Pandemic: Hard tale of a handicapped doll maker told
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 09 2021: The Covid pandemic has hit innumerable sectors hard including the differently abled persons.

Among those reeling under financial pressure due to the pandemic is one Soibam Birla who is known for making dolls.

Soibam Birla, a cripple, has been depending on the revenue she earns by making dolls for a living but with the sale having drastically declined owing to the pandemic, she is going through a very rough phase.

The 38 year old Birla is a resident of Laipham Khunou Mamang Leikai under Heingang Assembly Constituency and is the youngest of 5 siblings born to late Soubam Ibomcha and late Ningthoujan ningol Soibam ongbi Mani.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, Birla said that she was partly immobilised at the age of 3 after she underwent a surgery as her left leg developed a lump and to her further disappointment it was was fully impaired when she was 7.Birla, who is bereft of formal education due to her physical condition, said that she found an avenue for sustenance by making dolls and was assisting her family before the pandemic hit last year.

Showing the stock of dolls which price ranges from 200 to 2000 according to sizes, she confided that she has been unable to sell dolls due to the pandemic, including last year's stock.

On top of it, the price of materials required for making dolls has hit a new high adding to her misery, she said.

Birla, who is living with one of her sisters, added that her sisters, one married at Keishampat Jailor Leirak and other married at Moirang have been helping her procure materials.

From the revenue generated by making dolls and vending it, she used to assist in running the family and bearing medical expenses as she is a multimorbid patient, she said.

She had earlier undergone surgery twice due to stone case and has intestinal and heart ailments, piles etc, Birla said while adding that one doctor Jugindro at Shija Hospital had helped her tremendously.

Even as her sale has been badly hit, she is living on PDS rice and with vegetables and other stuff she receives from her sisters, she continued.

She continued that she used to get good revenue during festivals and Government organised fairs including "Sangai Festival" but the last two years have been hard.

Luckily, officials of the Handloom and Handicraft Department had bought a sizable number of dolls from her, she said.

Birla, who was honoured with State Award and Merit award by the Commerce and Industries Department back in 2007 and 2006 respectively, said that she had managed to conduct doll making training to 20 students each in two batches.

While adding that she had taken Rs 50,000 loan from a bank for procuring materials for doll making, Birla said she is facing an exceptionally tough time repaying loan and at the same time maintaining herself.

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