Dokra craftsmen left in lurch

DHENKANAL: Their works have got them accolades in global art marts, but back home there is little support from the district administration as far as marketing and development are concerned.Dokra art from Dhenkanal, in particular Sadeibereni village, is known world over. But continuing with the age-old profession has become a difficult proposition for the Dokra craftsmen sans training and marketing. The last time, the artists trained on design development was in 2000 by the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts. As many as 130 families of the village are engaged in Dokra art and there are eight master craftsmen in the village. The craftsmen alleged that marketing opportunities are few except the State and national-level exhibitions.Eminent Dokra artist Dushasan Behera (58), who has been to several countries to showcase the art form, alleged that the Government was taking no measures to provide market linkage to Dokra artists.“Dokra artists of the village are ignorant of the exact value of their products. Some NGOs buy Dokra products from us but what they pay is not commensurate with our effort,” he lamented.Behera learned the art at the age of seven from his parents. “I have created more than 1,500 Dokra designs,” he said. Behera further said that he attended the 25th Surajkund Mela earlier this year where he sold Dokra products worth ` 20,000.The village is also home to another award-winning Dokra artist Golapa Gadtia. She was awarded State Handicraft prize in 2003 and 2004 for a Dokra light stand that she prepared. She had also received a certificate of appreciation at the 15th National Youth Festival, 2010. “Dokra designs elsewhere in the country are as per the modern taste. But in our village, there is no regular training for the artists,” she said.However, Industrial Promotion Officer of Dhenkanal Abhaya Kumar Swain said the District Industries Centre had been granting loans to SHGs and individuals involved in Dokra craft in Sadeibereni. He said the Navjivan Industrial Corporation Society, which looks into issues faced by Dokra artists, has been lying defunct since 2002. “We have declared election to the Society and it will soon be revived. The Society will solve the marketing problems faced by the artists,” he added. Swain further said that after revival of the Society, fresh proposals will be sent to the government for imparting design development training to the artists.Chief Executive of DSMS, a wing of ORMAS, Nigam Das said the artists need to use the common facilitation centre and the government needs to declare Sadeibereni as a crafts village which would provide more support to the artisans.The artisans, on the other hand, demanded  a raw material bank and machines in the facilitation centre.