Can one really be released from the cycle of rebirth? The answer to this can probably be narrated only by a true holy learned person. Also, can a Doms caste person attain Moksha? Doms, Domar, or Mehtoar are a particular caste of people involved in manual scavenging, agricultural work, basket weaving and bamboo craft. The Doms were formerly classified as a Criminal Tribe under the Criminal Tribes Acts of the British Raj. After India's Independence the Act was replaced with Habitual Offenders Act of 1952. The Doms were a part of the Nomadic Tribe and moved from place to place. Because of a taboo associate with this caste, many such tribes were not included in the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Class, thus denying them the opportunity to avail reservation under these categories. National Human Rights Commission intervened and sought repeal of the Habitual Offenders Act of 1952, because of these tribes being stigmatized even in the 21st century when the world progressed towards economic development. In 2008, the National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes recommended that same reservation be given to such tribes as listed under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. Today, numerous Government and Non-Government Agencies are looking after the betterment of these tribes through large scale awareness and educational programmes. However, the existence of "untouchability" continues to prevail and this is evident is some parts of India, mostly Bihar, where Doms are called to feast in the funerals of upper-caste Hindus, terming it as a gateway to Moksha. Soon after the feast, once again these Doms are referred to as untouchables in their daily routine life, and avoided at large.
We are living in 21st Century and every educated citizen is aware of the importance of every human being playing an equivalent role in the growth of an economy. Modern infrastructure has shaped our lifestyle, from offices to homes. Though, somewhere, in the deep corner of our heart we still long and cherish those memories from childhood stuffs that became ingrained into our memories. One such memory is playing with bamboo and cane toys, and others being the decorative items and kitchen-ware made from bamboo and cane that found our interest. Lampshade, chairs, medicine bamboo glass for cattle, tables, swing, wickets, stools, cloth basket, hair clip, fruit tray, ash tray, drinking straw (bamboo straw), pen holder, medicine box, cutlery, among others made our everyday lifestyle products. These products continue to be environment friendly, bio-degradable, non-toxic and most importantly made our life easy and made us empathize of the hardwork a Domar's family did to earn their livelihood with a sense of pride.
Bamboo and cane products are more impact resistant than wooden counterpart, can be made into multiple form and style, are in abundance and can be regrown, are lighter than wooden furniture, create green space and protect our environment. Also, furniture made from these resources are lighter and easier to carry between places. In present times, the craft of making lifestyle products from Bamboo and Cane is not limited to the select Domar caste, but in general students, craft practitioners and hobbyists are taking interest in creating their own startups in order to meet the rising demand of ecofriendly products. As people grow more conscious of the non-biodegradable or plastic products they use and seeking ways to replace them, the market potential of bamboo and cane products are very high. Also, with expanding floor space of modern departmental stores they are creating spaces for upliftment of rural economy by providing poor families with opportunities to work on bamboo and cane skill to replenish their store area every time the supply falls short of demand.
The segment is largely unrecognized among the mass, but with steady and massive influx of awareness and advertising, and also creating a cost-effective logistical support this sector will play a leading role in economic boost to a rural area. An increased income for any such household in the rural areas with optimum workload will help these families to lead a better lifestyle and also come at par with the awareness of other hygiene and sanitation initiatives they should be taking in their homes and surroundings.
One positive step leads to an another. And when a chain of positive steps are interlinked, we will definitely witness a change in our environment. Our biodiversity will be protected and so will the food chain and its dependency on the natural habitat. This should be our ulterior motive in present times when Global Warming is a looming threat, and polar ice caps are melting rapidly.
Ice Earth story writers are doing their bit in raising awareness about planet friendly investment opportunities across any field of work. In some way every kind of work involves planet friendly investment at some point of their process. It depends how much an investor is willing to invest considering the fact that the future holds profitable to those who go hand-in-hand with nature.
Some of you may be Doctors, some Engineers, some Scientists, some Philanthropists, some Researchers, some Data Scientists, some Salesman, some Customer Service Officers, some Fitness Experts, some Nutritionists, some Lawyers, some Police Officers, some Army Officers, some Restaurant Owners, some Real Estate Agents, some Grocery Shop Owners. Some of you invest, some do not. Some invest to the best of your capacity, some to the best of your knowledge and information. When you can invest small in big companies, why not invest big in small companies when these companies are futuristic and hold environmentally sound values? Plan your investment and continue to read Ice Earth.
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Writer: TheRitchieFactor
Image: Ritchie
Note: The views expressed are solely of the writer.
