Toys made of terracotta

Dhubri, Nov. 30: Terracotta artisans had seen a ray of hope for their economic uplift four years ago with the start of the endogenous rural tourism project at Asharikandi in Dhubri district.

The project, a joint venture of the Centre and the United Nations Development Programme, however, did not deliver what it had promised.

Because of non-sanctioning of funds as well as indifferent attitude of the district administration in executing the various other development projects for promotion of terracotta products and rural tourism, it is gradually dying even before the project is completed, alleged North East Craft And Rural Development Organisation, an NGO working for its development.

The NGO has been making tireless efforts and working for the preservation and promotion of endangered crafts, especially Asharikandi style of terracotta and welfare of the artisans.

A renowned artisan, Dhirendra Nath Paul, who was conferred the Bokul Bota award by Assam Sahitya Sabha a few years back for his contribution in preserving the terracotta art, said the project had aimed at not only to promote but also transform the village into a market, which would attract tourists and through all these, the artisans would be hugely benefited.

“It is almost four and half year and the work has not been completed and, as a result, many things are incomplete. A hope that was shown to us now gradually fading,” Paul said.

Mahadeb Paul, another artisan of the Asharikandi village, while echoing Dhirendra Nath Paul said an RCC bridge was sanctioned in 2007 but the work had not been started yet.

“We are unable to carry huge terracotta products to fairs and it costs a lot when we hire light vehicles to ferry them over the wooden bridge near National Highway 31,” Mahadeb Paul said.

Talking to The Telegraph, the director of the NGO, Binoy Bhattacharjee, said Asharikandi village is widely known and famous for its traditional terracotta and pottery craft and the artisans have managed to attract the attention of the buyers as well as the tourists. But now, it had been facing some serious problems.

“The ongoing rural project at Asharikandi has given new impetus to the terracotta product marketing and flow of tourists to the village. Under the project, a number of components like a community hall, huts, a restcamp, a restaurant and a park at the cost of Rs 39.17 lakh have been constructed in the crafts village. The project value was Rs 70 lakh but the Union government has yet to release the remaining amount despite submitting all utilisation reports with pictorial evidences,” Bhattacharjee said.

He said the NGO had appraised the matter and brought it to the notice of government but there was no response.

The NGO also expressed concern over the unplanned growth of the market in the terracotta crafts village, which might destroy the essence of the rural tourism project in the future. The NGO said the infrastructure for packaging of terracotta goods and preservation of raw materials was also not proper.

It has submitted several reports to the state government with a request for allotment of Khas land, where hiramati — a special type of soil required for making terracotta goods — is available, to be allotted to the craftsmen of the village.

A drinking water facility is a distance dream for the artisans and poor sanitary system brings unwarranted health hazards to the artisans’ families in the village, it said.