Charikot, November 20:

Working on slate mines to eke out a living has been the modern business of the traditionally agriculture-dependent Thami community.

“Farming has been our age-old profession. But our agricultural yield does not last even six months, forcing us to seek employment at slate mines,” said 21-year-old Suresh Thami, a resident of Alampu VDC.

A family can generate as much as Rs 4,000 annually selling the slate, said Suresh, who could not afford to go to middle school.

“Sharing the same fate, my friends were forced to quit studies at the primary level. Luckily, the children today don’t need to drop out of school,” he said.

Plight of Tulman Thami, 20, a resident of Alampu-2 is the same as that of Suresh. Thanks to poverty, he could not take his studies beyond primary level.

Each family is required to pay an annual tax of Rs 50 to Dakshin Gahiro Community Forest, in whose premises the mine lies, in return for extracting the slate. “About 80 per cent households in Alampu have so far sought permission for the purpose,” said Byas Shankar Thami, Vice Chairman of the forest users’ group.

“A palm-sized piece of slate sells for Rs 20 in the Singati-based market, but the customers coming to our homes can get that for half the price,” Tulman said.

Alampu slate is popular all over the country and is also exported to Germany.