The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : They make incense sticks for a living

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 18, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

They make incense sticks for a living

By R. Sujatha

CHENNAI, OCT. 17. Residents of Sithandavarpuram, Seengottai and Anjattiputhur in the Denkanikotta forest in the Sulagiri block, south of Hosur in Krishnagiri district, now have a means of livelihood that assures them Rs. 25-40 a day.

The Irulals collect bamboo and prepare the raw material for incense sticks.

Women self-help groups make the sticks, which are packaged and marketed by the Hosur forest division.

Till some years ago, the tribal population assisted those involved in sandalwood smuggling and poaching for want of employment. They were exploited by the upper castes and the wealthy, who traded forest produce for a pittance or for ragi.

The tribals now have control over their homeland forest and all its minor produce including honey, bamboo and edible berries.

Women self-help groups also cultivate land, while men collect bamboo damaged by elephants.

Entire families are involved in making raw material for incense sticks.

At Sithandavarpuram, with a population of about 1, 500 people and 200 houses, almost all families are involved in trimming bamboo sticks. Some families earn up to Rs. 100 a day.

A few own cows and sheep. Improvement in their life encouraged families, which moved to other places in search of jobs, to return home, the villagers here said.

The bamboo sticks are weighed and sold by the village forest committee to the Forest department.

For every ten bundles sold, the proceeds from one bundle are invested in the committee to set up a development corpus.

Mumtaj, a self-help group at Anjetiputhur, which rolls incense sticks, buys bamboo stick bundles.

Each woman in the eight-member team is assured Rs. 40 a day.

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