INDIA-ECONOMY: TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMEN CAUGHT IN A BIND AN INTER PRESS SERVICE FEATURE

• by IPS Correspondents (saharanpur)
• Tuesday, November 22, 1994
• Inter Press Service

SAHARANPUR, Nov 22 (IPS) - TRADITIONAL WOOD CARVERS IN THIS SMALL TOWNSHIP OF UTTAR PRADESH STATE ARE FACING HARD TIMES DESPITE A BOOM IN THE DEMAND FOR GOODS PRODUCED BY THE WOOD CARVING INDUSTRY BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY.

THE SAHARANPUR-BASED INDUSTRY, RECOVERING FROM A FIVE-YEAR SLUMP, IS NOW INUNDATED WITH ORDERS WORTH NEARLY 7.5 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY. BUT THE PRACTITIONERS OF THE 150-YEAR OLD CRAFT OF WOODCARVING ARE INCREASINGLY FINDING THEMSELVES SIDELINED BY NEW ENTRANTS.

SAYS RAKESH GOYAL, AN ACTIVIST WHO IS TRYING TO ORGANISE THE ARTISAN COMMUNITY, THE PROBLEM DATES BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE SLUMP IN THE INDUSTRY.

"THE PROGRESS OF THE CRAFT, ESPECIALLY ITS EXPORT PROSPECTS HAD ATTRACTED MONEYED PEOPLE OUT TO MAKE QUICK PROFITS. THEY HAD NO EARLIER CONTACTS WITH THE CRAFT AND NO LONG TERM PERSPECTIVES. THEIR ONLY ASSET WAS THAT THEY COULD ESTABLISH CONTACTS ABROAD FOR THE EXPORT MARKET," HE SAYS.

"SOON AFTER ESTABLISHING THEIR MARKET THEY STARTED SUPPLYING LOW QUALITY PRODUCTS WHICH CAUSED HEAVY DAMAGE TO THE EXPORT MARKET. SEEING THEIR PROFITS SHRINKING THE MERCHANT INTERESTS QUICKLY SHIFTED MONEY ELSEWHERE, LEAVING THE ARTISANS IN THE LURCH," HE ADDS.

THE CONSEQUENT SLUMP FORCED MANY ARTISANS TO ABANDON THEIR TRADITIONAL CRAFT FOR BACK-BREAKING TASKS LIKE RICKSHAW PULLING.

SOME EDUCATED AND RESOURCEFUL ARTISANS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAD WORKED IN THE GULF FOR SOME TIME, BROUGHT ABOUT A RECOVERY BY POOLING INVESTMENTS AND TAPPING THE EXPORT MARKET DIRECTLY.

BUT THE RECOVERY ENTAILED SOME CHANGES. THE ARTISANS HAD TO PAY THE PRICE FOR THE UNSCRUPULOUS DEALINGS OF THE EARLIER ENTREPRENEURS. THEY NOW HAD TO PRODUCE GOODS WITH VERY DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS REGARDING BOTH THE QUALITY OF WOOD AND DESIGNS.

FOR THE ARTISANS WHO JEALOUSLY GUARDED TRADITIONAL DESIGNS INTRODUCED BY CRAFTSMEN FROM KASHMIR MORE THAN A CENTURY AND A HALF AGO, ADAPTING TO THE NEW DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS WAS DIFFICULT. IT ALSO ENTAILED LESSER ROOM FOR LOCAL SKILLS, INITIATIVE AND EXPERIENCE.

MOREOVER, MANY OF THE EUROPEAN CLIENTS, FACED WITH THE SHORTAGE OF WOOD AND ESCALATING COSTS AT HOME, ORDERED A NUMBER OF UTILITY ITEMS LIKE SPOONS AND BOWLS FROM SAHARANPUR.

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