If you are missing sipping hot tea from a bhnar as the rains finally arrive, the reason is that potters in Kolkata have stopped receiving clay after the new government in Bengal abolished the “maati dealers” from places like Canning and Diamond Harbour.
It has been more than a month now that the potters’ society in Dakhindari in Kolkata has received no clay, which is sourced from several riverine areas, including Falta, Diamond Harbour, Canning, Gosaba, Jibantala and Uluberia.
“After the election results on May 4, we were informed that the clay we need from Falta, Diamond Harbour and Canning has been stopped,” said Kedarnath Projapati, chairman of the Dakhindari chapter at Das Nagar, one of the 13 potters’ societies under the West Bengal Potter’s Association.
“This clay is essential because of its structure and composition. Any other clay would crack under the heat and cannot be used for anything useful,” he explained.
The supply chain began with the "maati dealer", who controlled access to the land from which the clay was extracted. In many cases, the dealer was not the actual landowner. They would sell the clay to the “supplier”, who in turn sold it to the idol-makers, the bhnar-makers, brick kilns, small and big potters, and real-estate promoters.
Projapati said the middlemen in the clay delivery operation were not operating in accordance with guidelines of the irrigation department. The potters had met with Tapas Roy, the new MLA from Maniktala, on May 25 and urged him for an immediate solution to the stalemate.
“We were promised this crisis would soon be over. There were petitions signed to be sent to the chief minister; BLOs [booth-level officers] were present, and the district magistrate was also there,” Projapati said.
It has been over a month since that meeting and the clay bank is depleted, say the potters.
“We have done everything we can,” Roy told My Kolkata when contacted. “Purnima Chakraborty, MLA of Shyampukur constituency, and I have submitted a petition, with the signature of the potters’ association, to the CM for a resolution of this issue. Durga Puja is coming soon and without clay these potters will be helpless.”
The Telegraph has reported how idol-makers in Kumartuli have been hamstrung by the shortage of clay.
A team of two potters makes an average of 2,500 bhnars per day.
“We start at 5.30am,” said Raju Kumar Projapati, a potter. “Filtering and purifying the clay takes almost four hours. We have wooden planks on which the moulded clay cups sit. Each plank can carry 100 cups. The raw clay cups are then placed in a furnace to dry overnight,”
The clay cups are transported by mini-vans, individual vendors and small shop-owners on cycles to various parts of the city.
The long hours at the clay wheel take a steep price from the potters.
“Our hands get covered in fungal infections. We have to use anti-fungal ointments daily. We disinfect our hands with antiseptic lotions before we start working, but there are permanent scars on our hands because of clay,” said Ajay Projapati, another potter.
The issue, explained Awadhesh Projapati, who also works clay for a living, is that the dealers used to dig clay from a depth of up to 15 feet, which is illegal according to the irrigation department. Digging so deep causes soil erosion, explained the potters.
The digging also often took place on unaccounted land.
“I have been in this profession for more than 30 years. There were never any problems. Trinamool had been digging at illegal depths and pocketing the profits; we were informed in the meeting,” said Kedarnath.
“Now we have been promised the issue will be resolved, but there has been no update.”
Several potters have closed their shutters, and the lanes of Dakhindari remain empty because the clay supply has dried up. Several others are on the verge of closing shop.
“Not only have we not heard anything from the government, but we have been informed the clay will cost extra now after taxes,” Kedarnath said.
“The man whose land is used for excavating clay has to submit their deed of land to the irrigation department and the potters have to give an estimate of the exact quantity of clay they are taking. All duties of verification of the clay source now rest with us,” he said.