Lockdown takes sheen off golden days, smiths struggle to make ends meet

“We have been without work since March 24. The intricate work on gold ornaments is gruelling. But we could earn about Rs 500 to Rs 600 after putting in over 14 hours of work. A construction worker would be earning more than us after working eight hours. Now we are struggling to make ends meet,” said TK Ravindran, who has been in this vocation for over four decades, said.

In a year, Ravindran said, goldsmiths would have work for five to six months, mostly from December to May. “The lockdown began when we will get most works,” he said.

P Chandran of CITU affiliated Thanganagali Thozhilar Sammelanam said that the way jewellers ordered the gold jewellery has changed over the years. “Earlier, jewellers used to give orders to goldsmiths. Now orders are being given to the jewel making units, which has employed women workers for low monthly wages ranging from Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000. The jewellers themselves are running factories by bringing north Indian workers, particularly from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. They work for 12 to 14 hours a day and will be paid Rs 500,” he said, noting that the minimum wage for goldsmith is Rs 560 a day.

The State government has announced Rs 2,000 as financial assistance for goldsmiths, who are members of the Tamil Nadu Goldsmiths Welfare Board. “There are only 15,450 goldsmiths registered in the welfare board. Even the fraction of people who are registered in the welfare board did not get the financial assistance fully. The State government should provide financial assistance to all the goldsmiths, even to those who are not registered,” said E Manickavelu, national vice president, Akhil Bhartiya Viswakarma Mahasabha.

“With jewellers having huge unsold stock of jewels and gold prices going up from Rs 3,200 per gram to Rs 4,450 per gram, goldsmiths are not going get much work for the next six months even if the government lifts the lockdown,” he said, adding that the State government should pass an order allowing only goldsmiths to make and sell thaali and associated accessories for marriages. “It will ensure the survival of the goldsmiths,” he said, adding that the Centre should provide Rs 5,000 for the goldsmiths who have artisan cards provided by the Union Ministry of Textile for purchasing tools which have gathered rust due to non-use for the last two months.