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04 July 03 to July 09 2017 : Weekly News Magazine messenger

OPINION

gave up after seeing their functioning,
“I was a labourer and knew what it
takes to earn money. Huge bribes
sought by officials discouraged me. For
illiterate people like me the formalities
are troublesome.”
Javed adds that even though the
industry is exempt from tax the
company pays tax both at the purchase
of raw material and sale because of the
hassles in modalities.
“And when it comes to subsidy on raw
material, electricity and other things,
we don’t make any use of it,” informs
Javed.
He adds the company procures raw
material from locals, “It is our father’s
wish that our own people like vegetable
sellers should get benefited from our
work,” says Javed.
The company is registered under Home
scale category II license for
manufacture of pickles and jams, and
Realising A Dream sells 20 metric tons per annum or
20,000 kgs of pickles annually. The
product is sold in three different
packages – polypack, glass pack and
jerrycan pack. The company also
Year 1990: three friends, Abdul Rashid pickles in the beginning, “It was sold in increasing the production. I wanted to
Dar, Bhushan Lal, and Jagdish Lal are few days only. Then I started increasing work hard till my sons complete their processes honey. Besides, the
sitting in the small house of Rashid – the production and the business studies so that they can take over company is ready to start canning of
preparing themselves for a possible expanded. Gradually one whole story of later,” he says. fruits and vegetables.
separation in the wake of turmoil. This my house and the compound would be As years went by illiteracy was no more With automation the company is
may perhaps be the last time the required and I started employing an obstacle. Rashid’s sons completed expecting increased turn over. “We do
childhood friends are sitting together, people in my unit,” he says. studies and joined hands in flourishing everything manually that consumes lot
they think. Bhushan Lal breaks the their father’s business. His eldest son of time. Though the product that
silence, “And yes Rashid. Promise me At present there are more than 20 Mushtaq Ahmad who earlier worked as comes after manual processing is of
you will start your own small business employees working in his company a tailor also joined in. Another son better quality, we are planning to make
and leave this job. And you will not which by now has been shifted to a Muzaffar Ahmad Dar who also works as use of some machines without
worry about money.” residential colony in Padshahi Bagh sales representative in Nestle India compromising on the product quality,”
Srinagar. It sells 20 metric tons of manages the marketing part, “We says Javed.
Uncertain of whether his friends will pickles annually with the annual turn don’t allow our father to work anymore. At present, Javed says, they caters to
have to leave Kashmir or will they be over of 50 lakh rupees. And He has We have divided the work and I do all the 20 per cent of Srinagar market.
able to stay, Rashid tirelessly plans the never taken help from any government the legal formalities that are required “Though it is later sent to Ladakh and
things. By the end of month, the or private organisation. from time to time,” says Rashid’s outside district, we sell out products in
biggest room of his house changes into another son, Javed, a post graduate in Srinagar only. Eighty percent of
a small pickle making factory with the After some months of setting up of the biotechnology. Srinagar and district markets is our
financial help of his Pandit friends who unit Rashid was able to pay back the target and we want our product to be
by now had decided to stay on. money he owed to his friends. Now the In 2004, they purchased land in available in Delhi and other states of
immediate requirement was to get FPO Padshahi Bagh locality and established India,” Javed says.
The unit is named after the forthcoming (fruit products order) license from a full fledged factory there. Untill then Twenty years have passed. Abdul
Bollywood movie – Henna which they Delhi. Again his friends knowing that he all work was done at their residential Rashid has turned 70. His dream of
would not be able to watch together was unlettered accompanied him to house. handing over the company to his
because the cinema halls have closed. Delhi, “They not only accompanied but The family is planning to shift the educated children has been realised.
Thus was born – Henna Agro Industries.spent all the required money and got company to Industrial Estate Rangreth Ask him to have his say, “Sometimes I
Till that year, Dar an unlettered 50 year FPO license for my unit.” and expand the production by making sit and think. Where I was and where
old man worked in a Kashmir based the company semi-automatic. All the
have I reached. A worker in a small
manufacturing company- Hono jams While his friends were busy with the work, be it grinding of spices or cutting company owns a company of his own,
as canning machine operator. He had formalities Rashid says he went to of vegetables, is done manually. it feels nice. Sometimes in peak
been working in the company for 30 many food manufacturing units to see Rashid says he doesn’t want to go for seasons like Ramadhan and marriage
years, earning a meagre income to what he could do to make his business full automation. season our stock exhausts much
feed his family of seven and educate a success. “Many girls who have been working before the expected time. Earlier I
his four sons. “My friends who lived in In 1992, Rashid got his unit here from many years will lose their
Gogji Bagh were in trading business. provisionally registered under District jobs. Most of them have some social or would get vegetables on shoulder now
They were aware of the difficulties I was Industry Center Budgam. By the end of economic problem in their homes and they are supplied in vehicles. I feel
undergoing due to financial problems. third year, he was selling 10 metric tons come from far off places. And more proud.”
They gave me money and all the of pickles annually and employed 10 importantly I will lose that sense of “I would work day and night. Today I am
only asked to do mixing part of it
support in getting the business started. workers mostly girls. satisfaction that comes from providing
Pickle industry was their idea, given my employment to any person,” says because my sons don’t want me to
30 years of experience in the field,” He says he did not go for any subsidy or Rashid. pass on its preparation to anybody
loan, “I was an illiterate and thought it yet,” he adds.
is better to work hard than to look for Government modalities or even
The unit was started in a single room of help or short cuts. The time that would incentives have discouraged him. And those days are still special when
Rashid’s house at Kursu Rajbagh go in roaming around government Rashid says in the beginning he went to Bhushan Lal and Jagdish Lal visit the
‘dream’ company.