Tags:
Journalism of Courage
His profession sees him work with precious stones like pearls and corals. And his work place? The roadside! That8217;s how it is for Aziz patwegar 8211; sitting on the pavement outside a jewellery store, stringing beads and stones that need a thread to put them together.
8220;The main feature of our work, which is called patwegiri, is that we work with a thread, unlike the craftsmen inside jewellery stores, who use a wire. There are some beads that cannot be strung by a wire, like pearls and other semi-precious stones. A wire would make the consequent string very stiff. A thread is needed, and we patwegars do that kind of work,8221; he says, explaining his craft.
In any case, whatever job is taken up, the patwegar will almost never keep it overnight. The reason is simple 8211; no secure place to keep the item. 8220;We all work out of a single box. In it we carry several pairs of sharp scissors, needles and reels of thread 8211; I used a parachute thread, some others use nylon. And then there are zari doris and silk gondas which forms the visible part of the necklace at the back. Hooks and clasps are not generally used by us,8221; he adds.
While the work does not involve a lot of creativity, sometimes the customer does ask for suggestions. Says Abdul Gaffar, another in this trade, 8220;It8217;s more of a routine kind of job. The customer comes with his material and almost always waits till the work is completed. The only beads we stock are the ordinary black ones that we see in mangalsutras. We are then told the pattern 8211; the sequence in which the various beads are to be arranged. Tying one end of the thread to a hook on the box, we string the beads. Sometimes, a needle is required, especially when the beads are very small like rice pearls,8221; he elaborates.
Beginning the work day around 10.00 a.m., they pack up only at night. 8220;Since we take up individual assignments, we have to be here for long hours. Mostly the customers come to us directly, sometimes we get jobs from the jewellery stores also. And we have to also pay a fixed amount to the shop whose premises we use,8221; says Gaffar, who pays Rs. 15 per day. With festivals and marriage seasons being the busiest, the money charged depends upon the number of strings and the types of beads used.
