J & K Mar 14: For bat-makers in Halmulla, a small hamlet on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the Indo-Pakistan cricket series has meant a change their fortunes - for the better. They have little time to watch players sweat it out on TV, as they have to meet the unprecedented surge in demand for bats. Absorbed in finishing work on the willows, they have got hooked to radio commentary instead. "The Indo-Pakistan series has come as a blessing. We are working overtime to meet orders from the dealers," says Shakil Ahmad Dar, owner of Darson Sports factory. Says another leading bat-maker, Nazir Ahmad Salroo, "Our demand increases manifold every time the Indian cricket team plays a series. But this time, it is unprecedented. We have received advance payments and have even turned down several orders." A third-generation bat-maker, Salroo has 25 employees who are busy in his factory, fashioning raw willow into seasoned bats. He refuses to divulge the exact number of bats and the revenue, but says he will double sales over last year. "I have diverted orders of 15,000 bats to other units because I could not meet the deadline," he says. Jahangir Ahmad, the 30-year-old owner of Good Luck Sports, says he has received orders for 15,000 bats this year against 7,000 last year. There are 300 other manufacturers in Anantnag and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir who fabricate bats for a cricket-crazy country. More than 10,000 people are directly or indirectly involved in the industry that boasts of a turnover of over Rs 25 crore, with bats selling for anything between Rs 50 to Rs 1,500. All 80 families of Halmulla are associated with bat-making. Interestingly, none of the youth have opted for a Government job, otherwise the first choice for Kashmiris. "As oil is to Arab countries, the willow is to us. The magic wood has changed our fortunes. But like oil reserves, the willow trees are dwindling," remarks Dar. He fears that dwindling willow reserves and lack of State support could play spoilsport for the industry. The problem for the bat-makers is that the willow tree is not a protected species. "People associated with the industry have to maintain the willow cover," stresses joint director of the Industries and Commerce Department, M Y Shoru. But the tree is often replaced with fast-growing poplars. "The willow is to be taken as a crop not as a source. If one tree is cut, another has to be planted," says Industries Minister Raman Mattoo. "We have to employ modern scientific and technological ways to upgrade the industry. Otherwise, the quality of our bats will dwindle with a negative impact on the industry," he adds. But the bat makers aren`t satisfied with the Governmentspeak. "We have been ruined by the Government`s policies, which have allowed raw willow to be sold to manufacturers outside the State. Most of it is smuggled out. What we could have processed for high yields is sold for peanuts," laments the general secretary of the J&K Sports Goods Manufacturers Association, Abdul Majid Dar. The Government enacted a law in 1998 with stringent punishment for willow smugglers. The law specified confiscation of the vehicle, one-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,00,000. But it was amended after a campaign by the manufacturers` lobby outside the State. Officially, there is an annual quota of 200,000 willow stumps for export. "But this has opened the floodgates a Mattoo. The Industries Department is planning to organise a workshop at Halmulla on March 16 to coax bat makers to adopt modern technology. Another problem is power cuts. "The Government has a theoretical approach. Let them explain why our industrial units are deprived of round-the-clock power supply," says Ahmad. But he is optimistic that things will improve. "The boom in the tourist season boosts our trade. Many tourists buy bats from our showrooms," he points out. Salroo is confident that Kashmiri bats can compete with the English willow in quality and standards if the Government extends a helping hand to the industry. But he regrets that Kashmiri bats are not exported to other countries yet. He recalls gifting a bat to West Indies cricket player Gordon Greenidge in Srinagar when they played against India in 1983. "The West Indians liked our bats and played matches with them," he recalls.
Halmulla`s bat-makers do not comment on who should win the series. "The best players will win the game but we are thankful to authorities in both countries for starting cricket ties afresh after 14 years," says bat-maker, Ali Muhammad. "They must continue the game so that our industry continues to flourish," he says.
Bureau Report