Traditional diyas: Sourcing clay, selling items, darkness surrounds Lko potters

The plain and unpainted brick house in Kumhar Mandi, Telibagh, of Mahesh Prajapati, 45, is symbolic of the man’s adversities which he has to grapple with to brighten the lives of people in the city.
The story begins with Prajapati taking loans to buy clay and other essentials for making diyas (earthen lamps) and finding clay suitable for pottery.
While he himself speaks about the problems he has been facing every year, his crooked back and wrinkled forehead justify his statements. Pottery has been his family’s ancestral business.
“About 30 years back, Telibagh was surrounded by ponds, and we could extract clay for free, but it has been quite a few years since we have had to pay for clay, as extracting it ourselves is not considered legal. There used to be more than 100 families which used to make diyas, but with time, the numbers have decreased to about 20. More than half the money earned is spent in repaying loans. I am worried about getting my daughter married,” said Prajapati.
These days, instead of making diyas themselves, people have shifted to reselling them after getting them from Rae Bareli and Kolkata. Many of them have switched to other jobs like plumbing and working as labourers, masons or electricians.
Like Prajapati, Gunja, 40, another potter in the area, said that with each passing year, the demand for simple handmade diyas is decreasing over the decorative machine-made ones.
“When we don’t have enough resources to make diyas, we lag in producing as many as the machine-made ones. but People have begun liking decorative diyas which not just come at a cheaper rate but are also appealing. I have asked my children to either focus on studies or learn some other skill which can help them gain employment as I don’t want them to suffer in a similar way as I am,” said Gunja.
Lallan, 65, has a similar story to narrate. “We used to spend a few months making diyas for Diwali, but their price has not increased for several years. We scarcely get paid for them. At least reselling diyas helps in earning some profit,” said Lallan.
Fairunisa, 60, whose family has been doing it for almost four generations now, in a hamlet near Chinhat, also said that her children have taken up jobs at a nearby brick kiln. “We used to dig in some clay from the pond in our childhood but even after highlighting the issue in front of district administration, we have received no help. If we are found digging clay, we face trouble and even if we get the clay arranged from somebody, we must pay a heavy sum of money to buy it and also for transportation,” she said.