of the father-grandfather if he got any kind of support or opportunity from the government. , like many, we may have to leave this profession one day, he said. Photo – From Durga Mandir Gali on yesterday morning 10th June.