Amroha (Uttar Pradesh)
There are around 300 small units producing wood-based drum instrument — popularly known as dholaks — in Amroha district, around 300 kms from Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow, which provide employment to over 2,000 artisans. These dholaks are popular not just in the neighbouring districts and the country, but they are exported to the Gulf countries as well. Any celebration in an Indian household is incomplete without the beats of these dholaks. However, owing to the lockdown, these skilled artisans are not able to support their households.
The district might be gradually ‘unlocking’, but the dholak business has not taken off yet. “What do we do? All the shops here have opened, but our business has not taken off. We are making some dholaks, but they are not selling. Our business is dependent on marriages and function, which have taken a hit during the lockdown,” said dholak-maker Mohammad Asim.
The business of dholaks in Amroha dates back many centuries. In Amroha, a large section of Muslim society is engaged in the dholak trade. Amroha’s dholaks have charmed people not only in India but also abroad.
The Uttar Pradesh government has included the dholak trade of Amroha in the One District One Product Scheme to strengthen and promote the skilled artisans and the trade.
When Gaon Connection spoke to these artisans, they pointed out that their trade has been hit due to the lockdown and they are finding it difficult even to feed themselves. The lockdown has ruined them completely and now they are forced to borrow money in order to run their homes. They are hoping that their factories would reopen and they would start earning yet again. They are expecting some help from the government.
Mohammad Asim pointed out that the factories that were closed due to lockdown, are now gradually reopening, but there is a crisis. Many artisans have gone back home and the ones who had stayed back are facing a livelihood crisis. It will take more than a year for things to stabilise.
Yakub, a dholak artisan, said: “There are more than 500 big and small units in Amroha which employ more than 2,000 skilled artisans. All are facing a livelihood crisis. Although we have started manufacturing, but there are no buyers. It is becoming difficult for us to support our children and homes.”
In the early days of the lockdown, many big traders had stepped forward to help these artisans. “But now the situation is becoming grim because despite the city opening up, the trade has failed to pick up pace so far. The dholaks that are being manufactured are being kept in the godowns. There are a very few buyers and whatever income is generated, it is used in running the factory. The labourers are not getting proper wages. I am thinking of working elsewhere for a few days so that I may be able to feed my family,” said Alanabi, an artisan.
