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Countryboat is prize dowry in coastal Orissa: The Pioneer
Bhubaneswar, Dec 19: The humble countryboat has become a much-coveted dowry item in several parts of coastal Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur. This item has caught the fancy of the grooms belonging to the fishing community which sustained heavy losses during the supercyclone of 1999 when thousands of boats and fishing nets were destroyed. With boats still selling at a premium even four years after the tragedy, what better way of obtaining one than asking for it as dowry?
Bhubaneswar, Dec 19: The humble countryboat has become a much-coveted dowry item in several parts of coastal Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur. This item has caught the fancy of the grooms belonging to the fishing community which sustained heavy losses during the supercyclone of 1999 when thousands of boats and fishing nets were destroyed. With boats still selling at a premium even four years after the tragedy, what better way of obtaining one than asking for it as dowry?
While mechanised boats are also in demand, the emphasis is on the sturdy countryboats which the fishing community has been using traditionally and which remain within the reach of ordinary families with marriageable daughters. However, in certain cases, even buying a countryboat - the prices of which ranges anywhere between Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000 - could severely stretch the resources of a family as happened recently in Kharanasahi village in Kendrapara where a bride's father was forced to sell his entire property to meet his son-in-law's demand for a sailing vessel.
Over 10,000 fishermen lost their boats and fishing kits in the supercyclone. While not all of them were compensated by the government, even those provided with new boats by the administration had complaints about quality of the vessels. The same was also the case with the NGO-gifted boats which made, as they were of the local Chakunda wood, did not last long. With banks and cooperatives also not willing to help them, dowry seemed to be the only way out for the young fishermen keen to carry on with their hereditary vocation.
On the brighter side, the spurt in the demand has given a fresh lease of life to the boat-making industry in Rajnagar and Mahakalpada areas of Kendrapara. The gale had dealt a crushing blow to most of these units which are back in business with a bang. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the boom has been the Ramnagar factory which churns out no less than 30 boats per month during the marriage season. The saw mills have benefited in equal measure though their owners are being hounded by forest officials for alleged violation of environmental laws. The issue has been debated many a time at different public fora since the supercyclone and the fact remains that the bogey of environmental laws is raised by the officials only to extract money from the mill owners. On the other hand, the younger crop of fishermen with their newly-acquired crafts are also facing problems of a similar nature. With a huge area of the sea in Kendrapara being declared a marine sanctuary by the government, ostensibly to protect the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, their fishing activities have been severely restricted. With patrol boats keeping strict vigil, they are denied access to the fish-rich area of the sea off the Gahimatha beach for the better part of the year. With the government closing its eyes to their protest demonstrations, the fishermen can hardly do anything except curse their fate.
Over 10,000 fishermen lost their boats and fishing kits in the supercyclone. While not all of them were compensated by the government, even those provided with new boats by the administration had complaints about quality of the vessels. The same was also the case with the NGO-gifted boats which made, as they were of the local Chakunda wood, did not last long. With banks and cooperatives also not willing to help them, dowry seemed to be the only way out for the young fishermen keen to carry on with their hereditary vocation.
On the brighter side, the spurt in the demand has given a fresh lease of life to the boat-making industry in Rajnagar and Mahakalpada areas of Kendrapara. The gale had dealt a crushing blow to most of these units which are back in business with a bang. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the boom has been the Ramnagar factory which churns out no less than 30 boats per month during the marriage season. The saw mills have benefited in equal measure though their owners are being hounded by forest officials for alleged violation of environmental laws. The issue has been debated many a time at different public fora since the supercyclone and the fact remains that the bogey of environmental laws is raised by the officials only to extract money from the mill owners. On the other hand, the younger crop of fishermen with their newly-acquired crafts are also facing problems of a similar nature. With a huge area of the sea in Kendrapara being declared a marine sanctuary by the government, ostensibly to protect the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, their fishing activities have been severely restricted. With patrol boats keeping strict vigil, they are denied access to the fish-rich area of the sea off the Gahimatha beach for the better part of the year. With the government closing its eyes to their protest demonstrations, the fishermen can hardly do anything except curse their fate.