Srinagar, Aug 07: The rural women associated with the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) from Samba district are doing the pottery work, they are also selling products directly to customers in Jammu and Kashmir and other Indian states, and are earning a good source of income from this work.
Preeti Devi, one of the member of the Self Help Group from Samba district, told Rising Kashmir that we have been doing this pottery work in our village for the last four years. When we joined the JKRLM as self-help group members, we decided to do the pottery work in our village.
“Presently, we are 25 self-help group members from the JKRLM who are doing this pottery work. We are preparing various kinds of products. After these products are fully completed, we are selling them directly to the customers at the normal rates, and all the women members are earning a good source of income from this work,” Devi said.
She said that when we started this work, we were preparing only a few kinds of products for this work. After we receive huge demand for the products, we have also started preparing various kinds of products based on customer demand, through which the demand for the products has increased in the local markets in our district.
“With the financial support of the JKRLM, the women from our self-help group are preparing various kinds of products that we are selling to customers on a daily basis, through which we are earning a source of income for our family from this art,” Devi said.
She said that we have also visited other Indian states where we have also participated in exhibitions, where we are also displaying our products at these exhibitions, through which the demand for our products in other states has increased, as most of the people from other Indian states are also purchasing these products from us during these exhibitions that are held in other states.
“We are also selling the products to the doorsteps of the people. The people did not need to visit our village. The people from the Srinagar district have purchased a lot of products from us. They are well aware of the health benefits of these clay-made products,” Devi added.
She further said that during the summer season, the demand for our products is increasing as we prepare them as per the demand of the customers.
Another woman self-help group member said that after the Jammu and Kashmir government started this initiative under the JKRLM, the rural women in Jammu and Kashmir are earning a good source of income with the financial support of the JKRLM, through which most of the educated unemployed women have started their own businesses in each and every village of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The majority of the people in Jammu and Kashmir, who are well experienced in this pottery work, did not show any interest in this work. If these Aristans will continue this work, They can also earn a good source of income from this work. As the demand for Jammu and Kashmir clay-made products also increases in Jammu and Kashmir and other Indian states, People from Jammu and Kashmir and other states are also buying these products from us,” she said.
She said this is one of the traditional arts of Jammu and Kashmir, through which people from the various districts earn their livelihoods. It is also our responsibility and duty to preserve this work, through which it will be transferred from one generation to another, and people will be able to earn a source of income from this work in the near future.
