Making waves globally, Jharcraft or Jharkhand Silk Textile and Handicraft Development Corporation Ltd now wants to give a helping hand to smaller outfits in the state who work with rural artisans so that they can link their ethnic products with a much wider market.
On June 6, Jharcraft will sign MoUs with seven NGOs who are doing good work in designing dokra, wood, bamboo and terracotta items, as well as an individual woodcraft artisan, enabling all of them to display their products at the 30 Jharcraft stores across the country.
The seven NGOs are Jamshedpur-based Neev and Kalamandir; Ranchi's Vikas Bharti and Stambh, Bundu-based Adhar Mahila Shilpa Udyog, Khunti's Adivasi Mahila Vikas Samiti and Dumka's ISAF.
The eighth is the Ranchi-based woodcraft artisan Thomas Bhengra.
"We had convened meeting with them on May 30 in my office and assured them that their products will be displayed in our emporiums," Jharcraft managing director A.T. Mishra said.
"A three-member selection committee will select the products based on their quality and finish, which will be later displayed in our emporiums," the Jharcraft MD added.
"The profit earned by selling these products will go directly to the artisans," Mishra added.
Explaining the purpose behind this initiative, Mishra said: "Earlier, many artisans used to sit idle due to lack of financial assistance. Many were even planning to leave their traditional vocations. That's why we decided to give their handicraft a readymade platform to access discerning customers across the country."
He added that this move would not only keep alive the traditional vocations but also ensure a steady flow of income for artisans and a much larger market to sell their products.
The NGOs have applauded the initiative shown by Jharcraft.
Vinod Sharma, a representative of Adivasi Mahila Sa miti in Khunti, said normally it was difficult to find a way to market their products.
"If products stay unsold, our artisans lose interest. But now, with the intervention of Jharcraft, we are hopeful that our 20-odd artisans who design woodcraft and dokra items, will be enthusiastic about their skills. For an artisan sitting in Khunti, it feels great that her work is being seen, appreciated and bought by people in the metros. For us, we feel good that our labour cost will be covered at the very least," he said.
Sharma added that in the long-term, the biggest takeaway in this partnership with Jharcraft would be the fact that additional income would sustain interest among rural artisans to carry on with their traditional skills instead of abandoning them midway.
