At a time when India is busy fighting Covid-19, scores of potters in Rajasthan are drawing the country’s attention with their unique campaign to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Every earthen pot, particularly pitchers, made by these potters in Kishanganj village of Baran district has a message on ways to fight the pandemic.
The idea is to ensure that the message reaches every household every time they drink water from it. The potters have printed messages like “Use Mask”, “Stay Home, Stay Safe”, “Prevention is Cure” and “Beware of Corona”, on the pitchers whose sale has gone up with rise in temperature.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) chairperson Vinai Kumar Saxena lauded the efforts of these potters, saying such distinctive way of communicating with the masses will leave a great impact in the fight against Covid-19. It is noteworthy that the potters in Kishanganj village are the beneficiaries of KVIC’s “Kumhar Sashaktikaran” programme, an initiative aimed at helping the potter community across the country.
“The Kumhar Sashaktikaran programme has changed the lives of the potters. The main objective of this mission is to bring back the potters’ community to mainstream. By providing potters with modern equipment and training, we are trying to reconnect them with the society and revive their art,” Saxena said. The KVIC has so far distributed more than 14,000 electric pottery wheels to the potters, he said, adding the programme has benefited nearly 60,000 people so far.