IMPRESSIONS OF A TOUR IN THE PUNJAB – IV
J.C. Kumarappa
Lac Culture
From the forests large quantities of lac are obtained and sent to Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and other trade centres where these are converted into shellac and seed lac for commercial use. There is no reason why this work should not be carried out by the villagers themselves. Most beautiful lacquer work is done commonly by many village carpenters. The legs of the charpais, baby cradles, even handles of tools and implements are lacquered in fine shades of colours. This industry contributes to the development of the people on the artistic side. The method of inoculating the host trees, the process of collection after maturity and the after-treatment of cleaning, washing etc. need to be taught carefully.
If, in addition to this lac, turpentine and rosin can be prepared from the pine forests on the hills, we readily get the principal ingredients of French polish and paints. We are importing large quantities of paints and French polish. But I understand that the government holds a monopoly of pine trees and turpentine extraction. Government can help in the exploitation of this natural forest wealth.
Agarbattis
Dhupe wood is available in the jungles of the foot hills. This wood when powdered forms the base for agarbattis. The wood is collected and sent to Amritsar and other trade centres. If these hill tribes are taught the method of manufacturing agarbattis it will help to better their economic condition.
Slates
Nearby Kangra valley slate quarries are available. Many of the houses there have slate roofs. Slate-pencil making industry is a simple industry which can be introduced. We are importing slates and pencils largely from Germany.
Paper
The foot hills abound in fibrous material apart from other village waste. It ought to be cheap to make pulp in these parts with water power and send down such pulp to the plains for lifting paper. Pulp-making is the largest item of the cost of paper. If we use water power, this item will be minimised.
Sports Goods
No account of industrial Punjab will be complete without a mention of the sports goods manufactures of Sialkot. The noteworthy feature is that most of these are produced on a cottage scale, and as these are fairly well-organised we need not dwell over them.
Wool industry
In many parts of this province and especially at the foot hills sheep are treated for their wool. Hissar is cross-breeding with merino rams. Such crossbreeds yield fairly good quality wool. With grading also the proceeds may be increased about three to four times. Felt making was once a thriving industry but it is fast dying out. The hill tribes spin fine counts very evenly. Their carding bow of jungle fibrous wood with “cross string” of split bamboo cards wool-like cotton and their charkha spins very fine yarn. This is a wide based industry, but has received hardly any attention from any quarter and needs immediate care if it is to survive the imports of woollen yarn from Japan, Germany and Italy.
(Gram Udyog Patrika, December 1939)