Beparipara village in South Salmara district, Assam, shows how people can change problems into chances. Most of the villagers being Muslims, they in general had problems with annual floods. But now they go fishing as soon as the flood water starts to rise. Nurani Begum, a local, shares her experience: I have known the business of dried fish for most of my tender age till now I am a grown up woman. Customers use dried fish which we take time to prepare all year.
The Tradition of Drying Fish
Fish drying is as old as man itself, The sun, of course, provides the needed source of heat for drying the fish. At those times, there were no massive cold chambers such as fridges, so people looked for ways to preserve fish for a long time. Now, this method has become the most popular means whereby these people of Bepari Para get their daily bread. They export dried fish not only in Assam but also in other North Eastern states. Nurani described, “We have dried fish for the whole year’s supply.”
A Successful Business
Nurani Begum is one of the working women of Sonali Self Help Group. She dried different types of fish including Bamla, Suri, and Misa. She likes to dry fish under sunlight not fire since it helps her retain the fish’s taste. Nurani gets a wage of between Rs 50, 000 and Rs 1, 00,000 annually. She sells about 30-40 kilograms of dried fish at the weekly market at the border between Assam and Meghalaya and earns Rs 15,000- Rs 20,000 each time. She also sells fish in fairs with her son Akhtar Hussain. Fish price varies between Rs: 50 to 1000. Drying of fish is very essential in the business aspects of the villagers. They also fish all year round and all the members in the family assist in fishing.
For detailed story, please visit: Awaz the voice
Also Read: Prazna Foundation: A Compassionate Approach to Menstrual Health and Women’s Dignity
You can connect with DNN24 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
.
