Samrat Bricks

Down in Abantika village, which is part of the Bankura district, that is where we do our work at Samrat Bricks. Bankura is known for its soil, and it makes for a decent brick if you know what you are doing. We have a big open field where we spread everything out to dry in the sun. It looks like a giant red carpet from a distance. The villagers around here are mostly who work with us. We know everyone’s name and their families too. It is more of a community thing than a big business. Sometimes the cows wander into the yard and we have to shoo them away so they do not step on the wet bricks. That happens more often than you would think. We do not use any high-tech machines; it is mostly just molds and hand work. My back usually aches by the end of the week, but seeing a finished stack ready to go makes it feel okay. The road into Abantika is a bit narrow, so when the big trucks come in, everything else has to pull over to the side. We keep a small shack as an office where we drink tea and talk about the day’s work. There is no air conditioning or fancy chairs there. Just a wooden bench and a ceiling fan that squeaks. It is a simple life out here in the district, and we just keep pushing forward day by day to get the work finished.