This includes three lakh workers in firecracker manufacturing units alone, a majority of whom are women. We are skilled only in the manufacturing process of firecrackers," he says and naively asks whether, "some state governments contemplate banning fireworks like last year." Industry insiders claim that a total of about 8 lakh people in and around Virudhunagar district, directly and indirectly depend on the industry for their livelihood. After Kanirasa completes his task, his colleague, a woman, deftly uses a needle to pierce the jute thread bundle and get to the small, white chemical-pack to fix a wick and the atom bomb is ready ! Asked how she does the tough job so quickly, she replies, "it is muscle memory that helps, I could plant over 2,000 wicks in a matter of few hours." S Velsamy, a veteran worker in fireworks industry says that people like him already lost income due to the pandemic since factories were shut for sometime and the current ban is of "concern as it may have a ripple effect for us all." "We are dependent on this industry. It is true that there is a lull in business." While fireworks makers and others rue the losses, workers continue their job despite it being really hard. "Over-time" work is an important part of earnings for workers, but "we could not give them extra work at all. S Siva Subramanian, who owns an offset printing factory catering to the fireworks industry has a similar version. "I understand that these fresh orders are to cater to the Tamil Nadu market," he says. "Since 50 per cent of our business is from the food industry, we managed to an extent, but several units that solely depend on them are the worst hit." On the whole, Rangabashyam says his business saw a 60 per cent cut in orders from firecracker makers and only from last month his company is getting orders from makers of firecrackers. P Rangabashyam of Sapthagiri Packs, a Sivakasi based manufacturer of corrugated boxes said that for months together there were no fresh orders from makers of fireworks. The seemingly lull scenario in the firecrackers industry has led to cyclical developments as well. Now, there is no orders from them too." Some firms and individuals in Tamil Nadu collect voluntary contributions through the year to give away firecrackers ahead of Deepavali (and other items to participants of the fund drive) at a cheaper price as they would be purchasing in bulk. "Usually, we get orders from a slew of people collecting Deepavali Fund to distribute crackers. Did you see any significant cargo traffic here? Truck operators and loaders here don't get much work from us," he says. In case we had good business, you will not be able to even walk or cross any of these stretches as workers will be busy loading innumerable trucks. "Sivakasi's market place and the thoroughfares are the best indicators of brisk business. When asked on business this year, G Selva Ganesan, who runs a wholesale cum retail outlet at Paraipatti in Sivakasi, he came up with a rather simple, but impressive answer.
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