Shital Pati business comes under threat

At least nine hundred families support their livelihood by making Shital Pati (Cane-made floor mat) in Delduar upazila of Tangail. Local Shital Pati artisans said, plastic mat has brought their profession on the verge extinction. So, many of them involve into other works avoiding pati making work.Shital Pati is the traditional art of making a handcrafted mat by weaving together strips of a green cane known as ‘Murta’. The mat is used by people all over Bangladesh as a sitting mat, bedspread or prayer mat. The main bearers and practitioners are weavers living mostly in the low-lying villages in Bangladesh.

Both men and women participate in collecting and processing Murta, with women being more involved in the weaving process. The craft is a major source of livelihood and a strong marker of identity; primarily a family-based craft, it helps to reinforce family bonding and create a harmonious social atmosphere. Mastery of the technique commands social prestige, and the practice empowers underprivileged communities, including women.

The government promotes awareness of the element through local and national craft fairs, and Shital Pati communities are increasingly being organized into cooperatives to ensure the efficient safeguarding and transmission of the craft and guarantee its profitability. Safeguarding efforts involve the direct participation of the communities concerned and the practice is primarily transmitted from generation to generation within the families of craftspeople.

Gopal Chandra Dey and Santas Kumar Dey of pati artisans of Hinganagar area said, two days are spent to process a pati knitting by collecting canes. And women are related to this pati knitting work. Two days are spent for a pati knitting. But Four days time are spent for a pati knitting besides doing another household works. Tk 140/150 are given as wage for a pati.  Tk 800/900 are sold in markets as whole those patis. On calculation, Tk 1200 are damaged for every pati.

But they have been carrying on due to their old father-grandfather’s profession. Sonamoni and Josna Kaes of pati knitting artisans of the area said, they do pati knitting work besides house hold chores.  They have been doing this work since old father-grandfather.  They build four kinds of pati like- Shital Pati, Shital Nakshi Pati, Butka Pati etc.

The patis of this area have popularity in home and abroad. Pati artisans further said, cane made pati have been something damaged due to coming plastic pati in markets.But plastic pati is not standard quality. Most of partis are made in Hinganagar area of Atia Union of Delduar upazila. So, haat sits on Friday and Tuesday in a week in that area. Whole buyers come here from different areas of the country. Whole buyers buy those in a cheap rate and sell in the divisional city.

Whole buyer Karuna Sen of Kalihati area said, these patis are exported also another countries consequently. He also added, I buy Tk 700-900 for each big size and Tk 400-700 for each small size.  He supplies to moneylender by collecting patis exchanging commission Tk 40-50 for each pati. But due to modern touch, this pati industry is way of extinct. So, pati makers urged to govt to keep it up this village and rural tradition.

Shital patis are made of cane fibre that grows around water bodies. The mats feel cool to the touch, making them popular for home decoration during hot summer months.Many craftsmen left the profession as profits shrivelled due to a hike in raw material costs and their workers’ wages.Although cane fibre is cultivated on around 1,000 acres of land in the Delduar and Kalihati upazilas, it has become difficult to cater to local demand due to the harvesting process.

Cane fibre can only be harvested four years after a plantation is established. However, the same plantation can continue to be harvested for the next 60 years, they said. After the cane is harvested, it is sun-dried before being tied into bundles and submerged in water for two days. Once this process is complete, the cane fibre is separated from the plant. The first layer of fibre is the best in quality and is used to weave ‘lal patar pati’, the highest quality mat. The second layer is used to make bukai, which is of lower quality, they added.

People of all ages and genders are engaged in the industry as these mats can be weaved just about anywhere, from their homes or even on the streets.
“The demand for these mats was once very high, but now local producers are struggling to meet production costs,” he added.Subrata Dey, a 30-year-old weaver of the same village, said he was previously engaged in mat making full-time. But now, he has opened up a grocery store and only makes mat during his free time in order to make ends meet.

“It is very difficult to maintain one’s livelihood by just weaving mats. So, many of the local producers have chosen other professions,” Dey added.A market sets up on Tuesdays and Fridays in Kamannapara village, where local mat makers can sell their products. Wholesalers and traders from all over the country come to the market to buy the mats in bulk. For example, wholesaler Nandalal Dey, who hails from Sirajganj, said he buys shital patis from Tangail for sale at a number of other districts, including Jamalpur, Netrokona and Narsingdi. He makes a profit of roughly Tk 200 from each mat depending on its quality.

(AA)