Forging an unbreakable bond

In today’s world of technology, we are beginning to depend more on machines than men.

But there are some roles that are still dominated by the human hand and spirit. Take, for instance, the many villages in rural North-East India where, when people want a tool for their farm or home, they know whom to turn to: their own village blacksmith.

The blacksmith continues to occupy an important place in village life. He is one of the most sought after.

Often, he learns the craft from his elder(s), an uncle, or a relative he grows up with from childhood. The skills are taught and passed down to the promising young lad who takes on the mantle once it is time. The skills are not necessarily taught in a formal way. The young future blacksmith hovers around the uncle, sees, observes and begins by practically assisting the ‘senior.’

The tools that get shaped at the blacksmith’s furnace include knife, sickle, spade, weeding tools and hammer and tongs, including jaw tongs.

Popular practitioner

In the remote village of V.Munlai, in south Manipur’s Churachandpur district, Khaigen, the blacksmith, has been consistently supplying agricultural tools for his entire village of 20-25 households. He learnt his craft from his maternal uncle and today it is the main source of his livelihood.

Khaigen’s ‘workshop’ is a small hut in front of his house where he works day and night, hammering iron and steel with his hands and burning it in fire, activity that calls for a lot of physical work and energy.

Fortunately, about a year ago, Khaigen received support from NERCORMP (north-eastern region community resource management project) under the North-East Council . “I got a machine for cutting iron” he says proudly, displaying it. “This helps ease the hard physical labour and save time”.

A good reputation travels a long way. Khaigen says people from neighbouring villages are also his customers because “I make tools according to people’s needs and requirements for various purposes.” Not only that, “when I burn the metal or iron, I can differentiate the good ones. I use only the good ones” explains Khaigen. “That is why I have many customers, even from Lamka (the nearest town).”

Khaigen’s raw materials come from the scrap of damaged or run-down old trucks and other vehicles, to get which he often goes to town.

Voila, it’s a pair of scissors

Khaigen has also begun making new tools such as scissors. A pair of scissors, his new invention, is a useful hand-tool for his wife who is engaged in weaving loin loom. “Scissors are a necessity for weaving, now I need not buy. We also use it for trimming hair,” she says excitedly.

Before he was able to afford a machine with support from NERCORMP he did everything manually. “A power-operated machine eases half my labour,” he says, but “ power supply remains a challenge, it is not dependable”.

Khaigen is now able to support his wife and two children from his earnings as blacksmith. “We can afford to buy rice,” he says. This means they no longer need to go in for Jhum or shifting cultivation, to supplement their earnings. Most importantly, he is able to afford their medical expenses and the education of his children too.

Creativity at play

Another lone blacksmith at Tuilumjang village is Kamkhogen. His house serves as his workplace. Kamkhogen too learned the art and skills of becoming a blacksmith from his uncle during his childhood. He is in his early sixties now.

Kamkhogen

The creative person that he is, Kamkhogen makes tools of different shapes and sizes with deft touches — such as adding colourfully designed handles and sheaths for knives or offering them in a variety of sizes, from big to small. He does not limit himself to his traditional knowledge. “ I often go to Lamka ( town) to learn new techniques and designs”. He would observe the trends in the town market — what designs are in demand, what customers want — and make them at his workshop once he returned.

Kamkhogen not only supplies all the agricultural tools to his entire village of more than 40 households but even to the town and neighbouring villages. “I always make an effort to come up with attractive, comfortable, user-friendly tools,” he says, adding this is his marketing technique. “People like my products. I sell it to the town as well”. Moreover his kuri/khukries ( a kind of knife) products are in great demand. “Army/security persons posted in this area buy all my kuri” he says, with pride.

Since agriculture/cultivation continues to be the primary occupation of rural people, the blacksmith, who makes these tools, is an indispensable part of their lives.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Manipur

.