This is the time when several farm hands get busy with carrying out small-time activity relating to the crafts. How we can do it is really up to sensible practical policies and their intelligent and honest implementation? I hate the thought of them sinking further into the quagmire of exploitation for no fault of theirs. It would make far more sense to involve them into crafts sectors so that they continue to become preservers and repositories of our crafts culture and self-sufficient and out of the purview of exploitative situations or migrant populations who seek succour in urban areas..In fact , there is a lot of confusion when we tend to put everyone in the category of artisans, not realising that there is a large population of artisans who are occasional or seasonal ones.Rural belts are bearing the brunt of half-baked education resulting in creating lumpen elements who dont want to follow traditional or filial professions like farming and weaving and other skill-based activities but have set their eyes on becoming ‘office’ workers That they often end up regretting their decision is a moot point. However, since they are not part of the relatively more organised sector of crafts persons, they fall into neither category but are part of the marginalised sections. As it is, there is a shrunk market for various crafts with audiences and consumers of these crafts tend to confuse the true blue kaarigar or craftsperson with seasonal fellows and crafts, in general, getting a bad name. Rural belts are bearing the brunt of half-baked education resulting in creating lumpen elements who don’t want to follow traditional or filial professions like farming and weaving and other skill-based activities but have set their eyes on becoming “office” workers (read polyester stretch office boys). As anyone with the slightest knowledge of farming knows, there are long periods of hiatus when there is nothing to be done except waiting for sowing, reaping or hoeing. That they often end up regretting their decision is a moot point, but the fact remains that this ever growing tribe is the type who formed the largest number of migrant workers in the first place.How this return to home base can be handled to better their lot and keep them rooted and incorporate them part of the “Make in India” skill development programme is something that needs to be looked into if we want them to join the mainstream. The point that I am trying to make is that while the struggle to establish reference points to govern and grade the crafts sector continues, there is a vast under-noticed majority of artisans who fall in between categories and often need a helping hand in finding raw materials, markets or really speaking a supply chain of sorts and temporary help if a season suffers for some natural or other reason.Interestingly enough, these seasonal workers constitute a large section of craft workers and fill in an important gap of various crafts required during specific regional festivals and seasons.Save an occasional “seasonal” story in the media most often everyone turns a blind eye to the plight of these unsung sections who often follow unusual professions like masseurs and even ear cleaners during their off-peak periods.
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