Araria (Bihar): Until a few decades ago, Diwali's meant lighting up homes with diyas or traditional earthen lamps. But, the availability of 'fancier' items such as Chinese electrical lighting or more pricey products in shopping malls, is slowly jeopardizing the livelihood of potters.
Traditionally, potters and their families would be overworked in the run-up to Diwali, churning out tens of thousands of small and big clay lamps that would brighten innumerable homes and businesses. But, the pottery business has been witnessing a serious slump forcing many of the potters to switch profession.
"Our earnings have dipped significantly when compared to the earlier days. Potters are facing an existential crisis. Diwali has lost its traditional charm as Chinese products have taken over the Indian markets, " said Kundan Pandit, a potter whose family has been in this business for generations in Bihar's Araria.
"People are more interested in decorating their homes with Chinese lights or jelly candles rather than with the traditional diyas," added Pandit.
Echoing his sentiments, Khushilal Pandit, another potter said, "It takes almost an hour to mould 100 earthen lamps, then we have to leave it to dry for a day in the sun. All the materials that go into making these diyas costs anywhere between Rs. 70-80 per diya. But, we barely manage to sell half of the products prepared by us during Diwali.
Potters are angry that successive governments have not done much to protect the traditional business of pottery.
"The government is not helping us at all. They haven't formulated any policy that would help make our survival possible," said Kundan Pandit.
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"A potter cannot even afford to provide a decent education to his/her children, what is the point of sticking to this profession. Many of us have started working as rickshaw pullers, " said Ashok Pandit, another potter from Araria.
Soni, a woman in her 80's, sat surrounded by mounds of diyas and said, "our condition is such that we cannot even afford our basic requirements."
