Chikankari thrives but tribe of artisans suffer

The article “Chikankari thrives but tribe of artisans suffer” by Uzma Talha ji (in today’s TOI,Lucknow Edition,Pg.4) is a great eye opener. I used to understand that i had a great knowledge in the industry i work, but this showed a new aspect of this trade.

Indeed its a great problem that our artisans are suffering from myopia and cervical spondylitis. Its a problem that must be addressed sooner because to keep chikankari alive, attention must be paid to the health of the artisans otherwise this art will soon perish.

I salute Sameena Abbasi ji (who’s name has found a place is in this article) who is running an NGO for these women artisans and also accept the statement that government must provide free medical insurance to these kaarigars. I also agree that these artisans must also be given an identity and a portal where they can register their complaints.
But i also draw their (and others who are part of the upliftment of these artisans) attention to my previous writings where i have stated that since the introduction of MGNREGA the chikankari has become expensive. People who are getting minimum Rs.150/day wish not to follow this trade as this offers Rs.50-75/day.
It is a problem of the traders too that they cannot offer more. A saree say has taken 3 months to complete will yeild Rs.6,750 (@max.75/- a day) to the artisan. Add another 10% of the teacher of the centre which totals to Rs.7,425. Add yet another 10% of the contractor who distributes and collects the work which brings the total to roughly Rs.8170.
Adding the material cost, say minimum 35 per meter for the voile material(6.50mts for the saree with blouse) will cost the manufacturer approximately Rs.8,400.
The chain descends and the manufacturer sells the retailer for Rs.9,240/- who sells it further to the client of Lucknow for Rs.10,165/-. All profits shown up to here are minimum.
The actual case is that a voile saree will be sold at Lucknow for NOT MORE THAN Rs.7500/- even if it is allover worked, intricately worked. So where does this Rs.2,665/- cuts from? It cuts from the wage of an artisan as this cannot be sold above this price. There are no takers above this price.
People coming down from Delhi, Mumbai, etc. have no or poor knowledge of the manufacturers. They have to rely on these retailers for the finished goods as they have just a day or some hours to make purchases for their stores. Say they add 25% as their margin (owing to their property price, investment in stocks and work expenditure, this can never be the case), they will sell it further at Rs.9,375/-.
Any person of the media (and general public who read their articles) will always complain that artisans are not getting their dues as the saree being sold for Rs.9,500 is merely giving the artisan Rs.4,000.
I’ll wish to add here the loss incurred at different levels of manufacturing and trading by these people has not been added in these calculations, be it dead stock or be it manufacturing defects or be it defects arising from different stages of the process or theft. Many pieces also get lost in the process.
Finally, be it negative, but i’d say that this will in fact help our industry. Such renowned writers and media is publishing about us. It is very much needed.

Image courtsey : Internet

BRANDING & PRICING

Its a query of my clients abroad especially in the U.S. which i address through this blog. Its also addressed to people of Gujrat and Southern States of India.
The common belief of these friends of mine is that Chikan (or like many people wish to put it as, Chikan kaari) is a garment which is popular item of Lucknow which is good to be worn as a beach / summer wear and also that many designers are using it so it ought to be something so unique that will sell off at their stores giving them margin as well as a upper hand on their competitor(s).
As has been written on many sites and blogs that Chikan is a hand craft, etc., etc.,etc. is the first reading that one must read before getting into this trade. Its a first hand experience of Chikan.
As many of my readers might have read through my blogs, that Chikan is an art. Between 1970s to 2010 it went through a phase of cut throat competition which degraded this art form to merely a household business.
With the intervention of few good people Chikan has risen to almost its past glory. I say almost its past glory because many stitches are still to be recreated and also because the patience in the maker and the wearer is not what it used to be in those fursat ke (enjoyment of being idle) days. Now what used to be prepared in say six months can be prepared in a month now. The buyer is ready to shell out more and the artisan is willing to speed up. This materialistic approach to life has arisen in this trade due to the rising prices, dreams of a better lifestyle and the foremost of the list is education of the artisans’ children.
The people of my time who used to study in any school now wish their children to study in good schools. So that when they come out from these schools they must not be deprived of better chances in life which we had suffered.
Coming back to the subject, these good people, who are just a handful, have unknowingly made themselves into a brand. Buyers from outside wish to buy from them only not because they sell fast but because their reputation increases the worth of their stores.
I recall an occasion. It was a final day function at my son’s school. Unknowingly i had put a Parker pen on my T-shirt, i usually clip a pen in my pants’ left hand pocket when i am wearing a T-shirt. The teacher was guiding parents to the seats. Be it my misunderstanding but she was guiding them to the back rows and she offered me the 3rd row which is generally for the distinguished guests.
What i want to say here is that, maybe its my misunderstanding, did this golden arrow of the Parker pen got me to the front rows? Maybe yes.
So these handful of good people who unknowingly transformed themselves to a brand have to constantly work hard to be on that position and trust me its not an easy job. Continuous R & D, management (of people, time, accounts & taxes), public relations and expenses relating to these issues make their products slightly expensive.
A general or new boy can make the same product at least 20% lower than their price but on the backstage, if we see, he has not paid the taxes, he has not created the design (just copied it), his team consists of new employees of whom he is not liable to understand or undertake responsibility.
Another point that i wish to clarify to my friends is that Chikan is still a household job, its based locally so people here know as to almost what will be the cost of a product. Tourists are generally and can be generally cheated but locals are difficult to land in cheaters’ nets.
The rising cost of living has no doubt pushed these good people to increase their margins but what my friends consider that we enjoy a good profit margin is not true. This feeling has arisen in them from the branded ready made garment indusrty which offers a 40% margin on the sale price.
A normal printed top that you buy for 1800 something, is it really for 1800 something? A top will take maximum 1.5 – 2mts of fabric, stitching cost and buttons / hooks, zip etc.
A normal perspective will calculate it to 600. Rest 480 (excluding 40% margin of the retailer) is branding, different expense heads and profit margin.
This is not the case with Chikan. Expecting good sales is better than expecting good margins from the sale of Chikan goods.
Whatever friends i have made till now wish to sell these products for satisfaction, satisfaction that they are helping the artisans, satisfaction that they are keeping this art alive, satisfaction that they are doing something useful, something that is keeping their heart beating, something that is of their land, a satisfaction that their life has a meaning.
Finally i address to their last issue. A garment or piece is first printed with delible ink using wodden blocks. sometimes overuse tends these blocks to break. These wodden blocks are also made by hand so vary slightly when reproduced. Friends who give an order of 5000-10000 pieces of the same design must keep in mind this aspect of Chikan kaari. This does not happen often, but if it happens, it can take up the production time of your order by almost a month.
Concluding this issue i’ll wish to pray that there are many fruitful businesses in this world like investments in properties/stocks, hospitality, etc. or even politics that one must take up if she/he wishes to make good money.
Chikan, as a business, is definately not good for these people.
You have to have that love in your heart for it, it has not let anybody down.