K’taka polls take sheen off silver anklet biz at peak season

COIMBATORE: Silver anklet manufacturers in Salem, a hub for silver ‘kolusu’ in Tamil Nadu have met with severe loss in production because of the just concluded Karnataka Assembly polls.

For more than a month, the manufacturers weren’t able to carry out their usual business due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which was in place in the neighbouring state. Most of the jewels made in Salem are popular in north Indian states. These silver ornaments were mostly taken in trains and buses to several states through Karnataka.

“A majority of our markets for silver ‘kolusu’ are in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Perhaps the easiest way to reach many of these states from Salem was through Karnataka. But, our sales plunged abysmally low due to MCC in Karnataka, when there were restrictions in carrying cash and traders were harassed for carrying jewels,” said Sree Anantharajhen, president of ‘Salem Velli Kolusu Kaivinai Nala Sangam.’ With stringent restrictions, the smithies were able to cater only to the domestic market in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. “Our business gets pushed into a sorry state of affairs during every election and a permanent solution should be found for this issue. Some of the jewelers overcome such issues by taking up exclusive courier services by coughing out a higher amount,” said AS Sri Ram, past president of Tamil Nadu Jewellery Federation.

Silver smiths claimed that production has been hit completely, that too in the peak season for two months, when people mainly in north India buy silver along with gold during Akshaya Tritiya.

Already, this season witnessed poor orders over the last couple of months forcing more than 10,000 craftsmen to exit the industry.

“In the last few months, the silver units, which function as a cottage industry, were able to churn out only 20 per cent of work orders that came through Kerala and Tamil Nadu,” said Anantharajhen.

There are over 10,000 silver kolusu manufacturing units in Salem with more than one lakh people dependent on the sector. The silver making units employ local people. “Only around 1,000 people are migrant workers and others are our traditional artisans, who are now in their fourth generation. There is emerging competition from north India in making ‘kolusu’, but ours is unique and preferred as they are handcrafted with intricate designs,” claimed the silversmiths.

Salem ‘kolusu’ awaiting GI tag

Like gold, price of silver too have jumped up sharply due to its surging demand in recent times.

However, the price hike had no impact on the sale of silver ornaments. “Over the last two months, the price of silver has shot up from Rs 63,000 per kg to Rs 79,000 per kg. Yet, it wouldn’t influence the decision of consumers as prices still remain low as ornaments are bought in lower quantities and in grams,” said Sree Anantharajhen, president of Salem Velli Kolusu Kaivinai Nala Sangam.

Similar to gold, silver also has purity standards. “The manufacturers insisted on adhering to quality parameters of silver ornaments to ensure the popularity of Salem silver. Also, the silver manufacturers have approached the government seeking patent rights (GI) for Salem ‘kolusu’ to maintain specific standards,” he added.

However, the manufacturers demanded that the process should be quickened to give GI at the earliest to save the ailing industry. “Also, attempts should be made to bring the artisans under one umbrella and market the Salem silver ornaments under a single brand name. Some of the key hubs of production within Salem, include Shevapet, Siddharkoil, Ariyakavundanur, Panangadu and Sivanthapuram,” they said.

There are over 10,000 silver kolusu manufacturing units in Salem. The kolusu making in Salem dates back to 20th century.”The kolusu is visually distinctive from anklets produced in other regions,” said P Sanjai Gandhi, advocate, and IPR Attorney, who has filed an application for the GI tag.