Varanasi: Lockdown has been implemented in four stages in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic since March 24th because of which the economy has been derailed. To bring back the economy on the tracks, the finance minister has announced a relief package of Rs 20 lakh crore a part of which is for the Medium and Small Scale Manufacturing Enterprises (MSME).
But the question is being raised whether this would really help improve the situation of small and cottage industries.
The condition of the centuries old wooden toy cottage industry of Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has become worse from bad. So far orders worth Rs 8 crore have been cancelled and over 1,500 families engaged in the business are on the verge of starvation. Neither the traders nor the craftsmen know how are they going to get benefits from the relief package announced for the MSME sector.
The centuries old heritage craft of making wooden toys is practiced by people from their homes in the Kashmiri Ganj lane of Khojwa area of Varanasi. The craftsmen are today seen sitting idle outside their homes without any work. It is in this lane lives the national award recipient craftsman Rameshwar Singh.
Rameshwar Singh has contributed a lot in making the city’s wooden toys craft famous. This is why wooden toys have become part of the gifts that are given to the dignitaries like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and are showcased at all important functions. The lockdown has broken the back bone of this industry today.
