Karnataka's artisans feel left out in special Covid package

Artistes and artisans have been urging the government to extend financial help and support

Even as the governments have been doling out packages and extending concessions and support to various sections of the people, to overcome the financial crisis induced due to Covid-19, following curfews, lockdowns and unlocks, there have been complaints that certain sections have been excluded.

While artistes and artisans of various art forms have been urging the government, to extend financial help and support, to wade through the crisis, president of Karnataka Handicrafts Artisans' Welfare Association C Chinnaswamy has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to consider ‘inlay work artisans’ of Mysuru as ‘deprived category’, for extending financial support.

Chinnaswamy said, "Mysuru rosewood inlay, which earned the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2005, is a sculpture and decorative art, that uses various types of wood, flushed over rosewood or other types of wood, as ornamental and decorative artefacts, in and around Mysuru."

Secretary of the association Murugesh Jayaram said, “Inlay art, using ivory, pearls and precious metals earlier, is over 400 years old and was initially patronised by the Vijayanagara kings. After their downfall, the Wadiyars patronised this work."

"The Mysuru Palace is largely decorated with this art form. Many doors of the Palace have used inlay art. Several household in the Mysuru region have inlay art works. Over the years, the art form has earned patrons all over the world. Earlier also, the Wadiyars took steps to popularise this art forms and also exported them through an agency, which later became Cauvery Emporium,” he added.

“Predominately rosewood is used in inlay work, along with mango, jackfruit, doodhi, champa or rubber wood. White wood articles are mainly made out of either shivani or kadam wood. Artisans, who have settled down in Mysuru, are involved in making this art. The art has been passed on over generations, hereditarily. Sometimes, whole families are involved in making one piece of art, demonstrating team effort. Due to the changes in the education and vocation systems, the younger generation is moving out to other professions. Thus, this art work needs a revival,” he said.

Chinnaswamy said, “The artisans still spend hundreds of man hours, to produce one good piece of inlay work. The beauty of Mysuru inlay work is in the extent of detailing and intricacy of patterns. Typical articles made with inlay work are furniture, boxes, pen-stands, bowls, panels and wall hangings.”

“There are over 13,000 artisans involved in handicrafts in Mysuru. Among them nearly 5,000 artisans do inlay art work. While many other vocations and businesses can recover once the Covid crisis ends, but handicrafts will take a longer time. Handicrafts are not basic needs and depend on the tourism sector. During the first wave of Covid, some of the artisans got at least a few kits of groceries and provisions from some philanthropists and NGOs. But, this time, nobody, including the government, have come to the rescue of the artisans,” Chinnaswamy said.

R Bhanuprakash, founder of Craft Melon, said that if the government supports the artisans, to sustain and wade through the Covid crisis, it will also help conservation of the art itself.

“Most of the art forms, including inlay art, are passed on from generation to generation, in the families of artisans. Over the past couple of generations, the members of such families have drifted away in search of other vocations for various reasons, including poor revenues. If the government too does not lend a hand, at times like these, youngsters in the families of the artisans will get disillusioned and abandon the art,” he said.