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Honey bee publish details |
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Profile North-East |
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Manihar Sharma : A man who would go to sun |
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| Abstract |
“The work of an innovator is to get the job done; it is for the scientists and scientific community to interpret and apply scientific theories to deduce how it is being done,” said Manihar Sharma, who is a tinkerer par excellence. Manipur is seldom in news because of creativity of boundary–breakers like Manihars.
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After working as an auto rickshaw driver, running a small restaurant, serving as an assistant to his doctor friend, Manihar Sharma is now a full time innovator. His innate creativity has not been tempered by constant struggle of making his ends meet on day to day basis. The society and his own family mockingly brand him as the man who would go to “numit” (sun) for his lack of pragmatism.
He abandoned his studies because of financial problems and started working as a local mechanic in a small workshop. His mind got tickled through toys and other small machineries that he made from the left over parts in the workshop. As a young man he mastered all the nuances of repairing and maintenance of small light vehicles and other engines. His constant inspiration has been his late mechanic teacher, who used to repair or modify complicated and advanced machineries without any assistance of sophisticated tools and equipments. The mechanical tips and logical, but informal steps, shared by his teacher have been the backbone of his innovative spirit.
While working with his doctor friend, the sight of the overflowing water from the overhead tanks used to disturb him, considering that his family members had to walk long distance to fetch drinking water. He thought of machine that could minimize the wastage of water and human power and started working on his first innovation, Automatic Pump Operator (APO) machine.
To pursue his innovation he left his job of assisting his doctor friend in spite of the warning from his family, friends and well-wishers. A crude prototype of Pump Operator boosted his spirit but lack of money depressed him. Appreciation and recognition at the exhibitions could not bring in the financial support for his innovation. Fortunately help of an officer from Manipur Science and Technology Council (MASTEC) brought the Technopreneur Promotiom Programme (TePP) support for prototype development of his machine.
A Stickler for Precision
The initial glitch was just over. More was to come. The mechanical and electrical parts that he needed were not available in the local market. They could only be brought in bulk, either from Kolkata or Guwahati. The inability to buy expensive parts from the markets outside the state, forced him to manufacture those plastic parts himself. Making molds for every part would have costed him several lakhs of rupees that he couldn’t afford. So this perfectionist and frugal innovator enrolled for a three months course on plastic molding techniques at Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET), at the age of 50+. He is the only trainee, among the hundreds, who has actually made use of the technology.
The obsession to do the things perfectly made him first practice the art of manual molding of plastic for years. His hard work and sheer perseverance make even CIPET send him works, which can not be done with machines. The process is not a simple one. He still experiments and works on his molds whenever he gets time. So far, for his Pump Operator he has developed more than 30 wooden molds. Each part or component (except the electrical components) is hand made by him.
While fixing the electronic circuit components, he had a lot of trouble in using small hand held drill, to pierce through the circuit board. To overcome this challenge, he developed a micro-drill by using old transistor-motor and other components. The micro-drill works very efficiently and is light and easy to use.
The Pump Operator is a mark of genius as not only all the components were hand made after years of learning, but also the equipments to assist him in his small work-shed were modified or re-built to meet his requirements. Complacency and drudgery have not touched him. He does not let his mind and hands rest until he has developed every part of different innovative machines to a perfect finish. After 15 years of struggle he completed the Pump Operator machine with seven variants.
An Individual Innovator Based Incubator
Even in his worst times, he has been helping other innovators or those who need his mechanical help, without any qualms. He has aided his doctor friends by repairing their hospital equipments. He has also helped desperate individuals by making plastic spare parts which are not available in market (photocopy machine gears, or wheels for gym equipments).In his home-cum-makeshift workshop, if not engrossed in innovations, he is busy in the repairing work of local machineries brought in by his neighbors, friends and relatives or fabrication of small plastic equipments. He often spots the fault just by a close look at the machines. This he considers a god- sent gift and so he does not charge the people who come to him to get their gas stoves, radios, TV, lighter, torches, table clocks, umbrellas, etc., repaired, unless there is component to be replaced.
As a part of Honey Bee Network, he hosted a workshop for the innovators. Initially he was reluctant to do it, but he was convinced to use the mandap (an open religious space in every Brahmin’s house) for the meeting. He was a proud and happy host to all the innovators and the invitees. He has been providing support to many innovators from Manipur – he has completely transformed the Muga/edi reeling machine of Maimu by replacing almost all the wooden movable parts with plastics, which he did without charging any extra money but just by meeting the material costs.
In a place where kinship and personal relationships count more than anything else, his absence at social functions never calls for the reprimand. Once he even missed his best friend’s brother’s funeral only because he was engrossed in his work and completely forgot about it. The next day his friend turned up at his work place and spent hours talking about his new machineries; there was not an iota of remorse and ill-feeling between them.
He has three daughters and a son. One of his daughters is differently abled. M Geeta Devi, his wife is the bread winner earning around Rs 3000 per month by preparing dhoopbatti, agarbatti, doing embroidery work and tailoring. His innovations are just erratic source of income. Her initial complaints have now given way to appreciation and support. His neighbors initially branded him as mad. But when different government officials started visiting him and he received the government grants they realized his caliber.
Innovative Pursuits
Around 1960, when still a bachelor Manihar Sharma thought about a passenger pedal rickshaw with a capacity of six to seven people. But he did not dwell hard over it. After developing a Pump Operator (late 1990s) he started to revive the idea but due to the lack of technical instruments and financial problems, he could not complete it.
His three main innovations Automatic Pump Operator, innovative dryer and incense stick (called dhoop in Manipur ) making machine have got good response. He has already sold seven Pump Operators, three dryers and 20 dhoop machines. There are over 50 orders in hand. These sales have come due to word of mouth only. There has been no marketing of his products. Interestingly he has not filed any patents as he lacks knowledge of patenting.
Automatic Pump Operator (APO)
It has facilitated a hassle-free household water management. Using a central control panel, the pump switches on automatically as soon as the overhead reservoir goes below the threshold level and switches off as soon it gets full. The same principle follows for the ground reservoir as well. It covers the entire spectrum of possible water pumping system – from a running pipe, pond, river, tank, etc. It can lift water in higher tank from lower one and vice versa depending upon the need.
Innovative Dryer
This machine is a simple dehydrator with more efficient mechanism. Hot air is blown into the drying chamber from below, with the help of normal heating rods and air blower. Every layer of drying tray is attached with an air guide that provides uniform distribution of the hot air. On the upper corner of the machine, an exhaust fan continuously takes out the moisture. Preliminary trials indicate much faster and more uniform drying process for fruits and vegetables. The added advantage is that the machine is run by a single phase power; which means any domestic line can be used. It also consumes less energy. A similar capacity standard dryer runs on 15000 watts, whereas the present machine consumes only about 6000-8000 watts.
Dhoop (Incense Sticks) Making Machine
His wife used to make the incense sticks manually to generate income for the family. Her pains made him innovate a dhoop stick making device. This manual device has two blade arrangements, one for making small bamboo splints and the other for making small sticks. For stick making it has a multi-bladed arrangement for different stick sizes. Both the blades are fixed on two sides of a small wooden bloke. The main advantage of this effecient machine is that, it is the only machine that can make sticks from both green and dry bamboo. In fact dry bamboo is the preferred type. The quality of dhoop is far more superior to any of the available ones – both manual and machine and the Bamboo wastage is very minimal.
Manipur may be on the margins of the socio-political consciousness of the country but it is at the heart of innovative sprit of India. Manihar Sharma has proved that insurgency of mind can be a prime mover for transforming lives at grassroots and making life easier for common people.
Hope Survives
Manihar Sharma longs for a small workshop in which he can make innovative products. Some of his innovations have huge application potentials – the only hurdle is to make a breakthrough in commercial terms. A lavish and comfortable life through his innovations is not on his wish list; he just needs a support system for his family. Often the difficulties bring him on the brink of giving up, but his spirit endures.
He wishes that someone should take over the business part and let him concentrate only on his innovations. At the end of the day, he goes back to the same work shed and spends the rest of his day perfecting his innovative works or completing an unfinished task. May be has no place to go, no other choice, or he has worked out an alternative path for a new device, and still has hopes.
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee 19(4): 9-10 & 17, 2008 |
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