DHENKANAL: Dokra art from Dhenkanal, in particular Sadeibereni village, is known world over. However, its artisans are a worried lot. They are divided over procurement of raw materials and sale of finished products. Three years back, at least 40 artisan families of Sadeibareni had to move out of the village following a clash with another group of villagers over purchase of raw materials and sale of handicrafts. They had put up at Rajiv Gandhi Resource Centre in Saptasajya following clash on January 1, 2015. They have now built thatched houses on government land near Saptasajya and named the area Nuagaon.
The artisans of Nuagaon alleged that employees of a Bhubaneswar-based NGO had created problems among villagers over supply of raw materials and procurement of finished products in Sadeibareni. The NGO used to provide raw materials and procure the finished products at Rs 800 per kg from one particular group of villagers. It used to then sell the Dokra crafts at double the price. As a result, the other group never got good market opportunity and used to depend on people who came to Sadeibareni to buy the handicraft. Although the affected villagers had approached the officials of Govindpur police outpost then, the latter had refused to accept any complaints against the NGO staff.
Currently, the artisans staying in Sadeibareni have allegedly threatened their Nuagaon counterparts of imposing fine of Rs 10,000 if they entered the village. Babaji Majhi, an artisan of Nuagaon, said he has not been able to meet his daughters in Sadeibareni since 2015. Another artist, Trinath Behera, said they are facing market crisis ever since they were forced to move out of Sadeibareni. “Although we have good quality handicrafts, we rarely get buyers,” he said. Although the district administration has been informed about the issue, no corrective measures have been taken so far.
Artisan families settle on Govt land
Three years back, at least 40 artisan families of Sadeibareni had to move out of the village following a clash with another group of villagers over purchase of raw materials and sale of handicrafts. They have now settled down on a piece of government land near Saptasajya and named the area Nuagaon