Tura, 16th July: The recent violence has affected the lives of many who were in the line of fire. While the administration has been looking to ensure things did not get out of hand, negotiating for a safe environment for all, one part of Garo Hills has been affected badly due to the incessant noises. The Damas cement factory, which is the only industry of any note, has been shut down since the problems started.
The cement factory in Damas has been set up since about 12 years ago and has been running into problems with production as it is situated at the border of Assam and Meghalaya. Due to the frequent band culture prevalent in Assam with numerous tribes calling for a blockade every other week, the company has been striving extremely hard to ensure production remains constant. The current violence in the area has put the biggest strain in the line over the past twelve years, with production yet to restart since the 22nd of June.
Residents within the Damas area, which is about 25 kms from the district headquarter, Resubelpara, who are either directly or indirectly employed within the factory have been hoping the work at the factory restarts at the earliest as their losses too, pile up. They said that the factory was helping the town of Damas cope with a lot of stress and the factory needed to be up on its feet quickly. They said they hoped the coming few days would help in rebuilding the lost hope between communities and they could go back to doing what they did best – ensured the production line did not stop.
The owner of the factory, Ravi Jain spoke about the problems faced by his team. He said, “The Goalpara district in Assam has been famous for its frequent bandhs which have been affecting normal life. It has also been hampering us to a great extent as we struggle to meet production demands. If the demands of production are not met, the problem with contracts come in, which is bad not only for business, but also on the margins. The current crisis has driven us up against a serious wall, which we are facing a huge problem in overcoming. With the thawing of relations, we hope to get things back on track. Our factory employs more than 700 hundred people directly or indirectly and their livelihood depends on the smooth functioning of the two states.”
For the people of Damas, the development of the factory may have been a blessing, but for its owners, the hurdle may be too big to cross. With industry needing a huge fillip within the region, the story of the factory of Damas.(SP News)
