Acknowledgement

All praises go to almighty Creator, for His Mercy that makes us able to complete this study

Paper. We would like to express our sincere Gratitude and thanks to Sanjoy Kumar Chanda,

Asst. Professor, Sociology Discipline, Khulna University, Bangladesh, for his constant

guidance, Encouragement, cooperation and helpful suggestion in every stage of preparing the

paper. We would also like to thank the respondents and participants of Kansari community

who kindly helped us by giving many information. We are also grateful to our classmates

who helped us in various way.

Group ‘F’

Sezan Tanvir

Anamika Mitra

Nayan Moni Sarker

Farhana Sultana

Umme Homayra Liza

Sociology Discipline

Khulna University

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Abstract

This study was conducted on the Kansari community in Khulna. The main objective of the

study was to identify the socio-economic condition of the Kansari people. To construct the

dtudy, two Focus Group Discussion were used as method of data collection. Khansaris’ are

the one of the most integral parts of our Bengali culture. From the British & pre British

period this culture took a great place in our Bengali society. Though for various reasons this

culture is getting diminished but after that some people also keep this trends. In every

occasion of Hindu society the utensils of kansa takes the important part but now the picture is

getting changed day by day. Mainly the people who are involved with making utensils with

kansa or pitol they are counted as Kansari. They are not only involved with making but also

repairs it.

In Bangladesh the origin of Kansaris’ mainly indicates to Bikrompur, Dhaka & Polong,

Soriotpur. In Khulna the Kansaris’ who are involved with this profession they are mainly

lineage of those Kansaris’. There are only 3 people that I’ve found in Khulna city who are

mainly involved in this business for 3-4 generation. Beside them there are also some other

people who are involved in this business for 15-25 yrs.

Keywords

Kansari, Khulna, Caste, Socio-economic condition, Kasha

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Table of contents

Topic name Page numberAcknowledgement 1Abstract 2Keywords 2Introduction 4Methodology 5ResultsFGD 1FGD 2

6-78-9

Discussion 10-12Conclusion 13

Appendix 1Figures

14-15

Appendix 2Checklist

16

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Introduction

Bangladesh is a small country with many small communities. Which play a vital role in our

culture and tradition. But it is the matter of great regret that most of the communities are

declining day by day. Consequently our culture and tradition is also in a threat of extinction.

As there are many small communities in our society and they have different way of life. So it

is tried to know about their way of life. Among many communities Kansari is one of them

who make products with Kasha. This industry has a glorious history. Once upon a time when

products make with Kasha had a great demand. It was used as gift in various occasions like

marriage. It was used in domestic affairs too.

In Bangladesh Kansari community is found in Rajshahi, Noagon, Kustia, Bikrampur and

Shariotpur. This FGD has conducted at Shantidham more in Khulna. These people had come

Khulna for searching of life. The demand of Kasha products declined day by day. In order to

preserve their forefather occupation and tradition they shifted Khulna. It is a too small

community. There are few shops at Shantidham more.

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Methodology

A. Design: The study was conducted through the use of interview technique. Data

were collected from the Kansari respondents form the field. For in-depth study two Focus

Group Discussion are incorporated. The study is basically descriptive in nature.

B. Unit of Analysis: Kansari peoples, mainly the older people (age of 50-60 years)

and young people (age of 20-25 years).

C. Study Area: The Shantidham more area of Khulna city corporation.

D. Sampling: Purposive sampling was used to collect data from the field. To collect

primary data, total 9 samples were divided into two groups for conducting FGD.

E. Sources of data: The data were collected from two sources:

(a) Primary sources: Data were collected from the field by using qualitative

techniques like FGDs.

(b) Secondary Source: Various articles, research papers, newspapers, magazines and

internet also.

F. Data Collection from Field: Five interviewers in a group have collected data from

field.

G. Data Processing and Analysis: Data were computerized, analyzed and

interpreted by using software like MS Word.

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Results

FGD-1

It is described the condition of the aged people of the community. Here one FGD was

conducted with five members in a group. They shared the following characteristics: they

belonged within the age group of fifty to sixty; they were involved with permanent

occupation. It was observed a typical lifestyle of them.

Education: The aged people, who participated in the Focus Group Discussion, three among

them, completed the primary level of education and remaining two only can write their name.

Their financial condition is not well. Though they do not get proper education, they send their

children to school. They dream a dream that their children be fit for society through getting

proper education.

Occupation: They are mainly trader. There are many classes in trader Kongsobanik is one of

them. Bashu Dev Kongsobonik mentioned that “there are some Muslim people who involve

themselves in this occupation. They live in Bikrampur and they are very few in number”.

They mainly make Kasha products sell them and buy old utensils and repaired. They make

pitcher, bucket, water-pot, utensils and so on. It needs 1.5 to 2 kg brass to make a pitcher.

Kasha products are mainly made with copper and Rang in Kustia. But this community use

brass to make the products. They use metal polish for brightness. Porimol Bain mentioned

that “it has no side effects and it is not harmful for health”. It makes low decibel sound

which machine is used for making products.

Income: Their income is not well. They earn around 8000-10000 BDT in a month. It is not

fixed. In Bangle month Vadro, Kartik and Chaytro is the off season for Kasha products. Its

demand falls down in this month.

Food habit: Like other people they enjoyed the same dishes of meal such as rice, meat,

pulse, vegetables and so on.

Housing pattern: Their housing pattern is not so good. As their income level is poor

consequently their living place is not well structured. Their house is made of bamboo fence

with the cover of house is tin and concrete floor.

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Socio-economic condition: Their socio-economic condition is not well. The demand of

Kasha products is declining day by day. It is hard to survive for them to live with such small

income. Their income is not fixed. Bashu Dev Kongsobonik earns around 8000-10000 BDT

in a month which is not sufficient to lead a life in Khulna city.

Health facilities: They do not get proper health facilities. They have not enough money to

get better treatment. They went to quack for treatment. In excessive case, they went to

M.B.B.S doctor.

Land right: Inherently they have gotten some land but it is a matter of sorrow that all these

grasped by river Padma. Bashu Dev Kongsobonik has some land.

Political right: They are not directly related to politics. They have voting rights and they cast

their vote.

Marital status: They all are married. They celebrated outer caste marriage. In the past it was

occurred inner caste. Bashu Dev Kongsobonik mentioned, “Inner caste marriage as a

superstition”.

Religious ceremony: Most of the people who belong to Kansari communities are follower of

Hinduism. So they celebrate all religious festivals observed by Hinduism. But they do not

take part in our national festival Pahela Baishakh.

Funeral system: As they are followers of Hinduism, through burning dead body they

complete funeral rites. They express their mourn till 15 days after death.

Expectation: The demand of Kasha products is declining day by day. Because of price hike

of brass and other metal has replaced by it. There is no future in this industry. So they don’t

want that their next generation involve themselves in this industry. They want that govt. pay

special attention on their industry and community.

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FGD-2

This Focus Group Discussion was conducted on one group of four young people. Their

average age was 20-25 years. They shared the following characteristics: lower education

level mostly among young people, lower economic support, lower expectancy from

community and unwillingness of entering their traditional occupation.

Education: The young people, who participated in the Focus Group Discussion, two among

them, completed the secondary level of education and remaining two completed primary

level. Most of them don’t get proper chance for education. Samor Banik, 22 years old said

“we want to be more educated, but because of our family’s occupation, we don’t get the

chance.”

Occupation: They are mainly student. But many of them already entered in their traditional

occupation. Anand Banik mentioned that “we don’t want to enter this profession and ruin

our life; we want to involve profession like govt. service”.

Income: The young did not have a definite amount of income. Shankar kumar said, “we

don’t take definite amount of money, because, who we are working, most of us working in our

family’s shop.”

Marital status: Mostly they are unmarried. They celebrate outer caste marriage generally.

Caste system: The young people generally don’t follow caste system. They marry inside or

outside their caste both. Subol Banik mentioned, “we don’t follow our caste value, we

consider it as a false notion to marry inside caste.”

Food habit: Like other people they enjoyed the same dishes of meal such as rice, meat,

pulse, vegetables and so on.

Health facilities: They do not get proper health facilities. They have not enough money to

get better treatment. They go to quack for treatment. In excessive case, they visit local doctor.

Land right: Yong boys generally become the inherent of family property. Girls get property

in very rare cases.

Political right: They are not related to politics. They have voting rights and they cast their

vote.

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Religious ceremony: Most of the young people who belong to Kansari communities are

follower of Hinduism. So they celebrate all religious festivals observed by Hinduism. But

they do not take part in our national festival Pahela Baishakh.

Bad habit: Most of the young people of Kansari community don’t have bad habits like

taking drugs. But many of them smoke ciggarate. Some of them smoke biri and ganja.

Expectation: Most of the young people have distinct future hope that they will develop from

present condition. And they also want to be highly educated and involve in job outside their

community.

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Discussion

Most of the people of this community are Hindu. In this community mainly they called

themselves as Kangsa Banik. According to them there are four types of Baniks in their

society. They are:

Kanagsa Banik

Sonkho Banik

Swarna Banik

Gondho Banik

Mainly they are the parts of Vaisa caste. But now there are also some nomosudras i.e.

scheduled caste people also involved in this occupation.

The people of Kansari community are the people of this country. So the physical structure of

the Kansari community’s people is same as us.

The people of this community are not so much educated. Mainly the people who are involved

with this profession even they were not completed their S.S.C. But now they want to educate

their children even female child also.

The culture of Kansari community is also as same as us but after that there are also so many

differences than us they are:

They eat vegetables in every Wednesday; but this culture does not follow by all.

The main festival of this community is Biswakarma puja & lord Ganesh puja.

They do not maintain the Halkhata festival because they does not sell in borrow.

They also maintain Nil puja which occurs in the last day of Chaitra month

There dress patterns are also as same as us.

The present conditions of Kansari’s are very bad. Now a lot of people leave this profession.

The reasons are:

Lacking of raw materials

Making cost is very high

People can’t afford this types of utensils

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Availability & cheap cost of Melamine & Ceramic utensils

Migration

Involving in other profession

It’s also found that where in Bikrampur, Dhaka 25 years before where 25 families were

involved in this business now there are only 2 families are involved with this business. Now a

lot of people have migrated from Bangladesh to India. Though few of them do not change

their profession but maximum changed their profession. In the Kansari business there are

variations in their income period. In this profession there are some seasons when the income

is higher & sometimes it is being lower. Mainly in the months of Hindu marriages &

religious festivals the income is getting higher.

Example: In Bengali year, Agrayan- Falgun & Baisakh, Jaistha these months they get more

works but now this condition id also changed because very few people can afford this types

of goods.

The living condition is also not satisfactory. They are fighting against poverty. The monthly

income of a Kansari is hardly 5000-5500 or highest 9000-10000 tk. It is very tough for

anyone to pass a family life with this little income. Most of this community people lived in

Semi Paka houses. In Khulna they lived in rental houses. Some of them buy lands in their

own villages but that are very little in size.

Before long time in Bengali society it was happened that the upper caste Hindu people

counted lower caste people as untouchable. But now the condition is totally changed. Now

there is a good contact between all these communities. Even now they made family relations

between several communities.

The main recreational activities of original Kansari community people were playing pasha

games. But now this culture is totally diminished. After living in cities for a long time they

also adopt the city recreational activities.

The Socio economic conditions of the Kansari community are not so much good. Everyone

lives in poor condition. The conditions are described below:

The people cannot afford a good life.

They don’t have their own lands.

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As a member of minority community they faced so much problems & negligence.

They cannot give good education to their children.

In their society dowry is a big problem.

In the past women also involve in this profession. They made design on the body of pitcher,

water-pot, and utensils and so on. Now they are detached from it. But they don’t waste their

time idly rather than involve themselves in productive work like sewing. Because of poverty

women are also involved in various works like:

Tailoring

Making handicrafts

Working as maid servants.

In Kansari community women are also involved in making goods which are used in the

Hindu worships. But this type of goods they makes only the time of Durga and Kali puja.

Because of illiteracy they have to choose this type of occupation but after that they cannot

maintain their own family. Though now the female child goes to the schools but after a

certain time they are dropped out. They have no property right. But their opinion gets

importance in decision making.

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Conclusion

Day by day the demand of kasa’s utensils is reducing. So the incomes of Kansari’s are also

reducing. Though it is a part of our society but for technological change & high expenses this

culture is day by day diminished. Govt. doesn’t take any steps to keep this art. Now a lot of

people leave this profession & involved in other profession. Many people have to migrate in

India. In rural areas people of this community leave their profession & involving in

agricultures. This is very much harmful for our culture. If our govt. does not take any steps to

save this community then very soon one day will come when this community is also

diminished.

They sorrowfully express that many people come to them to hear their words. But their

condition remains same. Kansari industry is part of our culture. To protect this industry we

should come forward. To preserve our tradition and stand this industry we should use utensils

made with Kasha besides modern utensils.

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Appendix 1

Figure 1.1. A Kasanri respondent in front of his shop

Figure 1.2. Some Kasha products

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Figure 1.3. Group ‘F’ members with a Kansari respondent

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Appendix 2

A Checklist on

Socio-Economic Condition of

Kansari Community: A Study in Khulna City

Date-

Personal Profile

1. Name:

2. Age:

3. Gender:

4. Educational level:

Other Information

5. Origin:

6. Type of occupation:

7. Religion:

8. Cultural programs and festivals:

9. Religious ceremony:

10. Food habit:

11. Housing condition:

12. Interaction with other community:

13. Recreational activities:

14. Socio economic condition:

15. Funeral system:

16. Caste system:

17. Land right:

18. Political right:

19. Health facilities:

20. Status of women:

21. Prospect of the occupation:

22. Present condition:

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