Chapter 5

IMPACT OF TOURISM ON HANDICRAFT

INDUSTRY

Chapter 5

IMPACT OF TOURISM ON HANDICRAFT INDUSTRY

5.1 INTRODUCTION

The importance of handicrafts is both cultural and economic. 'The cultural

importance of handicrafts leads to the preservation of the heritage, traditional

skills and the art. Its economic importance lies in high employment potential,

low capital investment, high value addition, and potential for export/foreign

exchange earnings. The craft or handicraft sector is the largest decentralised

and unorganised sector of the Indian economy, and is among India's .largest

foreign exchange earners (Vijayagopalan, 1993)93. Indian craftsmanship has

been a way of life since centuries. This trade was in a way globalised long back

through the Spice Route and the Silk Route. Region-specific crafts as well as

the craftsmen travelled all parts of the world through enterprising traders and

country interventions.

In the 1990's the handicrafts emerged as one of the major exportable goods

from India. 'Within a short span of time, from 1993-2000, the sale of

handicrafts and handloom export increased from Rs 30 billion to Rs 100 billion

(excluding export of 'gems andjewellery')' 94• This industry has great potential

of further growth. Handicrafts are rightly described as the craft of the people,

93 Vijayagopalan, S (1993), Economic Status of Handicraft Artisans, National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi. 94 Liebl,M. Roy, T. (2003), Handmade in India: Preliminary Analysis of Craft Producers and Crafts Production, EPW, Vol XXXVIII, Nos 51 & 52, pg 5366-5376

212

as per Jaya Jetily (2001)95 there are twenty-three million craftspeople in India

today.

With India emerging as a major tourist destination (refer chapter two), the.

demand for handicrafts has greatly increased. In ancient era, explorers and

travellers were the only source of marketing and publicity for these artefacts.

The patronage of the emperors has helped these craftsmen and the crafts to

survive the pre independence era in our country. The artisans used to be an

asset for the empire and sometimes they were even appointed as the

ambassadors of the kings. The artefacts produced, were gifted to the guest from

different parts of the world. Thus, in the era of the Kings and Emperors also,

the visitors had a connection with the artisans in a way or the other. However,

during the 200 years of British rule, craftsperson went through a grim period of

ambiguity and severe poverty. The craftsmen were forced to manufacture raw

cotton, instead of the products of their desire the 'handicrafts'. The British rule

crippled the rural economy of the country. 'There was unemployment and

famine; it was the black period for the Indian craftspeople'96•

However after independence, the artisans again became the masters of their

own art. Although the Government failed to provide them the earnings and the

patronage they enjoyed in the ancient times, still their condition improved.

However, there was no particular change in the status of the craftsmen in the

country. The visitors/tourists have once again came to the rescue of the art and

artisans in the rural India. Centuries later, today the changing scenario can be

observed in our country. Increasing demands for the handicrafts in the

95 Jaitly, J (2001), Visvakarma's Children, Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi 96 Ramaswamy V. (2003), "Through History", published in Seminar, 'Celebrating Crafts" 523, pp 48-54

213

international market, if tapped appropriately, may bring the ·long awaited

prosperity for the artisans. It is the time we can provide the due respect and

affluence to the artisans of the country. The handicrafts articles particularly,

gems, jewellery, leather goods, mirror work, ivory, stone and the brass work

constitute the main shopping items of the foreign tourists. 'The International

Passenger Survey ( 1996-1997) reported that nearly 40% of the tourist's

expenditure on shopping is spent on these handicrafts, which in tum contributes

heavily for the sustenance of several small/medium firms which account to

90% of the tourism business' 97•

A seminar held in 2002, on the occasion of celebrating the golden jubilee year

of the Resurgence of Indian handicrafts established, that one out of every 160

Indians is an artisan. 'But it also revealed that every year India loses 10% of its

artisans' 98• A study of conducted by the Ministry of Tourism, India (2001)99

revealed that in the two states of Kerala and Rajasthan, more than ninety

percent of artisan's incomes come from the tourist related activities and this has

lead to higher education and better standards of living.

In spite of acknowledging the growing importance of handicrafts in the

economy, employment and development, the millions of artisans who produce

these goods still struggle for the very basic amenities of life. Craftspeople form

the second largest employment sector in India, second only to agriculture 'In

the last forty years between 1961 and 2001 (Third to Ninth Plan), there has

been a plan investment of about Rupees 90,00,000 million on the infrastructure

for industralisation (energy, transport, communications, industry/minerals) and

97 Dhariwal, Richa. ()Tourist Arrivals in India: How Important are Domestic Disorders 98 Tyabji Laila, (2003). The Problem, Celebrating Crafts, Seminar, 523, March, pp 12-16 99 Tourist Statistics, (2001), Department of ToUrism, Government oflndia Publication,

214

not a fraction for labour and skill based industries employing millions' 100•

According to Timothy (2003)101 the processes of liberalization and

globalisation have intensified the unsecured existence of artisan communities

through increasing global competition, the mass production of craft goods and

shifting trends in fashion, cultural taste and aesthetics. However the Gandhian

economist L.C. Jain, believes that soon after the independence and long before

globalisation reached India, we have already tom apart handlooms, village

industries and handicrafts from the very economic rationale of their existence

to the toiling rural masses.

Today, in developed nations very few traditional crafts producers survive. Craft

manufacturing in China and Japan has already been mechanized completely. In

European nations, the impetus for development and industralisation has pushed

the handmade crafts in the backdrop and was left to come to an end eventually.

It is obvious, that the handicraft industry was advertently or inadvertently led to

a sure death by the negligence of the Government of India. After independence,

Indian craftsmen dependent entirely on the government for exhibition of their

skills, and the state emporia did provide necessary oxygen for them to survive.

However, the basic needs of the crafts people still remained unfulfilled, as they

depended on several intermediaries. 'In 1992, then came the liberalization and

globalization, which was dreaded in the Indian society as everyone knew the

illiterate and poor craftspeople will not be able to compete with the cheap

foreign goods in the market' 102. But with the globalization also carne the

100 Ain, L.C. (2003), Securing Their Future, 101 Scrase J Timothy, (2003); Precarious Production: Globalisation And Artisan Labour In The Third World, Third World Quarterly, Volume 24, Number 3 I June 2003, Routledge, Pg 449-461

102 Jaitly Jaya, (2003), "New Paths", Seminar 523, March, pg 68-72

215

awareness of ceo-friendly lifestyle, organic products and vegetable dye fabrics,

the incredible potential of embroideries and other such exotic material that was

a breeze of fresh air in the synthetic world. Suddenly the hand made items

became the fashion statement it was the brand of elitism and responsible

citizen. However, it was the increase in the tourist arrivals and a revolution in

the trade and communication, marketing and the presence of e-commerce

during the last decade that has revived this industry. The increasing income of

the middle class has also given a boost to the handicrafts industry. It is high

time that the Indian crafts should be taken to the highest levels in the world

market. The example of Thailand that has tuned its crafts to a high degree of

excellence should be an eye opener for the planners and the investors in India.

5.2 DEFINING 'HANDICRAFTS'

Many scholars regard the Swadeshi movement of 1905-1908 as a milestone in

the history of India, which re-stimulated an interest in handicrafts, folk craft,

and lifestyles in direct contrast to those associated with industrialisation and

urbanity. Under the influence of British rule, people were increasingly moving

farther from the hand made products.

Besides there is one more school of thought, which propounds that due to the

change in work culture of the people especially because of the shift from the

manufacturing to the service sector has also generated the need for traveling.

Kunal Chattopadhyay (2004)103 'It has stated that an average consumer craft is

perceived as high cost, high maintenance product that neither wears nor

103 Chattopadhyay, Kunal (2004). Economic Impact of Tourism Development-An Indian Experience, Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi

216

functions as well as its industrial equivalent; for the craftsman, craft is a

profession that neither gives economic returns nor social status' 104•

It was somewhere in between 1850-1880 that first attempt to describe the

handicrafts in India was done by George Birdwood 105, who collected rare

designs on print blocks from different parts of the country for an exhibition. In

a way that was a commendable job, but it destroyed the creativity in the Indian

craftsmen. After this exhibition the Indian artisans were considered to be

inefficient but possessing ideas.

Several attempts have been made to define handicrafts. In India millions of

people practise traditional skills to produce the handmade goods. The great

degree of variance in the production technique and outputs presents difficulty

in providing one wholesome definition. Most of the Government agencies and

the NGO's use the terms 'handicrafts' or the 'cottage industries', or 'household

industries' , or 'traditional industries' interchangeably. 'Some limit the

definition of craft to those items possessing clear artistic value, or to those

which demonstrated export success. Others include any occupation that

involves manuallabour' 106•

P. A. Ramamurthy a noted follower of Gandhian philosophy, believed

handicrafts are not the commodities of sale rather they possess a religious and

spiritual appeal. 'Handicrafts are the hand creation from dexterous fingers of

the craftsmen and women which are self expressive in their natural form,

revealing a conscious aesthetic beauty approach and are reviewed as an

104 Tyabji Laila, (2003), op cit 105 George C.M.Birdwood, (1880), The Arts of India, Rupa & company, Calcutta, 1988, as described by Vijaya Ramaswamy in her article "Through History", published in Seminar, 'Celebrating Crafts" issue 523, pp 48-54 106 Liebi,M and Roy, T. (2003), Handmade in India: Preliminary Analysis of Crafters Producers and crafts Production, EPW, Vol XXXVIII, Nos 51 & 52, pg 5366-5376

217

essential segment of cultural heritage '107. Even though while mentioning the

artisan sector in the First Five year Plan itself, a broad definition of the term

crafts was articulated as late as 1989 by the Report of the Task Force on

Handicrafts for the VIII Five Year Plan. This same definition was then adopted

by the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles,

"items made by hand, often with the use of simple tools and are generally

artistic and/or traditional in nature. They include objects of utility and objects

of decoration' (1989)". Thus, from all the descriptions, one thing is clear that

handicrafts involve two components, firstly the artistic touch or the

ornamentation of the products and secondly the traditional skill.

However with the growing international market for the handicrafts a universal

definition was needed to avoid confusion regarding the authenticity of the

handicrafts and ambiguity for the importing countries. It was in 1969, that an

International Trade centre, Geneva, a UN body jointly supported by the

UNCT AD and GATT, defined the term Handicrafts as follows:

"The term "handmade" articles should be taken to cover hose

products, made with or without the use of tools, simple

instruments or implements operated directly by craftsmen,

mainly by hand or by foot. Additional identifying features of

handicrafts are:

(a) traditional or artistic features deriving from geographical

region or country of production.

(b) production by craftsmen, working generally on a cottage

industry basis".

107 Ramamurthy, P.A. (1996), 'Handicrafts-Promotion Under KVIC Sector', Khadigramodhyog, Vol 42, No. 7-12, pp 365-368

218

In the Import and Export policy ( 1990-93) Volume 1, an amendment was made

to the definition, 'the articles besides being handmade should have some

artistic value. This artistic value of the article can be its very form, shape or

design or traditional or suggestive of the fact that the article is an item of

handicraft'. It was again in 1995, that the honorable Supreme Court of India

gave a judgment108 that the items can be classified as handicrafts if they fulfill

following tests:

(a) "It must be predominantly made by hand. It does not

matter if some machinery is also used in the process.

(b) It must be graced with visual appeal in the nature of

ornamentation or in-lay work or some similar work lending

it an element of artistic improvement. Such ornamentation

must be of substantial nature and not a mere pretence".

Although the government has taken several measures to define the handicrafts

sector, on a macro scale, entire sectors of the crafts industry seem to defY the

categorization. There are certain crafts which are described separately in the

export category as well as clustered with the handicrafts exports' .109 This

difficulty is quiet genuine as every village or a small scale industry produces

distinct handicraft under the same headings. This distinction is owed to the

difference in the adjustments made by the artisans to the ongoing social

108 The Honorable Supreme Court in Louis Shoppe Judgment (Civil Appeal No. 9217-18 of 1995 decided on 12 March 1995) the criteria for considering any article as a handicraft. As given in the 5th Annual Report, (2002-2003) Jodhpur Handicrafts Exporter's Association, pp7 109 For example the Jwellery industry, 'Gems and Jewellery' is a separate export category as well as there is one more class listed as 'Jewellery' in the handicraft export category.

219

change, besides the production processes differ according to the geographical

tuning of the craft and the region.

The role of the crafts and the craftsmen in the Indian economy has not been

given due recognition. In spite of Gandhi ji's farsightedness in utilizing these

daily utility artifacts for rural development, we waited for their demand from

the international markets to realize the real potential of handicraft sector.

5.3 IMPORTANCE OF THE HANDICRAFT SECTOR IN INDIAN

ECONOMY

Handicraft activity is predominantly in the unorganized household sector and

practised extensively in the rural areas. As per the Census of Handicrafts 1995-

96, the total number of handicraft units and artisans in the country is

represented in the table 5 .1.

Table 5.1

TOTAL NUMBER OF HANDICRAFT UNITS & ARTISANS IN INDIA AND RAJASTHAN (1995-96)

NUMBER OF UNITS NUMBER OF ARTISANS

LOCATION INDIA RAJASTHAN INDIA RAJASTHAN

RURAL AREAS 11,37,580 63,411 36,40,582 2,02,212

URBAN AREAS 3,17,476 65,460 11,20,604 2,05,488

TOTAL 14,55,056 1,28,871 47,61,186 4,07,700 ..

Source: Census of Handicrafts, Artisans, 1995-96, Development CommissiOner Handicrafts, Mmistry of Textiles

This Census report shows that there are 14, 55,056 units (14, 25,414 household

units and 29,642 non-household handicraft unitsll0) in Indi~. When one

compares the number of handicraft units in Rajasthan and India we find that

110 Census of Handicrafts, Artisans, 1995-96, Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government oflndia, pp 15

220

6% of the Rural and 20% of urban household units of India are found in

Rajasthan. In case of number of artisans associated with different crafts

{Appendix 1 ), more or less similar scenario is observed. There are four million

artisans in Rajasthan, which comes to be 9% of the total artisans in India.

Rajasthan comprises 6% of the artisans in the rural area and 18% of the total

artisans in the urban area.

However, according to the NSSO data (1994-95), there is large difference

between the data given by DCH 2002, (handicraft census conducted by

NCAER in 1995-96). The NSSO survey shows that there are 8.4 million

artisans associated with the handicrafts excluding handlooms at the national

level, whereas according to NCAER data the number is 4.1 million. The same

confusion persists when we compare the two sources in terms of employment

generated in the unorganized handicrafts sector are compared. The table 5.2

indicates the trend of employment in the handicraft sector ( 1995-96).

Table 5.2

EMPLOYMENT IN HANDICRAFT SECTOR (1995-96)

CRAFT ESTIMATION BY NCAER (DCH) ESTlMA TION BY NSSO

HANDICRAFTS 4.1 Million 7.7 Million

HAND LOOM 3.5 Million 0.7 Million

TOTAL 7.6 Million 8.4 Million

Although there is problem with the data as different orgainsations give varying

predictions regarding employment generation, it is clear that the handicraft

sector generates employment in the unorganized sector. Besides generating

employment for the rural as well as the urban population of the country, it has a

huge export potential. With the introduction of the economic reforms in 1991,

the export scenario changed dramatically. As discussed, the awareness about

221

the handmade artifacts made it a fashion statement and the data suggests that

within a short span of time between '1987 and 1999, handicraft's share in the

manufactured exports increased from 2 to 5 percent' 111• The table 5.3 shows the

details of the handicraft exports provided by the EPCH (Export Promotion

Council of Handicrafts) I DCH (Development Commissioner handicrafts) from

the country and its share in that of all India exports.

Table 5.3

TRENDS IN HANDICRAFT EXPORTS (Rs in Crores)

YEAR ALL INDIA EXPORTS HANDICRAFTS (Except %SHARE IN

Carpets & Gems & Jewellery) INDIA'S EXPORTS

1990-91 32553 712.99 2.19

1991-92 43828 1064.99 2.43

1992-93 53688 1495.25 2.79

1993-94 65500 2363.54 3.01

1994-95 82338 3159.62 3.84

1995-96 106465 3207.54 3.01

1996-97 117525 3815.21 3.25

1997-98 132522 4254.60 3.21

1998-99 141604 6234.56 4.40

1999-2000 162738 7170.30 4.41

2000-01 201674 8490.16 4.21

2001-02 207746 7709.33 3.71

2002-03 250130 9844.38 3.94

2003-04 291582 10465.14 3.59

2004-05 361879 13032.70 3.60

2005-06 454800 14527.00 . 3.19

Source: Export of Handicrafts an Overview, EPCH 2006-07

111 Lieb1,M and Roy, T. (2003), Handmade in India: Preliminary Analysis of Crafters Producers and crafts Production, EPW , Vol XXXVIII, Nos 51 & 52, pg 5366-5376

222

India is the second largest exporter of handicrafts in the world, after China. The

percentage share of both the countries to the world share is still not clear.

According to the EPCH report112, China accounts for the 15%-17% of the

world market share whereas India's share id merely 1.5-2 percent. The trend of

handicraft exports has risen from Rs 387 crores during the year 1986-87, toRs

17,288.14 crores in 2006-07.

4.5

4

C> ~ 3.5

2 r;J 3

t ;;2 2.5 u 0 ~ 2 ::c 1:; >'1.1.5

0.5

Figure 5.1

PERCENTAGE SHARE OF EXPORT OF HANDICRAFTS IN INDIA'S EXPORTS (1990-2006)

1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999- 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2000

Source: Export of Handicrafts an Overview, EPCH 2006-07

112 Export ofHandicrafts an Overview, 2006-07, EPCH,

223

The trend of growth in the export of handicrafts since 1960's has been highest

in the nineties, after the liberalization of the trade. The table 5.4 shows the

expansion in the handicraft industry since 60's.

Table 5.4

GROWTH OF EXPORT OF HANDICRAFTS (Rs in Crores)

YEAR EXPORT OF GROWTH YEAR EXPORT OF GROWTH HANDICRAFTS RATE HANDICRAFTS RATE (Except Gems & (Except Gems &

Jewellery) Jewellery) 1961-62 10.30 1994-95 2636 33.8

1965-66 12.37 4.7 1995-96 3020 14.6

1970-71 37.54 24.9 1996-97 3569 18.2

1975-76 109.56 23.9 1997-98 4353 22.0

1979-80 314.26 30.1 1998-99 5058 16.2

1986-87 387 3.0 1999-00 5923 17.1

1987-88 415 7.2 2000-01 6955 17.4

1988-89 551 32.8 2001-02 6770 -2.7

1989-90 589 6.9 2002-03 8343 23.2

1990-91 713 21.1 2003-04 13244 58.7

1991-92 1065 49.4 2004-05 15616 17.9

1992-93 1412 32.6 2005-06 17277 10.6

1993-94 1970 39.5 2006-07 19500 12.9

Source: 17th Annual Report 2002-2003, EPCH and Monthly Statistics of Foreign Trade of India, DG Commercial Intelligence & Statistics, Calcutta and Export of Handicrafts an Overview, 2006-07, EPCH

The figures 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 represent a similarity in the handicrafts export and

the tourist arrivals in the country. The influence of the Gulf war and attack on

the WTC twin towers is also visible in the export of handicrafts; thus relating it

closely to the tourism industry.

224

;;:. ~

~

~ ~

~

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

-10

-20

-30

-40

Figure 5.2

% CHANGE IN FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS IN INOlA (1989-2005)

.... . ... ······················~·····

Source: Tourism Statistics, Department of Tourism, Government oflndia

16000

14000

12000

10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

Figure 5.3

HANDICRAFTS EXPORT IN INDIA (1_990-2007)

199Q-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999- 200Q-OI 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2000

Source: DCH, Ministry of Textiles

225

'A study conducted by the World Bank, in 2000-0 1 on the Indian Crafts sector

also reveals that the world trade in the handicrafts is growing and there is a

direct correlation between the purchase of ethnic and cultural goods and world

tourism' 113• In India when the trend of foreign tourist arrivals was compared

with that of exports of handicrafts for a time span of sixteen years, a strong

correlation was observed between the foreign tourist arrivals and export of

handicrafts (r=0.89) (except carpets and gems and Jewellery). The relationship

was significant at the 0.01% level (2 tailed). Although it is an established fact

that the export of handicrafts is towards a success path, but the producers are

still struggling for their existence.

Table 5.5

CORRELATION BETWEEN THE FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS &

EXPORT OF HANDICRAFTS (1990-2006)

HANDICRAFTS (Exce Jt Carpets & Gems & Jewellery) FOREIGN TOURIST HANDICRAFTS (Except Carpets

& Gems & Jewellery) Pearson Correlation I .897(**)

Sig. (2-tailed)

N I6 Foreign Tourist Pearson Correlation .897(**)

Sig. (2-tailed) .000

N 16

** Correlation is significant at the 0.0 I% level (2-tailed)

'As most of the producers are from the informal sector their earnings are lesser

than those employed in the formal sector. They are likely to greater deficits

opportunities, rights and protection and voice ... than those who work in the

formal economy ...... and among the working poor in the informal economy,

113 www.worldbank.org/Development Topics/Social Development/Topics & Regions/Culture in Sustainable Development/ Crafts Workshop

226

.000

I6

I

I6

women are more likely than men to be worse off in all ofthese respects' 114• In

the handicraft sector, women constitute 47.42% of the total work force, while

37.11% belong to the SC/ST category (NCAER survey 1995-96). It has been

estimated that there are more women in the household industry than in the

registered, small scale or cottage units. Within the registered units there are

more women in the unskilled and lower paid jobs than in the skilled or trained

category. Thus, in this unorganized sector women are more prone to

exploitation and injustice. Although Government has several plans and policies

for the gender justice still the implementation of those at the grass root level is

still not apparent.

The table 5.6 shows the increasing employment in the handicraft sector as well

as increasing production of the handicrafts, the average growth rate of

production has been 13.2% during the tenth plan period, but fluctuations were

part of the entire process.

Table 5.6

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE HANDICRAFT SECTOR DURING THE TENTH FIVE YEAR

PLAN

YEAR PRODUCTION EMPLOYMENT EXPORT OF OUTLAY EXPENDITURE

(in Rs crores) (in lakh persons) HANDICRAFTS (in lakhs) (in lakhs)

(except gems &

jewellery) (in Rs crores)

2002-03 19564.32 60.16 10933.67 8570.00 7176.00

2003-04 24017.98 61.96 13244.43 10355.00 6432.00

2004-05 28935.40 63.81 15616.32 10300.00 7707.00

2005-06 32108.10 65.72 17276.71 10500.00 9724.00

2006-07(T) 36333.30 67.69 19500.00 11000.00

Source: DCH, New Delhi

114 "Decent Work and the Informal Economy" (2002), ILO Report

227

Although the production as well as export has been increasing continuously

since 2002-2007, still the time period 2003-2006 have witnessed this increase

at the declining rate. This was mainly due to the closure of the Tokyo and New

York offices of the Handicraft and Handlooms Exports Corporation of India

(HHEC). In spite of this, the handicraft export is one of the major success

stories of the globalisation in India. However, the growth rate of employment

generated due to this increasing production has been stagnant at the rate of 3%

(2002-2007). This means the same units are producing more than what they

were producing in the beginning of the tenth plan period.

The demand for the handicrafts, at the global level has dramatically increased,

but the scenario is still not clear at the domestic level due to the lack of

statistics. While interviewing the shopkeepers at the three destinations it was

found that there has been a significant growth in the demand for the handicrafts

at the local and national level. Out of the 93 shopkeepers interviewed, 39%

(36) shopkeepers said they receive bulk order for the handicrafts by the

shopkeepers from other states (indicating the domestic demand), followed by

the 16% tourist (domestic as well as foreign) visiting these sites. There are 14%

of the shopkeepers who get bulk order for the products from the shopkeepers as

well as the tourist and the travel agencies.

Generally these are the big shops with enormous turnover, which get bulk

orders. These merchants are directly in touch with the artisans; rather they have

a team of the artisans working for them. Shopkeepers provide them with raw

material and desired designs and make them work on piece rate. Artisans are

also happy working for the shopkeepers as they provide them with regular

228

work as well as loans in the time of need. These shopkeepers have a huge

network all over the world, they cater to the Indian shopkeepers from other

cities as well as retailers from other countries too.

40.0

35.0

~ 30.0

~ ~ 25.0

~ ~ 20.0

es $. 15.0

10.0

5.0

Figure 5.4

MAJOR BUYERS OF HANDICRAFTS FROM CURIO SHOPS AT ALL THE THREE DESTINATIONS

Shopkeepers Tourists Travel Agencies All the Above Do Not Get Bulk Order

Source: Computed from the primary survey conducted at Jaisalmer Jodhpur and Bikaner in 2005

The set-up of the shop is very different from what one assumes a curio shop to

be. An enormous centralized air conditioned shop beckons you, with three or

four rooms, converted into office (where the owner of the shop sits) and one

room filled with the artisans from rural areas depositing their products and

another room where the raw material is stocked to be distributed amongst the

artisans.

It involves a vast range of work force, differing in various strata. They range

from the ones dealing with the customers at the shop most refined of the lot,

229

who can greet you in Italian or French or English as comfortably as in Hindi,

followed by the group of three or four who deal with distribution of the raw

materials and collection of the finished products from the nearby villages. This

includes one trip to the villages in two days. Then there is an appointed charted

accountant of the shop, and the manager. Besides this there are cleaners and the

security guards associated with such shops.

There an:: 27 Shopkeepers who cater only to the customers visiting their shop

amongst the ones interviewed, that is 29% of the shopkeepers said they do not

get bulk orders for the products. It is difficult to distinguish who they are

selling their products to as locals also purchase these goods, although their

percentage is very low. The merchants as well as the export houses in Jodhpur

believed that there has been a significant increase in the domestic demand for

the products in the nineties. However the interview with these shopkeepers at

all the three destinations revealed again and again that main buyers are the

tourists and consumption of the locals is negligible (especially in Jaisalmer and

Bikaner). NSSO (1995)115 data also confirm an increase in real GDP in the

crafts that contributed 3-6 percent of employment and GDP generated in

manufacturing in 1990's. The demand for the products by the domestic and the

foreign tourist varies widely. The domestic market demands interior decoration

goods, apparels and household utility goods. This has become a trend in the

urban areas, due to the increasing craze of the branded goods, changing tastes

of dressing among the younger generation; the crafts sector has also been

affected adversely.

115 Liebl Maureen & Roy T. (2004), Handmade in India; Preliminary Analysis of Crafts Producer and Crafts Production, EPW, Vol38, Jan No. 51&52, pp 5368

230

The producers of the crafts are undoubtedly producing more and on larger

scale, they are catering to the demands all over the world. Still the conditions of

the artisans producing these goods remain pitiable. The following part of this

chapter deals with the structure of the handicraft units at the three destinations

and their problems and prospects of development. The linkage of these

handicraft units with the tourist arrivals and their impacts will also be

discussed.

5.4 HANDICRAFT UNITS AT THE THREE DESTINATIONS

As described in chapter one, 324 artisans were interviewed at Jaisalmer,

Jodhpur and Bikaner. Among these 324 artisans 34 were working for the

SSI/NGO, and were getting fixed wages, whereas the remaining were the ones

registered as having household units and unregistered artisans, either working

on piece rate basis for the shopkeepers or for other artisans as a part of the

chain of sub contracting. There is also a marked division of labour in the

production process of the handicrafts. However these processes vary with the

type of handicrafts manufactured. Rajasthan has been rightly called as the

'Treasure Trove' of Indian handicrafts. The harshness of the climate in this part

of the world is met with exuberant smiles and vibrant colors all around. The

dryness has been mellowed down with the sense of creativity that makes their

lives look luxurious. Adorned cattle which form a significant element of desert

life symbolise the importance of decor in day to day lives of the desert people.

The history of handicrafts in Rajasthan can be traced from the remote days

since the man made stone tools. The foundations of the Indian textile trade with

other countries began as early as the second century BC. A hoard of block

printed and resist-dyed fabrics, mainly of Gujrati origin, found in the tombs of

231

Fostat, Egypt, are the proof of large scale Indian export of cotton textiles to the

Egypt in medieval times. The excavations of Harappan civilization in

Kalibanga reveal that Rajasthan has been an important centre for ceramic

industry. Each one of Rajasthan's craft is a symbol of fascination and

adoration. The crafts in this land are a symbol of expression of the struggle of

the natives with the vagaries of nature bestowed upon them. The tedious

processes of production look so simple when the expert hands work upon it.

It was very difficult to categorise the crafts of western Rajasthan, as every

artisan produces a different piece of art. The best part of the crafts is their

utility part, none of the arts produced can be considered merely for the

decorative importance. However for the convenience the artifacts were

classified on the basis ·of raw material used. Thus to conduct the study, the

handicrafts were classified under the three broad categories:

a) Textiles

b) Leather Goods

c) Pottery

Besides these three broad categories, which were common at all the three

destinations, there were specialized crafts also indigenous to particular

destination/village. These artifacts were kept under a different category of

'Specialised Crafts' 116•

a) Textiles: Hand printed textiles is the part of the life of Chippa

community. Wax resist prints and ajrakh (all over printed pattern of blue and

116 These crafts include the wood work, jewellery making, stone carving, puppet making, metal wares and dyeing arts like Usta art, 'Palan making (special art of making saddle for the camels by the use of wood and copper) which are not found commonly at all the three destinations rather are a specialized art of a region, besides they have very little followers also.

232

Map Not To Scale

Figure 5.5

Spatial Distribution of Handicrafts in Rajasthan

.r · ~ ~

•1+ @ OJdeipll 0

Chitorgaon

233

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red) are most commonly practiced in the villages of Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. A

variety of printing techniques are used the block printing, resist printing with

the use of clay, cow dung, wax and resin are very common. Besides this the

most common craft practised by the women in the western border of India is

the hand embroidery. It was initially a cultural signifier which has evolved into

a livelihood earner. It incorporates wide range of products ranging from

apparels to bed sheets to cushions, it has ventured to all sort of things of daily

use.

HISTORY OF THE CRAFT

Patronage of the craft was fairly prominent in the western areas by the kings

and rich merchants (seths). Jaisalmer and Bikaner had historical importance as

they were located on the famous silk route. Thus apart from the patronage from

the then elite, the products were famous in the cities and the marts of Persia,

Afghanistan, Multan and Sind. Tourist arrivals in the last twenty years have

revived the lost glory to these artifacts; however, these craft items are just the

reminiscent of the exquisite crafts of the past.

This sector has its genesis in the migration of Hindu families as refugees to

Rajasthan during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. They are known as 'Sharnarthis'

and the local people are called 'Rahiyas '. These were the Hindu community

people who during the partition went to Pakistan as their land area came under

the jurisdiction of Pakistan and then in 1971 came back with the retreating

Indian army and took refuge in relief camps at the border areas of Barmer, till

they got Indian citizenship. Having lived in Sindh they imbibed these arts that

have evolved through centuries. It was a custom in this community of

'meghwals' to give embroidered clothes to their daughters as wedding gift.

234

However during their stay at Sindh, they embroidered clothes for the

merchants. Due to the ill-treatment they faced in Pakistan from the other

migrated Muslims, they all retreated back to India. After their return they were

rehabilitated by the Government and settled in the parts of Bikaner, Jaisalmer,

Barmer, Jodhpur and Jalore. The work culture of making embroidered goods

for the mahajans continues still today. What used to be the dowry for the

daughters of the house became the bread earner for the family. That is how the

hand embroidery done by the women in the remote areas of the western Indian

borders can be described. Since this craft was associated with lower caste

people, initially this was indigenous only to the women of Meghwal caste,

which later spread to the Sodha Rajput ladies and finally Brahmins because of

its economic importance.

STRUCTURE, NATURE AND DYNAMICS OF THE CRAFT

The struggle for existence of the Hindus in the new locality and the

entrepreneurship of the marwaris gave this art its present professionalism. It

fetches an annual tum over of 130-150 crore rupees and provides livelihood

opportunities to about 60,000 rural women in western Rajasthan. The entire

sector is concentrated at the Barmer district especially in its Chautan tehsil of

the district. However the work is highly decentralized and is carried out at the

individual household in remote areas of hamlets and villages of Jaisalmer,

Jodhpur and Bikaner districts.

According to 'Udhyogini', the NGO working in the rural area of Bikaner

district, in its annual report117, 53% of the firms are the micro firms with tum

117 Choudhary V, Aggarwal, B. (2004), Executive Summary, Value Chain Analysis Of Hand Embroidery Sub-Sector In Western Rajasthan, Udyogini

235

over less than 10 lakh and they capture only 8% of the volume of the sector,

whereas there are only four percent of large firms which account for 51 percent

of the market share. There is a strong caste based division of labour in the

various strata of this entire process. As mentioned earlier the entrepreneurs

popularly known as 'seths ' are still the main profit makers. Their main work is

to make capital investment, buy raw materials, tracing of designs, cutting and

then distribution of the material to the women in rural areas and collect the

finished products. Then tailoring of the embroidered products, dyeing and

marketing of the product, cash distribution to the women and over all

management is done by these seths only. They generally belong to the

maheshwari and jain communities, this means most of these people follow the

traditional business. Only ten percent of the manufacturers are from the non

traditional communities.

The 'thekedar' or the middle man, distributes the raw material to the women at

their household units, checks quality, ensures production, makes immediate

payment to the artisans, collection of finished products and makes delivery to

the seths. Production base is dominated by Meghwal women, followed in

quality by the Suthar, Charan, Jats and Purohit women, Rajput118 women are

new to this commercial hand embroidery.

The embroiderer's wages constitute 28% to 35% of the final product cost.

Incomes of the women are inversely proportional to the distance from the

manufacture's centre. Farther the distance longer is the chain of middlemen and

118 The social structure of the Rajput women does not permit them to work commercially, but due to the efforts of NGO Udyogini, they have been introduced to it. The economic importance of the craft has challenged the social structure and is leading towards women empowerment.

236

transacting party at each level tries to gam maximum share. However the

importance of the location of the unit is discussed at length later in the chapter.

b) LEATHER GOODS: Making foot wears using leather as raw material at

all the three destinations of the study area is the most commonly practiced art.

It is a community specific art and only the 'Jingar ' community people fo llow

this art. Now days because of its commercial importance several people from

other communities have also ventured into the selling of leather goods.

Innovation in Leather Goods (Leather Carpets)

HISTORY OF THE CRAFT

Due to the existence of Jajmani system in earlier days in rural areas, leather

worker' s profession flourished as the sales mainly occurred in barter. These

jingar community people used to make 'juties' for the Zamindars/ Jagirdars

237

family members and in return they used to get 'petia' (wheat and bajra). It is

mainly a male dominated art, where the subsidiary works are done by the

females. It can be said there is a division of labour in making leather goods.

The embroidery on leather is done exclusively by the females, whether within

the family or outside.

Process of Making Mojari

The children in the family also help in the initial preparation of the leather, 1 .e.

soaking, stretching, and beating of leather. Main products are 'jut is ' or 'mojari'

which is the traditional footwear of Rajasthan. Juti is an urdu word for a shoe

with a closed upper attached to the sole. Mojari is also similar to juti but for a

pronounced curved toe. In earlier times a typical curved toe was specific to one

particular Rajput clan only. Along with the 'safa' turban jutis (footwear) were

also distinct for a particular clan. However it was also a means of

238

discrimination in the society. The leather workers belonged to lower castes and

they were prohibited to wear golden jutis. Although this rigidity no longer

exists, still the community bears the bitter memories.

Leather workers have been greatly benefited due to the flourishing tourism

industry. Earlier only foot wears were made by the workers, now they have

ventured into novice products like leather bags, pistol covers, bottle covers and

a huge range of goods. While interviewing, several artisans said they get the

ideas of producing new products from the tourists visiting these sites. They

imitate the designs and products once they see tourists carrying them. So in

spite of no professional training in this art, they venture into new designs and

variety of utility products.

STRUCTURE, NATURE AND DYNAMICS OF THE CRAFT

Generally the leather used is of cow, buffalo or the camel. It can be obtained

locally which is called the 'Desi leather' and can be bought from Chennai

called the 'Madrasi Leather'. The cow leather is generally used to make upper

part of Juti and sole is made from buffalo or camel leather as it is hard and

thick. The urban population prefers lighter juti whereas the rural population

wears heavy ones which suit their needs (walking long distances in the desert

regions). To obtain leather the artisans have to be dependent upon the

'mahajans ' or the middlemen, who get the leather from the tanning factories in

Chennai. The artisan who is not registered cannot carry more than four kilos of

leather at a time. So even if they go to Chennai to buy the raw material their

visit is not fruitful as they end up paying more if the transportation cost is also

included.

239

Females doing embroidery on Leather and Textile

The production is accounted on daily basis. On an average an artisan makes 30-

40 pairs of jutis /mojari in a month. The cost of production is more or less

similar for all the artisans. There are three channels of selling their products.

Firstly, few of the artisans have their own marketing outlets. Secondly, the

artisans produce for the shopkeepers on the basis of the order placed and

thirdly, few of them take their products every evening to the shopkeepers and

sell. Presence of marketing outlet is a major problem for the artisans. They still

use the traditional skills in the production of the goods. Tools used today reflect

the old traditions of the early age. The rural and tribal artisans use processes

and techniques inherited by them from their forefathers in the creation of their

crafts. Though the tools used in that age were mainly for survival purposes, the

making of these tools required considerable amount of skill. Their tools include

'rapi ', 'aari' 'needle' 'thread' and 'hammer'. Within the shop only family

240

members work and there is no culture of hiring labour for the production. There

is no enthusiasm amongst the youngsters to follow the family tradition, because

of increasing craze of the shoes, plastic and fancy foot wear they are no longer

interested in pursuing their career in this field. Besides the work is still looked

down upon in the society so the younger generation does not want to associate

themselves with the craft any longer.

Next importance component is labour cost which comes to around 45 percent

in case of male Juti and 47 percent in case of female (embroided). However

due to increasing tourist arrivals these artisans get good export orders of leather

bag, purses and embroidered carpets. The products are directly exported from

the shops to different parts of the world. Tourists find leather goods cheaper

here that is why they buy them in huge quantity. But this trend is feasible for

the shopkeepers who own their shops in the urban areas and directly deal with

the customers. Thus, location factor plays a very important role in the

marketing and sale of the products.

c) POTTERY: This is the most ancient craft practiced till date in the

country. Excavations from the Kalibanga (Harappan Civilization) in Rajasthan

reveal the site as an important centre for the ceramic industry. Besides clay

pottery, terracotta is also one of the famous forms of pottery in Rajasthan.

Different parts of Rajasthan are famous for different types of pottery. Jaipur for

its blue pottery, Alwar for its double cut work pottery called 'kagazi' made of

thin layer of clay, Kota is famous for black pottery, Pokaran (Jaisalmer) is

famous for its Red Pottery, painted pottery of Bikaner using lac colors is a

specialty of its own, Jodhpur has developed its own unique style of pottery by

241

venturing into variety of utility products like pitchers, flower vases bowls and

dishes. Although commodification of the products has taken place a long time

back, still the producers are struggling to make their ends meet. The location in

rural areas and problem of transportation of finished goods (as it involves huge

losses due to the breakage of the products) does not allow this art to flourish

beyond the boundaries of the villages

Kumhar/ Potter at Work

242

HISTORY OF THE CRAFT

The roots of pottery are ingrained deep into the history of Rajasthan. In fact,

people learnt and used the art of pottery at a much early stage. The invention

that changed the face of the world- the potter's wheel, had come to the Indians

in the Neolithic age. Being one of the oldest crafts, pottery is the measure of a

country's civilization. Human beings made pottery primarily to meet their daily

requirements. However, with changing time the art of making pottery also

underwent considerable changes. Pottery, that was initially only meant to serve

as utensil is now also used extensively as decorative item. Potters have

developed their own styles and design that are exceptional work of art.

STRUCTURE, NATURE AND DYNAMICS OF THE CRAFT

The units producing decorative pots are highly labour intensive, require low

investment and depend on the locally available skills and technology. Small

size and limited resources make them vulnerable to competition. Therefore, it

is important to strengthen the capability of this sector in view of the increasing

competition. Pottery manufacturing is a cumbersome process and requires

involvement of the whole family. Family members of potters do not have other

opportunities to work and hence their opportunity cost is zero. Therefore they

work together, during the operating cycle to complete the production process.

Winter production time is highly remunerative because people like to buy

winter season product and pay higher prices. Seasonality plays an important

role in the cycle of production. However production is carried out the whole

243

year but in the rainy season the cost of production gets higher as the fumance

or the 'bhatti' where they heat the earthen pots is difficult to maintain.

The major problems faced by these cottage industries/household units of

pottery are the non-availability of raw materials and their exorbitant prices,

inadequate and exploitative market, out-dated and traditional technology, the

widely scattered nature of industry, illiteracy and the inability of the artisans to

organize them to solve their problems. Besides, their location in the rural areas

adds on to the problems of transportation of the products to the city markets.

Generally the shopkeepers from Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner city come and

place orders and buy the products from the artisans on their production costs

and maximum benefits go to them. 'Although several training programs for the

villagers have been started by the Government agencies to diversify this craft,

villagers mainly complained that they knew better than the trainers' 119•

5.5 IMPACT OF THE LOCATION OF THE UNIT ON THE OTHER

INDICATORS OF DEVELOPMENT OF HANDICRAFT INDUSTRY

AT THE THREE DESTINATIONS

Every handicraft has its own locational importance. Whether it is blue pottery

of Jaipur or Usta art of Bikaner. It is this locational importance that attracts

tourists to various destinations for these particular crafts. As discussed earlier

119 Generally the potters are helped by few people who show personal interest and give them orders by introducing new designs. The case of terracotta pottery in Jaisalmer is unique as it is mainly practised in Pokaran, (local availability of raw material) which is largely inhabited by the defense personnel. The designs produced by the potters clearly reveal the influence of these forces in their life. Defense personnel are the main buyers of the products as well as after leaving the town they place huge orders to the artisans.

244

location of the unit plays an important role on the various related factors of

production and distribution of the products. The development of the unit

largely depends on the education of the producers their technical skills as well

as the training provided to the artisans. These indicators are in tum affected by

the location of the industry/unit. The table 5.7 highlights the importance of

location of the unit and the educational status of the artisan.

Of the total 324 artisans interviewed, 145 (35%) were located in the rural areas

and 179 (55%) in the urban area. In the rural area 59% of the total artisans are

illiterate and in the urban areas the scenario is a little better as only 41% are

illiterates. However education is not popular amongst the artisans as 177 (55%)

of them are not educated at all. The educational level after primary is negligible

in the rural areas; but it is higher in urban areas. The number of people going

for education after middle is very less in the urban areas also. Only 20% have

completed their middle and only 5% (1 0) of the total 179 artisans have done

their graduation. Only six artisans were there amongst 324 who were post

graduates. The figure 5.6 shows the educational status of the artisans by the

help of pie diagram.

Table 5.7

EFFECT OF THE LOCATION OF THE UNIT ON THE EDUCATION OF THE ARTISAN ··-

Location EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF THE ARTISAN of the Total unit Post

Illiterate Primary Middle Graduate Graduate Rural

59% (105) 39% (37) 7% (3) 0% (0) 0% (0) 45% (145) Urban

41% (72) 61% (54) 93% (37) 100% (10) 100% (6) 55% (179) Total

100% (177) 100% (88) 100% (40) 100% (10) 100% (6) 100% (324) Source: Computed from the pnmary survey

245

Figure 5.6

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF THE ARTISANS

138 Elllliterate

ISJPrimary

BMiddle

lSI Graduate

• Post Graduate

91

Source: Computed from the data generated during the primary survey

5.5 (i) LOCATION OF THE UNIT AND THE TOURIST ARRIVALS

Location of the unit producing handicrafts plays a very important role in

attracting tourist. The location has also affected the information dissipation.

Tables 5.8 and 5.9 shows inter-relationship between the location of the unit and

the registration status of the artisan. A further attempt has been made to link the

two indicators with the arrival of the tourists in this region. The table 5. 7

represents those 152 units where tourists come to buy the handicrafts, whereas

the table 5.8 represents those units where tourists are not the direct buyers of

the products. Out of those registered units which are visited by the tourists,

only 16% are located in the rural areas whereas 84% registered units are

246

located in urban area. The scenario is more or less same for the unregistered

units whether located in rural or urban area (80% unregistered units are located

in urban area and 20% in rural areas). While analysing the units that do not

receive tourists (table 5.8), it was observed that in the rural area 73% of the

units were registered, but these are mainly those household units which are

producing the crafts under contract for non governmental organisations (NGO)

or small scale industries (SSI).

Table 5.8 ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN THE TOURIST ARRIVALS REGISTRATION STATUS AND

LOCATION OF THE UNIT Location of the unit

Registration status Total Rural Urban

Registered 52% (14) 58% (73) 57% (87) 16% 84% 100%

Unregistered 48% (13) 42% (52) 43% (65) 20% 80% 100%

Total 100% (27) 100% (125) 100% (152) 18% 82% 100%

Table 5.9 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE UNITS THAT DO NOT CATER TO THE TOURISTS

THEIR REGISTRATION STATUS & LOCATION Location of the unit

Registration status Total Rural Urban

Registered 73% (86) 63% (34) 70% (120) 72% 28% 100%

Unregistered 27% (32) 37% (20) 30% (52)

62% 38% 100% Total 100% (118) 100% (54) 100% (172)

68.60% 31.40% 100% Source: Both tables 5.7 & 5.8 computed from the pnmary survey conducted m 2005

247

When we discuss the unregistered units (52), it was found that 62% of the

unregistered units are in the rural areas, thus making them un-accessible to the

information about the new innovations or technological changes.

5.5 (ii) IMPACT OF LOCATION ON THE INCOME OF THE ARTISAN

The place where the unit is located plays an important role in the income

generation of the artisan. As discussed earlier the women hand embroiderer's

get piece rate for their work, and farther they are located from the centre lesser

is their income. It can also be genaralised for all the craftsmen practising

different crafts. Most of the craftsmen (94%) said their income level has

increased within the last five years, but it was observed that the increase was

marginal for the units located in the rural areas and noticeable in the urban

areas. The table 5.10 indicates the difference in the increase in income at the

rural and urban levels.

Location of the Unit

Rural Urban Total

Table 5.10

LOCA TIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR THE MONTHLY

CHANGE IN INCOME LEVEL IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS

CHANGE IN THE INCOME LEVEL OF THE ARTISANS (2000-2005) Amount Of Chan~ e Registered in Rupees

No Change Rs I 00- Rs 600 Rs 600- Rs I 000 Rs IOOO- Rs3000 IOO% (20) 55% (91) 27% (26) 19% (8)

0% (0) 45% (74) 73% (70) 81% (35) IOO% (20) 100% (165) 100% (96) 100% (43)

Source: Computed from the primary survey conducted in 2005 Parenthesis represents the absolute numbers

Total

45% (145)

55% (179) 100% (324)

As it has been observed for the rural areas the change in the income level over

the last five years is of the lower order i.e. lying mainly within the range of Rs

100-600. The artisans whose income level has increased between the range of

248

Table 5.11

Marketing Strategy of the Products

Approach Shopkeepers Customers/ Catering to Location Retailers Approach with tourists Prepare Retailers as of the with designs approach at Mainly for well as the Unit Products /demand the shop SSI/NGO tourists Total Rural 16% (5) 52% (57) 31% (11) 67% (40) 37% (32) 45% (145)

··--'---

%within the rural 3% 40% 8% 27% 22% 100%

Urban 84% (27) 48% (54) 69% (24) 33% (20) 63% (54) 55% (179) %within

the urban 15% 30% 13% 11% 30% 100%

Total 100% (32) 100% (Ill) 100% (35) 100% (60) 100% (86) 100%(324) 10% 34% 11% 18% 27% 100%

Source: Computed from the pnmary survey conducted m 2005

Major difference in the urban and rural locational settings can be seen for the

ones who approach the retailers with products; only 16% of the artisans from

the rural areas and 84% of the artisans from the urban areas approached the

retailers with their products. This difference also highlights the infrastructural

bottlenecks, like non availability of retail outlets in the rural areas, so the

producers are unable to reach them with their products. They prefer producing

it for the shopkeepers to ensure fixed amount for their household and lesser risk

of larger investment. Tourists also reach the artisans located in the urban areas

more easily ( 69% ), than those located in the rural areas (31% ). It has been

observed that maximum transactions are conducted through shopkeepers giving

orders for the production along with the raw material as well as designs to the

artisans (34%). Next significant marketing strategy is direct dealing with the

retailers and the tourists (27%) followed by the important role the NGO's and

the SSI's play in the lives of the artisans.

The marketing strategy of the sample units it is noted that the above table 5.11

shows 81 units (highlighted) in spite of being located in the urban areas still

250

approach the retailers or work for the shopkeepers. These are mainly those

units which do not have their own marketing outlets as well as the artisans who

do embroidery on the leather; they work for various shopkeepers who in tum

provide them with raw material and ensure that the product is supplied to them

under contractual agreement.

5.5(iv) IMPACT OF LOCATION ON THE TECHNOLOGICAL

INNOVATION

As discussed earlier the location of the unit/artisan holds importance not only

in terms of the income or marketing but it even affects the distribution of the

informatiol) about new technology. The table 5.12 and figure 5.7 show that the

information about new techniques to the artisans in the rural areas is less as

compared to the artisans in the urban areas.

Of the total 145 artisans in the rural area only 26 (18%) are the ones who have

information about the new products (of which 22 artisans directly deal with the

tourists, thus tourism helping in the information dissemination) and 119 (82%)

do not have any knowledge regarding the new products. In the urban area only

41% (7 4) of the artisans have been introduced to new products. Amongst these

81% ( 60) cater to the demands of the tourists. In this case it can be assumed

that the artisans who are in contact with the tourists are more innovative

towards technology. With regard to the introduction of new raw material,

designs and machines a similar trend is observed for the rural and the urban

areas. The figure 5. 7 shows that the artisans who are located in the urban area

are more receptive to the technological changes than their counterparts at the

rural locations.

251

Table 5.12

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION & THE LOCATION OF THE UNIT

Information About Type LOCATION OF THE UNIT

of Technology Rural Urban Introduction ofNew Do Not Cater Cater to Do Not Cater Cater to Products to Tourists Tourists Total to Tourists Tourists Total Yes 4 22 26 14 60 74 No 114 5 119 40 65 105 Total 118 27 145 54 125 179 Introduction ofNew Raw Material Yes 6 16 22 20 75 95 No 112 II 123 34 50 84 Total 118 27 145 54 125 179 Introduction ofNew Designs Yes 40 24 64 20 87 107 No 78 3 81 34 38 72

Total 118 27 145 54 125 179 Introduction ofNew Machines Yes 47 16 63 17 62 79 No 71 II 82 37 63 100 Total 118 27 145 54 125 179

Source: Computed from the data generated during the primary survey conducted in 2005

The change in technology also depends upon the type of handicraft being

manufactured. There are certain crafts which do not need new machinery but

are very receptive to new designs (hand embroidery), or certain crafts favour

new raw material as well as designs and products but not the machinery.

Handicrafts like leather goods and stone carving have favoured the use of

machinery more extensively than any other craft. Higher the demand greater is

the use of new technology. Since it is the urban areas that cater to larger

demands of the tourists as well as local population, the technological

innovations are more here than in the rural areas

252

~ "' ~ "' 0 c.: Ul

!

Figure 5.7

COMPARISION OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN THE CRAFT AT RURAL AND URBAN LOCATION

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

NATURE OF 1NNOV A TION

Source: Computed from data generated during the primary survey conducted in 2005

Still the information about the new technology seep into the rural areas slowly

and the higher profits attained by the artisans in the urban areas also motivate

the ones in the rural areas to adopt the technology.

Life of a Puppet Maker in Western Rajasthan

Hot as we can describe is the early morning of Jaisalmer in June. In a small two room house of mud,

the young lady wakes up not to the sound of the chirping birds but to that of the coughing of her one

year old child. Her day starts with the usual rituals, but within an hour of her waking up she can be

seen carding the dirty cotton filled in a tom rug bag and giggling with her siblings. Apart from helping

her mother in cooking and cleaning the house entire day of all the females is utilized in making

puppets.

253

The family comprises of seven members, she being the eldest of the three daughters was

married two years back to a puppet maker ' s family in Jaipur. She is staying with her parents

because her family could not fulfill the demands of dowry by her in-laws. Her brothers leave

house early morning with a few puppet pairs to various tourist destinations especially ' Sonar

Qila ' so that they are the first ones to approach the tourists. After the busy day of running after

the tourists and selling the puppets, their next job begins .. .. they are the ones who present the

puppet shows at various hotels in the evenings and after that at night they act as the dholi or

the drummer at the hotels for the night dance parties.

Back at home within the elderly males a clear division of labour is visible. The eldest one gets

the wood (aak wood required for the puppet making) and other things like the old metal boxes,

some rugs of colorful clothes and the dirty cotton. Most of the things they get from the kabari

wala. Males in the family cut the wood into beautiful faces and bodies of child, female or male

and sometimes of elephants, camel, parrot etc. Females in the house decorate the faces by

colouring and then putting ornaments and clothes on the body of the puppet. During the hectic

day of the entire family no one has enough time for the coughing sounds which is a regular

feature in every puppet maker 's house. They are busy the whole day with carding and

thrashing of the dirty cotton so most of them are prone to asthma. Although the presence of

this family may not even be registered as a contributor to the economy but definitely the

economy of their family completely revolves around the tourists coming to their town. The

children in the family have picked up a few English words 'goodmoming mam' , 'Hello ',

254

'cheap puppets ' . When asked about education the lady laughs and says education no good for

me, and as the sun sets in the lady gets back to her household work , hoping the next day she

might receive a letter from her husband conveying he'll take her back to Jaipur for saawan.

Weaver Working on the Khaddi Loom in Western Rajasthan

Udasar was called the weavers village once upon a time. The village was given patronage by the Khadi Institution in Bikaner district. They were given the raw material, job work and loans for the

looms by the Government. The weavers were paid according to the amount of work done. Although weaving is mainly done by the males of the family, still females had major roles to play in getting roles of colored threads and the loom ready for work. Every house in the village was having looms

and it was one of the most prosperous villages. Even Government built pucca houses as well as shops for the weavers and called it Kabir Basti very near to the village itself. But no one ever

shifted to these houses and it also now stands in ruins as their hopes. But due to lack of demand Khadi stopped giving them work, weavers had no access to the local

market and moreover the market was captured by the rich shopkeepers. Shopkeepers charged very high rates for the raw material and paid very less at the end of the day. Thus seven years back

entire village stopped weaving and engaged themselves in other works like daily wage workers, sanitation jobs and other services. Most of the females are jobless now. During the days of weaving

they earned somewhere around 2000-3000Rs and sometimes even Rs 5000 depending upon the efficiency of the weaver. All looms now a days are being used as ward wire or some have even

burnt the wood of the loom to cook food. Most of the houses in the village are kachha houses and the poverty is visible all around. There is no insurance available to the artisans for the loss of the products inspite ofthe policies. Instead of building houses for the weavers if Government would

have thought of introducing new products and designs to the weavers they would not have met this dead end.

255

5.6 IMPACT OF TOURISM ON THE HANDICRAFT INDUSTRY

It has already beeri established that foreign tourist arrivals and the export of

handicrafts are correlated. Number of artisans engaged in the manufacturing of

handicrafts has also been increasing at the 3% rate of growth at the national

level.

'The export of handicrafts from Rajasthan increased from twelve hundred

crores in 2002-03 to eighteen hundred crores in 2003-04 registering an increase

of 85%. In Rajasthan six to seven lakh people are engaged in this industry' 120•

Jodhpur alone contributed Rs 300 crores to the total foreign exchange earnings

of the country in 1998-99 which increased to Rs 900 crores in 2003-04. The

table 5.13 lists the views of the artisans regarding the role· of tourism in the

development of handicraft industry.

The 17% (54) of the artisans are the ones who do not cater to the tourists and

mainly produce for the local consumption or for some small scale industry and

thus the units remain unaffected by tourism growth.

Table 5.13

ROLE OF TOURISM IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HANDICRAFT INDUSTRY

Tourist Buy Handicrafts From The Unit Total

No Yes Handicraft Industry Remain Unaffected by Tourist Arrivals (31%) 54 0 (17%) 54

100% 0.00% 100% Tourism Helps in the Development of Handicraft Industry (69%) 118 (100%) 152 (83%) 270

44% 56% 100% Total (100%) 172 (100%) 152 (100%) 324

53% 47% 100% Source: Computed from the data generated by the pnmary survey conducted m 2005

120 Sixth Annual Report, (2005), Jodhpur Handicrafts Exporters Association, Jodhpur

256

However the 118 artisans who do not cater to the tourists also believe that their

units have been benefited by the growth of tourism. These are those artisans

who believe that although tourists are not reaching their units but main

consumers of the products manufactured at their units are the tourists. 83%

(270) of the artisans have said tourism has helped in the growth of their unit/

handicraft.

5.6 (i) IMP ACT OF TOURISM ON THE INCOME OF THE ARTISAN

There were only 20 ( 6%) artisans who did not experience any change in their

income levels in the past five years. Among these 55% were those who do not

cater to the tourists at their units. The remaining 45% who cater to the tourists

and have not even experienced any increase in their income are mainly the ones

practicing leather based crafts. These artisans told that although they earn more

because they are producing more but the profit margins have greatly reduced

due to the competition.

The table 5.14 shows the relationship between the tourism and the increasing

income levels of artisans in the past five years. The relationship between the

increase in the income levels of the artisans and the tourist arrivals is highly

significant (the Pearson and likelihood ratio indicate a close association

between the two indicators at .05% scales, x= 47.6).

Among those units that do not receive tourists, 70% of the artisans have

registered an increase of Rs 100-600 whereas 41% registered an increase in the

range of Rs 600-1000 and only 16% reported an increase in the range of

Rs1000 toRs 3000.

257

Table 5.14

ROLE OF TOURISM IN THE RISING INCOME LEVELS OF THE ARTISANS --

CHANGE IN THE MONTHLY INCOME OF THE ARTISANS TOURISTS BUY (2000-2005) Total HANDICRAFTS No ChaJ:!g_e Rs I 00-Rs 600 Rs 600- Rs I 000 Rs IOOO-Rs 3000

No II II5 39 7 I72 55% 70% 4I% I6% 53%

Yes 9 50 57 36 152 45% 30% 59% 84% 47%

Total 20 165 96 43 324 100% 100% 100% IOO% IOO% ---

Source: : Computed from the data generated by the pnmary survey conducted m 2005

s Chi- Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) Pearson Chi-Square 47.686(a) 3 .000

-Likelihood Ratio 50.077 3 .000

Linear-by-Linear Association 37.438 1 .000

N ofValid Cases 324 ..

a 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The mm1mum expected count IS 9.38.

Amongst the units which cater to the demands of the tourists directly, 84% of

the artisans have registered an increase of rupees 1000 to Rs 3000. It is a

known fact now that income of the handicraft unit has increased in the last five

years and tourist arrivals has affected the increase.

Table 5.15

CHANGE IN THE INCOME LEVEL OF THE ARTISANS (2000-2005)

REASON FOR THE INCREASE IN Amount Of Change Registered in Rupees INCOME No Change Rs 100-600 Rs 600-1000 Rs 1000- 3000

Demand has increased for the product - 35% (58) 29% (28) 14% (6)

Shopkeepers pay more for the products - 22% (36) 22% (21) 2% (1)

Tourists pay more than the shopkeepers - 13% (22) 26% (25) 70% (30)

All the above - 7% (11) 3% (3) 14% (6)

Work for NGO/SSI get fixed salary - 23% (38) 20% (19) -No Change 100% (20) - - -Total 100% (20) 100% (165) 100% (96) 100% (43)

Source: Computed from the data generated by the pnmary survey conducted m 2005

258

Table 5.15 illustrates more precisely the reason for this differential increase in

income. 35% of the artisans who registered the increase in income within the

range of Rs 100-Rs 600 believe that, this is due to the increase in the demand

for the products. Those artisans who have reported an increase in their income

within the range ofRs 1000-Rs 3000, 70% ofthem told tourists have been the

main reason for this rise in their income levels as they pay highest for the

products than any other source. However, the increase in demand for the

handicrafts can also be attributed indirectly to tourism (as discussed in chapter

4, tourist visiting these sites generate demand for these local products, and they

are the ultimate buyers of the products from the shopkeepers). Thus, it can be

said though tourism plays an important role in creating the demand for the

products, although major beneficiaries are the shopkeepers and the NGO's/SSI,

still there is a noteworthy rise in income levels of the artisans within the last

five years.

5.6 (ii) IMPACT OF TOURISM ON THE VARIOUS HANDICRAFTS

Tourism has played positive role in the development of the handicrafts. Those

handicrafts which could be commoditized have evolved greatly in terms of

their market utility, ranging from small household/ independent units to small

scale industries have developed, whereas those crafts which have lost their

utility due to introduction of new gadgets have lost their identity. The table

5.16 shows the various handicrafts being produced and the approach of the

tourists to them.

259

Table 5.16

INFLUENCE OF TOURISM ON HANDICRAFTS ··-

Tourists come to buy handicrafts Total Handicraft with which Associated No Yes Embroidery/ textiles 23% (40) 10% (15) 17% _{lli_ Leather work 6% 10) 20% (30) 12% (40) Jwellery!Leather Emboss Paintings 7% (12) 22% (34) 14% (46) Weaving ofDurries 6% (10) 18% (28) 12% (38) Stone carving/Pottery/Wood work 18% (31) 24% (37) 21% (68) Leather Embroidery/ Tying work for Bandhej 13% (23) 4% (6) 9% (29) Rangrej (bandhej artisans) 27% (46) 1% (2) 15% (48) Total 100% (172) 100% (152) 100% {324)

Source: Computed from the data generated by the primary survey conducted in 2005

The crafts like the leather work, jewelry (lac), leather emboss paintings and the

weaving of durries are demanded by the tourists more than other crafts.

However the crafts mentioned above are easier to carry and very indigenous to

area visited. Besides this, they also have their utility purpose which makes the

handicrafts more purchasable.

Whereas the artisans working for the tying of the cloth (bandhej, in which

small circles are tied by knot, using threads so that the knotted area does not get

coloured after dyeing) or who dye the textiles for bandhej, leather embroidery

Gutis, bags) and embroidery of textiles are not approached by the tourists

directly.

Generally these units prepare for the bulk order given by the shopkeepers

(irrespective of their location). Although they don't mind selling it directly to

the customers, but within the cities also they are so interiorly placed that it

becomes difficult even for the local population to reach the location. Besides,

they know the difference in price at which shopkeepers sell products to the

customers, so when customers want to buy products directly from the artisans,

260

they sell it to the customers on retail prices (leaving not much of a difference in

terms of money for the customers buying from the shopkeepers or the artisan

themselves). Apart from this the shopkeepers have varieties more than any.

artisan as they get products from different artisans and sell it at one shop which

is easily accessible to the customers. Hence these crafts are preferably bought

from the markets instead of the artisans. The tourists visiting these destinations

where the products are produced find the products sold at the shops cheaper

than at their place of production. This price difference as well as presence of

different varieties compels them to buy the handicrafts from shops instead of

the artisans in these regions.

It is not only the demand for the product that gives life to the fading glory of

the handicrafts, but at the same time marketing of the products also plays an

important role in creating the demand. There are many crafts like Palan

making, paper mache, spinning, jhema, tarig making which have lost their

existence due to the lack of patronage and due recognition by the media in

terms of marketing and the lack of any government policies towards these

crafts.

5.6 (iii) IMPACT OF TOURISM ON THE VARIOUS TECHNOLOGICAL

ADVANCEMENTS IN HANDICRAFT INDUSTRY

Handicrafts have been described as the 'craft practiced by hand' by the

craftsmen. It is the traditional art and more or less community specific which is

transferred from generations to generations. There is a very little scope for the

technological change in the craft as the craftsmen practicing the art are

reluctant to introduce the changes to their craft and secondly there is very little

261

awareness regarding the help the improved technology could bring in for these

craftsmen.

But with time this scenario ts changing. As the artisans see other crafts

production increasing because of the change in production techniques or

change in raw material or introduction of new products they adopt these new

technologies in their mode of production. However the efforts of the

government and various NGO's have proved that the introduction of new

technology and new ideas bring in prosperity as well as new buyers of the art.

Technology and marketing together have helped the handicraft industry grow

from the rural backdrops to the international markets.

The figure 5.8 and 5.9 show the impact of tourism on the technological

advancements of the handicraft unit and their relationship with the location of

the unit.

120

100

20

0

Figure 5.8

IMPACT OF TOURISM ON TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN RURAL AREA

EJ Do Not Cater to ! Tourists

• Cater to Tourists J '

Source: Computed from the data generated by primary survey conducted in 2005

262

As established earlier, the rural areas the technological innovation is less as

compared to the urban areas this may be due to the transformation of the

information being faster at the urban localities in comparison to the units in the

rural areas. Besides, the number of tourist arrivals is greater at the urban units

as compared to the rural units. As the figure 5.8 shows, the units in the rural

areas which are catering to the tourists are more adaptive to the new

technology, be it introduction of the new products or raw material or new

designs and machines. The units that are not catering to the tourists are

reluctant to accept changes as well as not exposed to the new information about

the technological advancements. In the same context, the figure 5.9 indicates

the urban area where all the 179 units both catering to the tourists as well as not

catering to the tourists have shown greater adaptation towards the new

technology.

100

90

80

70

~ 60

~ ~ 50

! 40

30

20

10

0

Figure 5.9

IMPACT OF TOURISM ON TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE CRAFT IN URBAN AREAS

E:l Do Not Cater to Tourists

• Cater to Tourists

Source: Computed from the data generated by primary survey conducted in 2005

263

The number of artisans serving to the demands of tourists outnumbers the ones

not dealing with the tourists directly in terms of adoption of the technology.

When the comparison was done between the technological advancements and

the location of the unit, figure 5.10 the graph clearly shows the more innovative

nature of units located in the urban areas. In all the fields whether it is in terms

of introduction of new products, new raw material, new designs or new

machines urban areas adopt the technology faster. Although the technological

innovation also largely depends upon the nature of the handicraft produced,

still the adoption of technology is more in the units located in the urban areas.

VJ z < VJ

~ < ... 0 c.: w Ill ::;: ::> z

Figure 5.10

COMP ARISION OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN THE CRAFT AT RURAL AND URBAN LOCATION

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

NATURE OF INNOVATION

264

While discussing the various technological changes in the handicrafts

production it was found that there has been considerable change in the

production technique of the hand embroiderers whereas during the same time

period not much has changed for the leather embroiderers and the tie n dye

workers. There is not much scope for the innovation here as most of the work is

manual and machines cannot be introduced into the production technique.

There are however great prospects for the technological developments in the art

of pottery. The production technique is obsolete and completely dependent

upon the traditional means. It is very vulnerable and exposed to the vagaries of

nature. Introduction of new technique of production especially the use of

electric furnace to heat the finished products will unable them overcome their

helplessness to produce during the rainy season. Besides better packaging

techniques for them will prove to be a boost as they have to face maximum

wear and tear of products during transportation. Thus, it can be said

technological innovation is more or less craft specific.

5.6 (IV) INTER-RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE HANDICRAFTS

SHOPKEEPERS AND THE TOURISTS

As discussed in chapter 1 there is an intricate relationship between the

shopkeepers and the handicraft producers and the tourists (buyers). The table

5.17 shows the relationship between the shopkeepers and the artisans.

'Shopkeepers get the handicrafts produced from the artisans and some of the

265

artisans have their own shopping outlets too' 121• 84% of the 93 shopkeepers

interviewed said they were in direct contact with the artisans.

Table 5.17

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SHOPKEEPERS AND THE ARTISANS

Source Of Obtaining Handicrafts Shopkeepers

Contact With Place Order To Produced The Artisans Artisans Approach Artisans For Within the

With Products Production Family SSI/Wholesaler Total

Do Not Deal 0 5 0 10 15

With The 0.00% 13.00% 0.00% 58.80% 16 .. 10% Artisans Directly 0.00% 5.30% 0.00% 10.80% 16.10%

Directly Deal 17 34 20 7 78

100.00% 87.00% 100.00% 41.20% 83.90% With The Artisans 18.40% 36.50% 21.50% 7.50% 83.90%

17 39 20 17 93 Total 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

18.30% 41.90% 21.50% 18.30% 100.00% Source: Data Computed from the pnmary survey conducted m 2005

Table 5.18

CHI SQUARE TEST CONFIRMING THE RELATIONSHIP

Value df Asymption Sig. (2-sided) Pearson Chi-Square 4l.OOO(a) 3 0 Likelihood Ratio 42.84 3 0 Linear-by-Linear Association 15.122 I 0 N of Valid Cases 93 a: 3 cells (37.5%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 1.94.

121 The equation which works between the shopkeepers and the artisans is simple as explained earlier; shopkeepers provide raw material and the designs to the artisans to produce the handicrafts. Artisans are paid as per the piece rate.

266

Main source of obtaining the handicrafts for shopkeepers is that they place an

order with the artisans ( 42%) and 21% of them produce within the family and

sell it directly to the customers. Around 18% of the shopkeepers depend upon

the artisans coming with the finished products to them every day and selling it

to them. These are those artisans whose units are located in the urban area but

due to the lack of their own marketing outlet they approach the shopkeepers

with products.

The chi square results also show high association between the shopkeepers and

the artisans (X= 41 ).

For the better understanding of the intricacies of the system a correlation was

run between the increase in sale of the shopkeepers due to the tourist arrivals

and the order placed to the artisans for the production of the handicrafts.

The table 5.19 suggests that there is a strong correlation between the increase in

the tourist arrivals as well as the demand for the handicraft products. The

tourists coming to these destinations create demand for the products and for

this demand the shopkeepers place order to the artisans (as discussed earlier)

who are the main producers of the goods. 78.5% of the shopkeepers said the

tourist arrivals increases their sales and only 21.5% of the shopkeepers said

their sale remains unaffected by the tourist arrivals.

267

Table 5.19

CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PRODUCTION AND SALE OF

HANDICRAFTS

Increase in sale of the shop because of tourists Do you place an order arrivals in the last five for the products to the

years Artisans/ SSI Increase in sale of the shop Pearson Correlation because of tourists arrivals in I .349(**) the last five years

Sig. (2-tailed) .001

N 93 Do you place an order for the Pearson Correlation

.349(**) products to the Artisans/ SSI

Sig. (2-tailed) .001 N 93

To understand the dependency of the handicraft industry on the tourist arrivals

a binary logistic regression was applied 122• All the indicators i.e. the nature of

operation of the unit, registration status, location of the unit, marketing strategy

of the artisans, Educational qualification of the artisans and the change in the

income of the artisan during the last five years are all significant predictors of

the importance of tourist arrivals for the handicraft industry.

For every one unit of increase in the units which are operational seasonally, the

odds of dependence of the handicraft industry on the tourist arrivals (vs. no

arrival of the tourists) increased by a factor of 44.17. (The value is large as the

number of seasonal operations is very less in comparison to the year long

operations).

122 For table refer to the appendix 5(1)

268

93

1

93

At the same time the one unit of increase in the units located in the rural areas

will lead to the increased odds of handicraft industry's dependency on the

arrival ofthe tourists by a factor of53.157.

Marketing strategy of the artisans is also one of the significant predictors which

influence the dependency of the handicraft industry on the arrivals of the

tourists. For one unit increase in the marketing strategy where the shopkeepers

get handicrafts produced by placing an order to the artisans, the odds of tourist

arrivals (vs. tourist not coming) to buy handicrafts increased by a factor of

0.548. The odds of the tourist arrivals increased by a factor of 85.154 and 8.3

for every one unit of increase in the predictors that the products are sold

directly to the customers or prepared for the SSI or NGO's respectively.

Availability of education both at the primary level as well as at the higher level

influence the odds ratio of the handicraft industry's dependency on the tourist

arrivals significantly. Similarly the 'change in income levels of the artisans

within the last five years' is also an important indicator to predict the

relationship between the tourist arrivals and the handicraft industry. For every

one unit of increase in the change in the income level of the range of Rs 1,000

to Rs 3,000, the odds of the increase in tourism (vs. no increase in tourism)

increased by a factor of 1.078.

5.7 PROBLEMS FACED BY THE CRAFTS PEOPLE

Inspite of various policies of the Government for the socio-economic

upliftment of the artisan community the conditions in which they work are still

wretched. Almost all the artisans belong to Sc, ST or OBC community. The

social structure of the artisan community's civic, professional and social

269

infrastructure support is lacking or is of poor quality for almost all artisan

population. 'Artisan skills do not command the recognition and respect they

deserve. This is partially due to the traditionally low social status of artisan

communities (most of which are caste based), as well as low levels of

education and high levels of poverty in this sector' 123•

Both illiteracy and unawareness of the artisans become the major hurdles in

their development. They do not get the market value for their products because

of their incompetence to reach the markets themselves. The artisans depend

upon the mediators for their products to reach the market and thus are paid less

than the market price of the products. There is usually a very wide differential

between the manufacturer's price, export price and retail price for all handmade

products. As per Liebel and Roy (2003) limited information and finance restrict

three key means of value addition: training in skill up gradation, design input

and technological advancement. Thus the key problem of the artisans is the

asymmetric information of the new potential markets of their products.

The approach of the artisans to those policies also becomes a hazardous task.

While interviewing 89% of the respondents said they faced the problem of

financial assistance for their unit to be operational throughout the year. They

are not aware of the various credit facilities provided by the Government for

their benefits. A study conducted on the credit requirements of the crafts

industry in 1996 pointed out that, 'the credit flow from the financial institutions

to the crafts sector has been negligible .... as a result, craftsperson continue to

depend largely upon the advances from the money lenders/intermediaries' 124•

123 Liebl,M and Roy, T. (2003), ibid 124 Economic Information Technology, Credit Requirements for Handicrafts Sector-All India Study, Calcutta, 1996, Preface

270

Banks also find it difficult to provide loans to the artisans as it becomes

difficult for them to recover the amount. 'Artisans site poor recovery rates and

generally there is' asymmetric information' between the bank and the

prospective borrowers' 125, besides the lack of marketing facilities for the

finished products pose severe hurdle in their ability to reach the credit facilities

provided by the government and the banks. Craftsperson suffer greatly form the

lack of accessible credit and loan facilities.

Table 5.20

NATURE OF PROBLEMS FACED BY THE ARTISANS

Problems Faced By The Artisans Yes No Not Applicable Finance 89.50% (290) I0.50% (34) ----Prices & Availability of Raw Material 54.3% (176) 27.2% (88) I8% (60) Access to New Machinery 34.3% (I II) 53.7% (174) I2% (39) Access to Trained Personnel and Technical Competence 34.3% (I II) 53.7% (174) I2% (39) Inadequate Information About the Market 70.4% (228) I9.I% (62) I0.5% (34)

Bureaucratic Indifference 90.4% (293) 9.6% (3I) Source: Computed From the Data Generated By the Pnmary Survey

There has been a gradual decrease in many of the raw materials needed for

crafts manufacture. The animal and forest based raw materials have greatly

reduced in number like the wood, hides, leather and wool. Also there has been

a decline in the quality of the already available raw materials like the colour of

the threads used for embroidery and weaving are no longer the natural colours.

Thus more than 50% (176) of the artisans faced the problem of the high prices

and non availability of the raw materials. However the artisans facing the

problem of access to new machinery, trained personnel and technical

competence were only 34% thus showing the lesser information about the

125Liebl, M and Roy, T. (2003), ibid

271

technological innovation in their respective fields of art. As discussed earlier

one of the key problems is the lack of information. Out of the 324 artisans 177

(54.6%) artisans are illiterate and only 28% have attained primary level of

education. It is thus not surprising that the more clever and sophisticated

traders and merchants exploit the artisans as they are the only means of access

to the distant market for the artisans. According to Cooper (1988), 'The craft

producer, who lies at the bottom of the chain, is squeezed to the hardest and

they get least benefits from any growth that takes place in their art' 126• Thus

these artisans blame the government for their misery and problems. A very few

of them are able to reach the level where they can put their stalls in exhibitions

organized by the government institutions. But the cost of putting a stall in some

other city in spite of various facilities for the artisans is also not affordable by

most of them. These exhibitions are generally meant to introduce the

craftsperson to the potential market where they can deal directly with the big

traders. But generally this does not work on a massive scale as most of the

artisans cannot keep communication/link with these traders and sometimes they

are even not able to finish the assignment in time if they get one.

But there are examples where training and intervention by institutions can help

develop the skills of the artisans to an international level. The working of

Srijamahayam and Urmul in the villages with the weavers and the embroidery

workers have helped the artisans evolve in terms of competitive designs, new

range of products and marketing under their own brand name. Thus given an

opportunity for exposure the crafts person is compatible to adopt and grow.

126 Cooper, Eugene (1988), The Woodcarvers of Hong Kong: Craft Production in the World Capitalist Periphery, Prospects Heights, IL, Waveland Press, pp 83

272

5.8 CONCLUSION

Handicraft represents the large and dynamic segment of the manufacturing

sector. Within the past few years the handicrafts have become one of the major

exportable items of the country. This success in terms of exports completely

discards the fear of crafts being replaced by the modem market driven

manufacturing. Due to the development of the tourism industry and awareness

of the importance of hand made products the demand of the handicrafts has

greatly increased. There is a significant level of correlation between the

handicraft exports and the foreign tourist arrivals (0.897 at 0.01% level).

The level of education in the artisan community is still very low, more than

fifty percent of the artisans interviewed lack any formal education and the level

of technical education is negligible amongst the sample. Besides the education

the location of the unit of the handicraft also plays an important role in the

tourist arrivals planning of the marketing strategy of the finished products of

the artisans. Units located in the rural areas are more prone to producing goods

to fulfill the order placed by the retailers/ shopkeepers from the urban areas.

Almost 80% of the units located in the urban area received tourist as customers

at their units whereas the units located in the rural areas 62% of them do not

receive the tourists. Apart from this, the location also becomes an important

factor in distribution of the information. Rural areas receive information later

than the urban locations and hence the units in the urban areas adopt

technological changes before the rural units.

While discussing the role of tourism in the development of the handicraft

industry, it was found that there is a close association between the tourist

arrivals and the increase in the income levels of the craftsperson in the last five

years (x= 47.68). There is an intricate relationship between the tourism

273

industry, shopkeepers and the handicraft production. Chi square test confirms

the association ofthe shopkeepers and the artisans (x= 41). A strong correlation

was observed between the handicraft industry and the tourist arrivals (.349**).

However to understand the dependency of the handicraft industry on the tourist

arrivals a logit regression was conducted. It was possible to analyse the impact

of each predictors individually like the education and registration status of the

artisan, location of the unit and increase in the income levels of the artisan

during the last five years and the marketing strategy of the artisans on the

chosen conditions.

The location of the unit (urban location of the unit being the reference

category), and the units that are seasonal in nature as well as the purchase of

the handicrafts by the customers themselves from the handicraft units are the

important factors in determining the importance of tourism industry for the

handicraft sector.

Major problems faced by the artisans are illiteracy and poverty which even

prohibit them from availing the important facilities like the training and

technological developments. They are being exploited by the merchants and

mediators because of their unawareness and incompetence to reach the market

with their finished products themselves. However, better guidance and

financial assistance to the artisans can help them develop and grow as an

international brand.

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