PULWAMA: THE PENCIL DISTRICT OF INDIA
Pencil is the foundation of each child’s educational journey. It’s a versatile writing instrument which is used in multitude of skills like writing, calligraphy, sketching, drawing, portraits and many such arts. Most of us educated one’s, and at that, blessed one’s, have used a pencil and in all probabilities still using. But scarcely do we know how or where such an amazing instrument is manufactured.
Pulwama is a serene district located around 25 Km from the town of Srinagar. The beautiful landscape with crop fields blooming in summer breeze provide an amazing natural vista. In this district is located a small village named Oukhoo, where the pencils sold by top companies in India are born. Every time one picks up a pencil, it highly possible that it originated from this very part of Kashmir. The wood which sheaths the dark graphite core of a pencil is supplied from this very village.
Pencil slats are the main raw material which is required to manufacture a complete pencil. Here in Pulwama, these pencil slats are made from a special variety of Poplar tree that grows only in South Kashmir. The wood of these trees has the correct amount of texture and moisture for making pencils, which is also particularly due to the precise weather of this region. People of this village have been self-employed with this occupation which has been the main stay of this delicate micro economy. The agri based industry of this region has been providing a steady source of income for the families. This work has recently attracted a lot of attention by the government which has provided an impetus to this unique & lesser known manufacturing process. As per official figures, at present 60% of pencil production process is done at Lassipora, one of Kashmir’s biggest industrial estates set up over 300 hectares in Pulwama district.
Perfectly packed and neatly stacked hundreds of bags of raw wood are kept ready for despatch to the country’s prominent pencil manufacturing industries are testament for the work being carried out in the village of Oukhoo & Lassipora. Raw material from the industrial estate of Lassipora is supplied to Hindustan Pencils a parent company of Natraj & Apsara Brands. This is the second largest pencil manufacturing company in the world.
Providing employment to almost every household in Pulwama, the pencil slate industry is a major economic activity of this region. This industry and related trade process are providing jobs to thousands of youth across the Kashmir valley, particularly for the Pulwama district. Lassipora industrial complex provides employment to 90% of local boys & girls with minimum hired technical workforce from outside the state. Be it, Manzoor or Rifat Ara or Firdous, all such individuals are earning respectable money to survive. The locals either have fields where Poplar trees are grown and supplied, or are working as labours in such fields or work in the industrial estate to earn their livelihood.
Practically, Women empowermentis evident here as most of the work in these industrial as well as the nearby farming areas is done by local women folk. Small units being run by local women from home have come up in homes which provide raw material to the industrial estate for final production. Wood from such small manufacturing units is taken as raw material for the manufacture of pencil slats which finally is transported to the main pencil factories all over the country.
A new era has now emerged wherein the people of Pulwama want to manufacture the complete pencil here in Kashmir only. This will bring in the much-required economic development of the area at a faster pace and will provide the local youth with something worthy of indulging in. Start of manufacture of complete pencil with government support will provide impetus to the nascent industry here and transform the entire economic landscape. The new government has taken initiatives to provide the much-required boost to this small-scale industry which has the capability to go global. This goes without any doubt that soon the state will bloom with contribution from the newly christened ‘Pencil district of India’.
