Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | June 26
Everybody including his parents thought it was insane when Vethivo Kezo came back home with an impressive M.A degree in Economics from Hyderabad Central University coupled with a diploma in Interior Designing from IIFT, New Delhi, and decided to take up carpentry. But resolute on his dream of pursuing woodwork, he forewent every golden opportunity to work in the government sector and also withstood the immense pressure he received from several corners to write competitive examinations.
It was in 2009 that he started Kohima based “Kezo Enterprise” after defying many odds and putting up with so many discouraging comments. Eight years down the line, he has proved himself to be a successful carpenter, even taking those who felt it was a worthless pursuit, by surprise. It wasn’t by chance that he studied economics but a conscious decision that he made right from the beginning. This was based on his interest for business while the course on interior designing is unmistakably a good match for the kind of work he now indulges in.
“As a kid, I was always interested in woodwork and I used to learn the names of the tools from an uncle who did a lot of carpentry works,” he recalls. “I am not only interested but I think I am good at it,” he says as he looks back on how he has grown in the profession over the years. “When I was in class 6 or 7, I made two study tables for my younger siblings in the village. My dad said it would be too high, but I wanted to make chairs as well, which, sadly, I couldn’t make since my vacation got over. When I finished the tables, they were a bit shaky, and a little too high for my siblings but since we had high beds, they would sit on the bed and use the tables to study”, he recounts. “Last year I went to my village and saw that the tables were still there at home,” he remembers with nostalgia.
Ever since, he has come a long way, making all kinds of furniture and livening up many people’s homes. Still, it is not rare for him to come across Nagas who brush aside carpentry as an insignificant profession. “One attitude Nagas have is when I say I am a carpenter- they don’t respect us- but those people cannot even afford a piece of furniture we make. But I am proud to be a carpenter,” he proclaims.
Talking more about what he does, he says that “the biggest challenge in the carpentry industry is we don’t know much about wood. We are not familiar with the changing or the sizing of the wood.” He also emphasizes on the importance of seasoning wood, which, for a natural process, requires at least a year or two. “One of the cheapest ways is to keep the wood in a dry place for one year,” he says, while asserting that “until and unless you season it well, you cannot get fine products.” Towards this end, he has always ensured that for all his woodworks ranging from kitchen cabinets to school furniture, properly seasoned wood is used, and also that the quality is not compromised and no wood is ever wasted.
However, he also feels that the mindsets of our people are slowly changing. “Earlier, maybe people got into carpentry only as a means of livelihood but it’s different now,” he states. “For me, it is not like working. When you are in a profession that you are enjoying, it does not feel like work”, he puts across and goes on to add that, “if you want to become rich, you can become rich by doing anything but it takes hard labour.”
*Year of Construction Workers (YOCW) is a joint program of the Government of Nagaland in partnership with YouthNet, Zynorique and the Department of Labour & Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
