Raja Sonu’s eyes well up when he recollects the trying days and inhuman conditions under which his father would grovel in a dark, dingy room, trying to handcraft pieces of jewellery. His old man couldn’t see the son grow up – and try his own hands at jewellery; he succumbed to the working conditions.
Such were the conditions under which artisans worked at jewellery workshops in Kolkata that Raja’s mother never wanted him to follow in his father’s footsteps. But he did, and ended up in far-away Hosur. Raja now proudly displays a “master craftsman” badge, has quarters in the facility he works at, replete with the basic amenities one can ask for, and can even afford to bring his mother, wife and child to stay in the guest rooms at the “karigar centre” he is employed with.
The gold jewellery sector, thorough unorganised as it is, has been literally killing off its ground-level workers through the deplorable working conditions they are subjected to. Like Raja’s father, there are hundreds others every year who either perish, or are forced to leave the profession in their early 30s.
Raja and 300 other karigars (artisans) have found a fresh lease of life at two “karigar centres” that were inaugurated on Thursday. Titan Jewellery Division, part of Titan Company Limited, owns these facilities. The karigars, however, are employees of the vendors operating these centres.
Sattar Molla, another karigar at the facility, says, “Working at the karigar centre has helped me hone my jewellery-making skills. We live here like a family and the entire karigar community in Hosur is overwhelmed at the launch of these centres.”
Family it certainly is, the camaraderie is there to be seen. Entering either of the karigar centres takes one by surprise – the signages inside are trilingual. Those are in English, Tamil and, er, Bengali. “That’s because most of the artisans working here are from Kolkata and elsewhere in West Bengal. And Bengali food is among the fares dished out at the canteens.
Says K Venkataraman, CEO of Titan Jewellery Division, “Karigars are the backbone of the industry. Without their contribution, it would be impossible for us to bring to life, creations that our customers cherish for the rest of their lives. With this model, we would like to bring about a transformation in improving the lifestyle of the karigars who are yet to be given their rightful place in the industry.”
Bhaskar Bhat, managing director of Titan Company Limited, dwells on the appalling conditions under which they would work back home: “The environment in which karigars work, at many locations, has remained primitive in terms of health, safety and comfort. It has not changed in decades. Because of this, not only is the daily life of the karigar under great pressure, but also their career span is significantly reduced.” Raja’s father being a case in point.
