Nemish Hemant, New Delhi. Due to the unexpected increase in the prices of gold and silver, darkness has started falling in thousands of hundreds of years old jewelery factories located in Dariba Bazaar of Chandni Chowk. The demand for jewelery has declined due to gold and silver becoming inaccessible to traditional customers.
90 percent of artisans are from Bengal
This has affected the employment of artisans. Showing his factory located at Chhatta Pratap Singh Gali of Kinari Bazar, Kisendu Dhara tells that once 52 artisans used to work here, now only 16 are left. Only a few of them have work. Due to lack of work, artisans are returning to their home states.
Kisnend came to Dariba from Singur in Bengal about 25 years ago. Dariba, the Mughal era jewelery market, is more than 300 years old. Here the artisans are mainly from other states, out of which 90 percent are from Bengal. The rest are from other states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
10 thousand small and big jewelery factories
There are about 10 thousand small and big jewelery factories in and around Dariba, in which two-three to 70 artisans work, who make jewelery by hand. It takes, for example, a week to make one ring. The jewelery here, excellent in terms of design and quality, is exported to various states including Saudi Arabia, America, UAE and other countries.
50 percent decline in jewelery sales
At present, exports to America have decreased significantly due to tariff war. Manish Verma, General Secretary of Dariba Vyapar Mandal, says that jewelers have been completely left out of the price of gold and silver being decided in the futures market. There is a decline of up to 50 percent in the sale of jewellery. The government should investigate this unusual situation and make efforts to prevent it.
50 percent reduction in the number of artisans
Similarly, jewelery factories in Karol Bagh and Gandhi Nagar are also hit by price rise. According to experts, till a few years ago there were more than two and a half lakh jewelery manufacturing factories in Delhi, which has now reduced from one lakh to eight lakh artisans, only about four lakh are left in the profession.
Factories also affected along with jewelery market
The rise in gold and silver prices is due to the Russia-Ukraine war from the year 2022, whereas, unexpected rise with slight deviation is being seen due to some other reasons including Trump's tariff policy, Iran and Green Land tension along with purchase of gold by the Central Bank of many countries, which has affected the factories along with the jewelery market.
Crisis of livelihood in front of artisans
Sukumar Adak, the operator of another factory, expresses concern and says that the orders at his place are only half of what they were before. It is becoming difficult for them to run the factory. Whereas, the artisans are facing the crisis of livelihood. The matter of concern is that these are not connected to any government scheme.
In such a situation, efforts are being made to empower them through PM Vishwakarma Yojana and labor registration. Manas Mandal, associated with the matter, said that camps will be set up soon after talking to Delhi government officials.
Request for help from Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Mamta is tempting
On one hand, in this recession, jewelery artisans of Delhi are requesting Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for help. Recently his organization wrote a letter to the Delhi government. At the same time, Mamata government is trying to woo the artisans of Bengal origin. Amidst the preparations for the assembly elections, a message is coming from there that a card will be made for the artisans here, in which they will get financial assistance.
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