Kohima: The age-old practice of stone masonry is still prevalent in the present times in Nagaland and is evident as numerous stone works, including monoliths, adorn almost every landmark and historically significant site, making it impossible to keep track of the numbers.
However, stonemasons, like most other construction workers in the state, struggle as they cling on to the ancient art of stone masonry in modern times for their sustenance.
In the western part of Kohima district, at a distance of about 7 km, is Jotsoma village, predominantly occupied by the Angami Naga tribe and is one of the major suppliers of quarry stones to parts of the district and beyond. There are about 50 stone quarries within the village.
As we enter Jotsoma village, stone monoliths erected in remembrance of persons and historical events and stonemasonry – from decades ago to modern-day designs – catch the eye.
In the village, 48-year-old Neikerüto Rino, who has been working as a stonemason for 23 years, has established himself as one of the most sought-after stonemasons in Jotsoma. From erecting stone monoliths to building stone graves and stone walls, the father of five children has mastered it all.
“Over the years, I have learnt about the varieties of stones and rocks that are available in my village. For instance, some stones shrink, some absorb water and others that are water-resistant. It has helped me understand how a particular rock needs to be cut or shaped,” said Rino, who initially started as a stone miner.
Recalling the days when excavators and earthmovers were not in use, he explained how stonemasons like him depended on simple hand tools to mine, cut, and shape the rocks and stones. Jotsoma is one of the largest villages in the western Angami area with large rock mountains. Rino shares that stone mining activities have grown over the years with the help of modern machinery and estimated that less than 10% of the land has been mined.
“We follow a system where all the stonemasons are given equal wages irrespective of their experience or level of expertise. So, the young stonemasons get equally paid as we do. I used to earn Rs 300 per day but our pay increases from year to year and at present we are paid Rs 1,000 per day. But when it comes to gender, women are paid less, usually about Rs 500-600 because it is men who do the heavy work,” Rino said.
For works like building stone graves and erecting stone monoliths, which is occasional, stone masons are paid higher than the normal wage.
Within the village alone, there is high demand for stonemasons during peak seasons. However, with the nature of work being seasonal, there are seasons when there is no work at all. “There are times when we have so much work to do but there are also times when we completely run out of work for months, especially during monsoon when developmental activities are put on hold and during winter when social and religious activities take over in full swing,” he shared.
During off seasons, stonemasons engage in agricultural activities to sustain a livelihood for their families. For Rino, he started a stone quarry at one of his plots of land located nearby a river bank, where he sells stone blocks to parts of the Kohima district. “One stone block costs Rs 23 and so I earn Rs 10,500 per mini truckload, but sometimes there is no sale at all,” he said.
He said that it is hard to find customers at times and was most affected during the COVID-19-induced lockdowns where most activities, including the construction sector, came to a standstill.
Despite all odds, Rino, who learnt the art of stonemasonry from his father at a young age, hopes to further pass it on to his children. “Because of consistently working with heavy stones, I have been experiencing health issues, like back pain, which is affecting my work in a way. But I am determined to upgrade my skills and also explore constructing buildings, to provide food and education to my children,” he said.
As per the Government of India, the construction Industry in India is expected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2025 as the construction sector contributes to 9% of the GDP and employs 51 million workers, becoming the second largest employer in India in 2017.
During a recent field registration of construction workers and awareness event held at Chedema, chairman of the Nagaland Building and Other Construction Workers (NBOCWWB) Kekhrie Yhome said there is a huge cache of untapped resources and wealth in the construction sector. The head of the welfare board had also encouraged construction-related workers to register with the board for various benefits.
While efforts from the government, through the NBOCWWB, are made to reach out to workers in the construction sector to further provide social security to these workers, most workers like Rino are unaware of such initiatives and continue their work with no provision of basic safety and health care.
This is the third of a five-part series highlighting the experiences and challenges faced by the construction industry in Nagaland, as part of the Kohima Press Club and Nagaland Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Media Fellowship.
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