MSF2015 : Man behind Khwai crafts displays finest bamboo furniture at National Bamboo Mission Stall

Khwairakpam Ibomcha (62) S/o Dr Kh Bijoykumar, a resident of Sega
Road Khwairakpam Leikai who initiated bamboo craft some ten years back,
has attracted tourists and revellers with his craftsmanship in the
ongoing Manipur Sangai Festival. He makes Almirah, Table, chairs, doors
and window etc made of bamboo which are on display at the stall of
National Bamboo Mission Manipur, Department of Forest at the Manipur
Sangai festival 2015. The stall showcasing finest works of cane and
bamboo designed by the local artisans is a point of attraction for the
tourists and revelers coming to witness the festival. He works in his
work shed all day long. He strongly holds the belief that Bamboo
furniture could replace wooden furniture to bring in healthier
environment. “Use of bamboo made products will go a long way in
controlling the deteriorating global climate change due to mass cutting
down of trees for domestic use”, he said. “Fifteen years back I use to
read Taiwan catalogue and magazine on Bamboo. One time president of All
Manipur Entrepreneurs’ Association, Rishikumar presented me the
catalogue which was enriching. I kept on thinking of making bamboo
furniture but could not materialize. I mobilised all my efforts and
finally ventured to make bamboo furniture and succeeded. Earlier, I was
researching on rock cutting to make tiles. Once, I collected sandstone
from the foothills of Baruni hills and used a diamond blade cutter to
obtain uniform sandstone plates and try to sell it. But that prove
disastrous and cost me a lot. I lost all my investments”, he recalled.
It took one week for him to complete a set of a round table and three
chairs. He is working on his latest design —a chess board with colour
pattern originally from the bamboo texture arranged in 64 squares with
an 8×8 grid. He is making bamboo hard boards with 2 inch thick bamboo
boards joined together surface to surface. Thus a 4 inches thick bamboo
board is ready to materialize in a grand and strong furniture. He uses a
glue (Fevicol) to join the surfaces together. Earlier, a normal glue
took five hours to stick two bamboo pieces together. In 20 degree
Celsius temperature it stick in 60 minutes, 40 degree Celsius took half
an hour. If fixed in 60 degree Celsius temperature it can be done in 10
minutes. Now I can stick two surfaces in 45 minutes with the new gum of
Fevicol Company, says Ibomcha. “During our childhood days bamboo was
available in plenty. Now it is not. I use to get bamboo from Singda.
Phayeng is a place where one gets all varieties of bamboo. I am using
Marubob’ as it is the biggest Bamboo variety found in Manipur. When we
make the bamboo pulp into board the thickness at the feet of the bamboo
is an inch, in the middle it is half inch thick sometimes quarter inch
thick. Saneibi variety costs almost Rs 200 per full length piece. In
Phayeng, it is cheap. It is the labour and transportation charges that
add up to its cost when it reaches Imphal. I fetch my raw materials
after it is being cut into a size”, informed Ibocha when Manipur Times
interacted him. “ I have officially trained 20 people under the
sponsorship of Commerce and Industries Department, Government of
Manipur. They sanctioned Rs 1.90 lakh for the training when Nabakishore
was the Principal Secretary of Commerce and Industries Department. Some
of the trainees were very enthusiastic and learnt a lot and they have
gained skill during the training”, expressed Khwairakpam Ibocha.