Reshma Dutta may be a lesser-known name in fine art, but her deft fingers has the ability to give life to her sculptures. She tamely moulds knead clay into aesthetic earthen jewelry, exquisite ceramics and other artistic creations for interior designing. Her vim and vigour promises great artistic novelties. Being decorated with a Master degree in fine arts and a Japanese scholarship in art and culture, Reshma has returned to her ancestral village with a mission.
She has formed a self-help group with the aim of making womenfolk self-reliant through fine art. Around 40 women (many of them are tribals) who are learning the nuances of this art at her workshop (housing requisite equipment) feel that Didiji (as they call Reshma fondly) has entirely  transformed their lives. Within a short span of six months, many women here have been able to supplement the family income.
Hailing from a zamindar family, Reshma has only two year time horizon for her active participation in the group that she has dedicated to her revered Guru Shri Shri Shri Ravi Shankar.  She has plans to settle abroad in order to fulfill her aspiration and dreams after marriage.
She spoke to Sandeep Bhaskar of Deccan Herald in Ranchi about her future plans and the steps she has designed to ensure bright life for the co-villagers.
Excerpt of interview:
DH: Art is one thing and running a self help group (SHG) is other. Why an SHG by an artist?
Reshma: (Interrupts). No, it’s a group by women for the cause of women. Before we start our discussion, I would like to mention that the idea of starting an  SHG was inspired by Guru (Shri Shri Shri Ravi Shankar).
The patient and perseverance is purely because of the spiritual support from his teachings. So, this group is dedicated to him and I am back to my roots for the cause of womenfolk of my village. I wish to ensure them an aadhar (support base), if I could do so through what I learnt in my life.
I, therefore, have formed a self-help group called Aadhar Mahila Udhyog Swalambi Samity to pass on the fine arts of ceramic, jewelry and other interior designing among them so as to make them self-reliant.
To be honest, I am not going to stay with them after two years from now. I have my own life and I wish to spend in style, fulfiling my dreams, aspirations and the  appetite for the art and culture.
DH: How far artistic work like this could help in making them self-reliant?
Reshma: In fact, art has all the potentiality to transform the life from depths of despair to the life of recreation, from life of penury to plenty and an idle life to one of worthwhile.
A lot depends on how you mould yourself. Take the example of Bastar district in  Chhastisgarh. If the handicraft there has assumed the shape of an industry providing 15 per cent employment to the people, there is no reason why it cannot be done in Jharkhand.
I wish it assumes the shape of a cottage industry here also. Starting with three, we have already trained 40 women and their earnings are not bad either. It is just the beginning and I expect it to grow in size and number with active participation of women.
DH: You said you have only two year of time horizon. Will there be Adhar after that?
Reshma: Yes, Adhar will run. I said that I have only two years time horizon for my active participation for Adhar. Since most of these women are illiterate, I am setting up a team to assist them in managing the set up. The other option available with us is to turn our group into a co-operative society for its successful run in future.
But I will see that I will be in touch with Adhar even after I leave the place.
DH: Don’t you foresee problems on the front of marketing with the increase in production in the times to come? What plans you have to tackle the commercial consideration?
Reshma: In the first place, I believe being arty-craft, an artistic work catches fancies fast and thereby it creates a demand and market for itself on its own. However, we are leaving nothing to chance. At present, we are supplying the products to the fairs and shops (in Ranchi and Jamshedpur) and even efforts are on to supply them to shops under TRI-FED (Tribal co-operative marketing development—Federation of India). Efforts are afoot and even assurances are pouring in.
DH: At a stage when your peer are vying for better career options, you are spending your time in a village. What future do you see for yourself at a time when art has virtually become slave to crash commercial consideration?
Reshma: To me, art is a feeling, art is my life and the reason of my very being. I cannot see my life in any other direction. What better way to make a livelihood than doing what you love. I have plans for myself but only after two more years with my co-villagers. As an artist, I have a satisfaction that I have given life and means to subsistence to 40 women who are caught in the vortex of poverty. I totally disagree with you that art has become slave to crash commercial considerations. If it has been commercialised, it is only because of the growing acceptance and popularity among the masses. To my mind, it’s good sign and promises a healthy connotation as I stoutly believe that an artist is quite susceptible to become frustrated when faced with financial crunches and his art is bound to lose sheen in that event. This also explains why many form of art in India is gasping badly for survival.
DH: Now, tell me something interesting about your samity (Aadhar Mahila Udhyog Swalambi Samity) that deserves to be talked about.
Reshma: (Laughs). As I mentioned that this group is purely dedicated to my Guru (Shri Shri shri Ravi Shankar), every woman working at our workshop has to attend satsang here. It’s an unwritten rule that is mandatory for all and sundry after work. We have separate place for that with the wall adorning with the portrait of Guru (Shri Shri shri Ravi Shankar). The other striking thing is probably the fact that Meenu Dutta, a woman in SHG, who is in her late 60’s has not only learnt the fine art here in a short span but is also earning Rs 500 to Rs 600 since last two months, this despite her age and frail physique. But I would like to see each one earning Rs 1,000 per month.