The potters in Jhenaidah demanded interest-free loan from the government for their survival as they have been leading a miserable life due to their poor financial condition. Plastic and melamine utensils and other accessories have become a serious threat to their existence.
If the situation continues, most of the potters will be compelled to leave their ancestral profession and will look for other works. It might hamper the marketing and preservation of the date palm molasses in near future. Interest-free long-term loans might help save the potters and their industry, said the potters and concern persons in different areas of the district.
While visiting a potters’ village at Sakharidah village in Harinakundu upazila of Jhenaidah, this correspondent talked to a number of potters who make earth utensils, households and other accessories. They said, usually they prepare cooking pot, water preservation jar, jars and pots for preserving date and sugarcane molasses, dolls, toys, latrine rims, earthen plates and some other items in their traditional hand machines.
Sexagenarian Khudiram Paul, his neighbor elderly Sankar Paul and two other women Chandana Paul and Bijali Paul said the earthen items they have been preparing with clay, cannot ensure three meals a day for them. Three workers of a family including the workaholic women can hardly ensure Tk 900 a day together, which is not enough to bring food to their tables. Due to their financial condition, most of the young generation of this community can’t get any higher education. They said that plastic and melamine utensils and other home and kitchen accessories have become a serious threat to their existence.
Potters Khudiram Paul and Sankar Paul said usually they do not take any loan from any commercial bank and money lending non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as they have weekly or monthly installments. In this situation, only the interest-free long-term loans might help them produce quality products and earn more. Furthermore, most of the Paul (potters’) community people do not have enough land that they can mortgage to take a loan from a bank.
The potters said the number of families in potters’ community is reducing every year in their locality. About 35 families left the country in last 25 to 30 years as they failed to bear their family expenses with their traditional profession. Pottery was the only means of their earning, they said.
According to Khudiram Paul and Sankar Paul, people of potters’ community live at Sakharidah village and Joradah village in Harinakundu upazila and Nagirat village, Alphapur village, Royerah village and Harora village in Shailkupa upazila, along with some other areas of Jhenaidah district.
Social worker and a Ph.D fellow of human resources Sukanta Kumar Debnath said the number of families in potters’ community is reducing every year as they don’t get any government patronization. Some of them are engaged in alternative activities like salon worker, shoe repairing, day labourer, farm labourer and similar activities for their survival. He said the government should initiate interest-free loans for the community people and provide skill training to the young men and women so that they can flourish the modern pottery industry as the urban people demand.
