Bengaluru: Alleppey is a scenic district in Kerala, surrounded by waters on all sides and punctuated by countless coconut palms.
Also known as Alappuzha, the district is famed for its tranquil backwaters, house boat cruises and below sea-level paddies.
Flanked by the Arabian Sea on one side and Vembanad Lake on the other, the city of Alleppey is crisscrossed by canals that connect with both the lake and the sea.
Known as the ‘Venice of the East’ for its serpentine waterways, the district is popular with tourists. But, apart from its scenic beauty, Alleppey is also known for a unique nature based industry.
This sustainable small scale industry hinges on the most commonly found tree in Kerala - the coconut palm.
Known as the golden fibre of Kerala, coir is generated from the coconut husk and has been used to make a variety of products such as ropes, twines, brooms and mats since ancient times.
However, this naturally available fibre gave birth to a major industry only in the 19th century, thanks to two British colonial innovators, James Darragh and Henry Smail, who set up the first coir factory in Alleppey in 1859.
Since then, coir industry has been a source of livelihood for thousands men and women in the district.
However, like most traditional crafts across India, coir work is in decline. With plastic mats and nylon ropes proliferating the market, manufacturers say it is difficult to stay afloat.
The decline has particularly affected Kerala’s small scale coir workshops, most of which are on the brink!
With the youngsters abandoning their ancestral profession for more lucrative jobs, the industry is now being serviced by its last breed of veterans, who have managed to cling on despite difficulties, but only barely…
Wearing thin
Appu Kuttan has been doing this business for several decades now. Though the business is nowhere near what it used to be at its peak, he has managed to hold on to it.
“There is no doubt, it is difficult to carry on with this craft in these times. But, I really want to take this work to the next level. If we have the support of exporters and the authorities it can be the biggest business in Kerala and one which will provide most employment,” said the veteran craftsman.
It is the most readily available natural fibre in India, yet most under-utilised, with 70 per cent of the husk going to waste.
India accounts for more than two-thirds of the world production of coir and coir products, with Kerala leading the way.
Although, India has a long coastline dotted with coconut palms, growth of coir industry in other coastal states has been insignificant.
Not more than 30 per cent of the coconut husks are utilised in the coir industry, the remaining being used as fuel or as a waste material in rural areas
Despite the tides turning against the coir work, especially those managed by small scale artisans like Kuttan, the 67 year old has kept his passion and his loom alive.
Employing the highly-skilled veteran artisans from his neighbourhood, Kuttan’s workshop represents the hope and aspirations of Alleppey’s fading generation, who grew up on and are now growing old in the business of coir.
“When I was young, the coir business was most sought after. It was the main source of livelihood for most people in my village. This coir business has almost come to an end now. If the policymakers and the authorities at the right places come together to revive this industry, it will be a boon for the local economy and will be a major source of income and employment for many,” said C. Gopalan, an artisan who has spent his entire life working on coir looms.
Livelihood
Employing the traditional handloom techniques of making coir products, especially mats, now only a handful of small scale manufacturing units are working to keep the tradition alive.
“If right strategies are used, this is one business that will keep growing. The coir work involves a lot of stages. We get the final product after the husk goes through different steps and throughout these steps, there are thousands of families that make a livelihood,” added Gopalan.
Revival of the industry will not only provide sustainable employment to locals and boost the local economy, but will also ensure optimal utilisation of naturally available resources. This will also help in countering the use of unsustainable products such as plastic.
“Most of the people have become slaves of the exporters by switching to make plasticware. This has resulted in the coir makers losing business and getting into debt and poverty,” added Kuttan, highlighting the reasons behind the decline of coir.
Occupation
However, despite the recent reversals, for the people living along the backwaters of Alappuzha, coir making continues to be the primary occupation.
Regardless of the decline in coir works, Kerala is still the home of Indian coir industry, accounting for over 85 per cent of the country’s coir products. Coir workshops employ around 200,000 people in the state, of which 80 per cent are women making twines and ropes.
Ironically, while the industry is facing shortage of the husk, government data suggests that only around 30 per cent of the available coconut husk is used, while the rest is wasted.
Amidst the lack of takers, shortage of resources and dwindling young hands, passionate artisans like Kuttan and Gopalan are stuck.
Working with coir may be the only skill Kuttan and his colleagues have, but it looks like they are going to be the last generation to have that skill. Unless some urgent and substantial intervention is carried out, the coir craft will completely unravel sooner than expected.
However, with the state government announcing some new initiatives under the Alleppey Heritage Project, there could still be some hope!
And this ray of hope could turn into a shining star if more people bought eco-friendly products made of coir, instead of plastic!
So, the next time when you go to buy a rope or mat, remember coir and the plight of coir workers!
— Shafaat Shahbandari is a freelance journalist based in Bengaluru and founder-editor of Thousand Shades of India
