Md. Zaheer Ali– My father was a blacksmith, I am a blacksmith and my son will also be a blacksmith. This is the life we have chosen for ourselves and we are happy with it. No, there is nothing wrong in being a blacksmith! What school should I send my son to? He is already 17 years old. Next year I have to look for a bride for him. He is becoming younger by the day and after all he needs someone to sleep with and give him sons too! My wife is ill and she needs someone to run the home. If I don’t give him in marriage, he will then want to go to the city and find some work. The problem starts then- I don’t know where all he would go and what would he do there?

 

Jagannath Meluha– These are cages meant to catch and harvest fish and prawns. Where do you find people like me now a days? We are artisans, Sir and you know better than me that we are a fast dying breed. It is more profitable to go away to some foreign city and work as a construction labourer and earn better money. My brothers, cousins and other village men and women have all gone away to some place far. They come back once or twice a year to meet their family members. When they come, they seem to have a lot of money! Why should I liner on here for such a long time. I must leave too.

 

Milan Seel- Babu, we artisans roam from one village fair to another. We have to look for markets to sell our wares. Nowadays in the world of plastic and readymade stuff our sales have dropped. But you tell me, can we ever grow healthy plants in a plastic tub? Can we? The roots need the porous mud-pot to breathe. People do not understand that and go for the cheaper stuff. Do you know how much time it takes us to create these beauties and look at them, how fragile they look! But they are strong and sturdy and most important of all, made of earth and unto earth they will return.

 

Honnesha Bibi– All of us at home sit to make these cane baskets. My husband, my mother-in-law and three of my daughters. My husband wants another son, but I have told him, we must stop now. It is very difficult to feed so many people already at home and now the demand for a son. What if we get another daughter again? We also have to plan for the marriage of the girls in a few years from now. Who me? I was married when I was fourteen. So what. It is better for girls to get married early so that they are able to manage the house of their husband.