Khushahalganj (Lucknow), Uttar Pradesh
Diwali is here but the streets of Khushahalganj village, famous for its potters, lack festivities and fervour. A sombre Parveen Bano sat outside her home with the collection of her diyas (earthen lamps) waiting for the buyers. Last Diwali, she suffered heavy losses because of the drop in sales due to COVID19 pandemic, and this year seemed no different, said the 40-year-old potter.
“Last year’s Diwali was worse. I incurred losses worth twenty thousand rupees. This year seems no different. I could not sell a lot of diyas. We are still looking for wholesalers,” said Parveen Bano whose Khushahalganj village is located about 20 kilometres from the state capital Lucknow. All 60 households in the village belong to the potter community.
“Shayad Allah ki marzi ho jae isbaar lockdown khula hai to paarsal ki ausat is baar aa jae. (There’s no lockdown this year. If Allah wishes, we might get last year’s average too,” the 40-year-old told Gaon Connection.
Diwali and diyas are inseparable. However, potters who make these earthen lamps that brighten up homes every Diwali are suffering heavy losses due to the low demand for their products. They fear that like the last Diwali, this Deepavali also may leave them high and dry. Similar is the fear of other sellers of khilone (sugar toys), utensils, clay idols, mithai (sweets), jewellery, etc, who all complain of lack of sales.
Also Read: Diya-makers of Sonbhadra seek a flicker of hope in their own lives
While city shops and lanes are jammed with buyers for Diwali, villages paint a grim picture. The impact of COVID19 pandemic and a series of lockdowns last year are still visible even though the restrictions have eased, and people are out shopping.
Apart from diyas, Parveen Bano makes clay toys known as grihasti (household). These include chakki, chulha, matka. Ironically, the sales from grihasti are unable to help her run her own household.
“I sell grihasti for seven to eight rupees per piece. It takes a lot of time and money to make one. The paint colour only cost me a thousand rupees. This is a business of loss, but we have no other option but to do it,” she added.
Loss making in clay idols
Not very far from Khushhalganj village, thirty-year-old Laxmi Devi, was busy painting the idol of Laxmi (goddess of wealth), with little hope. “I work all day to make them. We are forced to sell maal (products) at cheap prices this year,” Laxmi, a resident of Shiveri village in Kakori block, told Gaon Connection.
Yesterday on Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali, when Gaon Connection visited Laxmi’s house, all seven members of her family were busy painting idols in their eight-room house cum small business unit that also had a small kiln to bake the clay items.
“This year, we are forced to sell at low rates. Last year, we made profits despite the lockdown. We don’t think ours will be a happy Diwali,” Geeta, sister-in-law of Laxmi, told Gaon Connection. “We are forced to sell an idol pair worth hundred rupees, at a loss of twenty per piece,” she added.
While other households in the village were busy whitewashing their houses for Diwali, Geeta said she won’t be able to plaster her unplastered house anytime soon.
Jewellery sales dipped
Jeweller Vishnu Kumar has been selling gold and silver products to villagers in Kakori for the past seven years. Over the years, his work has incurred him huge losses, the last two years in particular, the jeweller said.
“The sales have reduced by at least sixty per cent in these two years. People are coming to buy small items such as small and light weighted payal (anklet) and bichhiya (toe ring), nose ring, and coins. Log rasmaadayegi kar rahein hain. (people are just doing a formality),” 33-year-old Kumar told Gaon Connection.
“Last year, there was no work because of the lockdown. I incurred losses worth one and a half lakh. This year’s Diwali is also no different. Purchasing power of people has decreased,” he added.
Supporting potters
The Uttar Pradesh government has launched schemes to support the potters. Last month on October 28, at a two-day seminar on climate change, held in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made a special mention of products made of clay and cow dung. He said the government had set up the Mati Kala Board to help the artisans.
In July 2018, the Mati Kala Board was set up in the state to support and encourage the potters and help them earn a better livelihood. Potters were given permission to take the mud from ponds without having to pay for it.
Some potters are hopeful of the sales picking up. Shehzad Ali of Khushahalganj village, who was busy making the last batch of diyas, told Gaon Connection that he was hopeful that this year’s Diwali will brighten up their lives too.
“Lagta hai is baar ki Diwali Khushhalganj ke liye khushhal hogi. (It seems this year’s Diwali would be a happy one for Khushhalganj village,” the 38-year-old told Gaon Connection. He said that he spent Rs 4,000 to buy a dumper full of clay this year.
“This year, we have good sales. Last year, we made one lakh (100,000) diyas, but we could not sell eighty thousand of them. I suffered losses worth thirty to forty thousand rupees,” said Ali, who goes to the city to sell diyas. He manages to earn Rs 80 for 100 small diyas. “This year I made only twenty thousand diyas because I still have the old collection,” he added.
To manage the household, last year Ali did labour jobs as he could not make profits due to the pandemic. “Last year there were very few customers. They would ask us to sell diyas at half the rate. Everyone incurred losses. We used to do labour jobs,” said Ali, who earns around 15,000 a month by selling diyas, clay cups and pots.
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