Plight of potters worsens amid Covid pandemic

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, May 18

Ramchand (74), who has been working as a potter for over 50 years, says he had never witnessed such a slump in his entire life.

“The summer season has started, it is the best time for us to make profit, but now the sale of ghada (earthen pot) has come down to over 90 per cent,” he said.

He said an earthen pot that was sold at Rs 100 to Rs 150 per piece last season was selling at half the price now, but still there were hardly any buyers.

“Our stock of earthen containers which is used to sow ‘Khetri’ in Navratri is lying unsold with us as none turned out to buy it due to the lockdown. And now, people are also avoiding buying tap-fitted earthen pots to store water due to fear and myth that use of ACs and drinking cold water may increase the chances of catching the virus,” said Monu, son of Ramchand, who too was in the pottery business but is nowadays busy visiting factories in search of work.

Like, Ramchand, over 100 odd artisans living in the city’s Kumhaar Colony near the Sodal road have the same ordeals to narrate. They say that the nationwide lockdown has badly hampered the earnings of workers in the unorganised sector and potters, labourers, street vendors are among the worst hit.

“We do not have any hopes from the government. We are surviving on ration provided to us by NGOs. This Rs 20 lakh crore relief package is not for us. The government announces loans and financial assistance but when we visit banks to avail the same, our applications are rejected, saying we do not meet the eligibility criterion or we lack in having required documents,” said Lokesh, who runs a small stall of pottery items near the Pathankot bypass.

Another potter Kala Devi said: “I have to pay fees of my children as I have enrolled them in a private school thinking this profession has very less rewards and by studying in a good school, they might change my destiny and get jobs in respected fields,” she said and questioned this correspondent that how would the government or administration would reach her?

Do the authorities concerned have any data about people like her, she asked.

“Does the government will help me pay the fees or buy ration. The ration which the administration provided us last month lasted only for 10 days. After that nobody visited us. Please stop giving me false hopes, I know I have to work harder now to feed my family,” she lamented.