How River Indus betrayed a forgotten basket-weaving tribe

HYDERABAD: Sonharo Kehal, one of the many skilled members of around 22 artisan families, weaving variety of baskets, cannot understand what made the river stream flow earlier this year, inundating the small groves of Tamarix aphylla shrubs used for making their wares. This unusual change in the flowing pattern of River Indus has left them helpless.

As these valuable plants that grow across the riverbed, are now under water, these crafts-folks are unable to collect more weaving material from different parts of the river to continue their ancestral work for quite a long time.

While weaving baskets of different sizes, using sticks of these plants sitting in a makeshift hut at the embankment of River Indus, Sonharo said now they had to hire small boats for collecting vegetation from the areas, which adds to the cost.

Talking about the background, Sonharo, who was not sure about the tally, said, “The have been working along the river stream near Hala Old town for around 25 years, continuing with their traditional activities to earn little just for survival”.

He could not guess the exact time, but said the river always used to flow later (after June, July, and August). As told by him, in this situation they usually move toward the embankment to live under the similar makeshift abodes to avoid their belongings getting flooded. They collect required raw material from riverbed and its catchment area for their basket-weaving work.

He said, earlier they used to collect raw material free of cost by traveling long distances in the riverbed on foot, but now certain influential people had started forcing them them to pay for the vegetation they required. “Thus, they pay such amount for the material whenever they need,” Sonharo added.

They sell their products locally at Rs100—500, depending on size and quality. They always receive traders from different parts of the country to take these products. But this time they are experiencing problem as nobody has come to them for purchasing, so far.

The baskets they make are useful for packing various fruits and vegetables for market. While larger baskets have different usages locally.

Niyamat Kehal, wife of Sonharo, has also a task to work at the same premises, weaving sticks carefully. She said normally they used to live along the riverbed the whole of the year; however, sometimes when the river received more water they moved to embankment with their families and belongings for safety.

They have memorable stories about staying at the freshwater lakes for many years and move to other places in search of livelihood and having access to raw material to continue their work to feed their children.

The men, women and children have their role in the traditional work, ranging from collecting raw material, keep it in water for wetting for 48 hours and then bring wet sticks back at workplace for weaving.

These artisans do not take their products to market but customers themselves come to them for buying needed items.

The artisans believe the raw material is only available at the banks of freshwater lakes, widespread riverbed and its catchment area. That is why they live close to water for the specific work.

These nomadic families do not have permanent settlement and mostly live along the freshwater bodies, lakes and river, where from they can get raw material free of cost for their craft.

After a longtime association with this specific work they have adopted different skills to attract customers. For this, now they take date palm tree leaves from Khairpur district to weave different products, including mats.

Hundreds of artisan families can be found at scattered water bodies engaged in the similar work for earning little for survival.

There are heaps of raw sticks outside their makeshift shelters, some of which they keep in water along the river stream for the purpose.

Each member of family can weave at least four—five baskets, which they put on sale locally and customers come to them frequently to purchase. Earlier, these artisans used to receive traders for their products in bulk. They say it has been a longtime since they received any bulk order, now only local people come to them for such items. Traders hardly visit them due to uncertainty looming over during these days. Whenever they feel any problem of food shortage, the women and children take some food from neighbouring people.

Otherwise, they believe there is no problem for them, as they already have their work to earn little to ease their families.

Studies have listed these artisan people in nomadic tribe called Kehal, which is yet to be recognised by the government authorities at any level. Thus, prolonged negligence on government’s part has put them in isolation and despite their contribution in rural economy they still live anonymously.

Irony is that they do not have a permanent shelter at any settlement where they could have owned land and lived there safely. So, these people also do not have computerised national identity cards (CNIC) to claim to be the citizen of this country and are thus are not considered eligible to the right to basic facilities. This alien status and their not being registered in the national database in this era of fast information and communication technology is a question mark for the government institutions, elected lawmakers and certain non-government organisations. None of the aforementioned entities ever tried to reach out to them and ask them about their life and livelihood and their role and responsibilities in the mainstream society.

Some researchers, keeping an eye over the climate change and the human and wildlife migrations it has been causing, believe these artisan people too are climate refugees, fleeing floods, droughts, and rising temperatures across the province, traveling from one place to another in search of better livelihood. But it seems these tribespeople have lost accessibility to their natural assets of raw material and are paying a huge cost only to survive.