Mislaying one’s ownership

          There has been an old humor about the Sindhris of India. It’s inspiring if we look at the bright side of the story shunning the tendency of looking at the dark side which makes people wet blanket.

The story says-

          Once the Americans manufactured a thread which was almost invisible with naked human eyes, i.e. without help of any magnifier instrument, and sent it to different nations around the world with a putting up a challenge if anyone could done any modification to it. It moved around the world and passed through the science laboratories of the developed, developing and underdeveloped nations without any alteration until it reached Japan. The Japanese viewed it from different angles, rolled it over and over and finally brought about an alteration – a hole through the thread marking its superiority in technological advancement. Then again the thread was passed on and it arrived in India. Every part of the country touched it, felt it and raised brows in despair and astonishment and at last it fell on the hands of the Sindhri community. They then on a fine day packed it sent back to America with a request to find out the modification. The Americans looked for the evidence of the claim by the Sindhris of India. Being unsuccessful to reveal anything done to the thread the Americans then asked back the Sindhris. The Sindhris then replied that they have inscribed something on the body of the thread which they were to find out. The American had already seen it what ought to be usual but did not realize anything. It contained an inscription that read “MADE IN USA” and they considered it right because it was made in America (USA). But the Americans were not aware that what surprise was awaiting there in the lips of the Sindhris to make their jaws drop down. The Sindhris then clarified that it was not made in America (USA) rather it was made in United Sindhri Association (USA).

Dear readers, it is really praiseworthy, this wit of the community mentioned here above.But how is the case here in Xualkuchi, Assam? What sort of hell are we doing? Contrary to the Sindhris we are defaming ourselves; downgrading our craftsmanship. Grandiloquent we blow our trumpet that Xualkuchi is the Manchester of the East and we are proud of it's hand-loom products

Silk product (Handloom) of Xualkuchi

Shamefully and at the same time shamelessly we are not at all passionate to preserve its identity. Are only prestigious silk products of Xulakuchi handlooms and what not anything else of such kinds are facing the danger of extinction? Years back people of Assam had to brood over the fate of the “Gamocha”,

Gamosa of Assam

an Assamese hand woven towel which we treat as prestigious and customary because of the market flooded by fake “Gamocha”s from Madurai. So is the case is the Xarai

which is also a product of the state cottage industry is imported and marketed in its imitated and wrong form bringing the image of the product to down grade. None can except the native people can be blamed first for this unwanted situation in Xualkuchi. Surely some of the locals must have nasty nexus with businessmen of outside the state.State government is also not taking absolute interest in initiating proper steps to protect these industries from outsider demoralizing invasion.The State government cannot distance itself from its responsibility.