“Our fourth generation is currently working
with this craft. If offered a job, I would happily leave this aside and go for
it,” said Ram Milan, 28, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his mud-covered
hand. He was busy shaping a terracotta horse.
Terracotta artistes of Aurangabad village in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, known for their unmatched handicraft and clay artefacts, may have
earned themselves a name across the globe, but lack of resources is weakening the
love for the craft. The reason for this is more toil and less remuneration.
Efforts have been initiated to involve
the reluctant future generation with Gorakhpur’s terracotta art, which has
earned itself a unique place throughout the world.
Besides promoting these terracotta
craftsmen’s presence in India and internationally, efforts also have been
initiated to mitigate the challenges faced by the potters. The state government has
included Aurangabad in ‘one district-one product’ mission from Gorakhpur.
“These terracotta craftsmen are doing a
commendable job, but how to mitigate their challenges and improve their
gains—we are deliberating seriously about,” Navneet Sehgal, Khadi and Gramudyog
Board’s chief secretary, said while visiting Aurangabad to discuss potters’
issues.
Acquainting Navneet Sehgal with the
problem in the chaupal amid people
from those villages in Gorakhpur districts where terracotta artefacts are made,
Laksmi Swayam Sahayata Samuh’s head said: “The biggest problem faced by the
potters is that of clay which is to be purchased. The clay is available only
for two months of May and June. The ponds having such soil should be leased to
the potters.”
This terracotta craft of Gorakhpur had
pull strong enough to bring past Prime Minister, including Jawaharlal Nehru and
Indira Gandhi, to these villages. About 10 craftsmen from the village have been
felicitated with national and state prizes.
Instituted for the first time in the
state, Maati Kala Board’s head Dharamveer Prajapati addressing the potters said,
“It is the government’s endeavour for the market to reach to you besides other
facilities.”
Vikarm Prajapati, a resident of
Aurangabad who quit the government job of a supervisor offered to him upon
completion of high school in1962 to join his ancestral trade now has sons who
refuse to do the same.
“My three sons eke sustenance by undertaking painting-polishing contracts in Hyderabad, but do not want to do this job while I made my house, land –everything by doing it,” says Vikram Prasad Prajapati while moulding clay pots over potter’s wheel. “You see this is the job of our soil, the more we do it, the more we stand to gain,” he added.
To curb the resultant disillusionment of youth with this craft due to continual problems and lesser gain and to promote it, Navneet Sehgal said: “We are going to provide them everything they need to boost quality and improvement in their work, including electricity operated wheel, foot machine, etc. It is our endeavour to integrate their craft with technology.”
“Not only this but also there are
efforts to help improve artisans in villages from other districts to facilitate
employment within the villages. We are promoting the village industry, the industry set
up in villages will produce more employment,” chief Secretary Navneet Sehgal
said.
“Our forefathers having done this
work, we wish to continue doing the same. But out of the whole year, we only earn
well for two-three months. The remaining year gets through with great difficulty.
If provided with a year-round market we won’t have to suffer anymore,” a chaupal attendee, Sarita Prajapati, told,
“The traders who come for goods hustle a lot and don’t release timely payments.”
