BHOPAL: About 600 families of idol-makers in the city are faced with unemployment. The reason is government’s decision to ban public celebrations of Ganesh Utsav and Navratri to keep coronavirus at bay.
All the idol makers belong to Prajapati community and are dependent on idol making to run their households. During Ganesh Utsav and Navratri, deities’ idols are made at 200 different places in the city. Many of them have already crafted dozens of idols after receiving orders from Ganesh and Durga Utsav committees. With the government banning installation of idols at public places, they are in a dilemma.
Bharat Prajapati, 44, sounded depressed. “We will be ruined,” he told Free Press. Prajapati’s family has been making idols for past three generations. “60 idols are ready and I have already invested more than Rs 2.5 lakh,” he said.
Bharat’s family comprises his wife and four children. “We all have been working for the past four months. I have taken loan from my friends and relatives. I have no other skills. How will I survive?” he said.
According to Bharat, they had met many politicians including Narottam Mishra, Umashankar Gupta and Vishwas Sarang. “They all told us to go ahead with our work. But now they have changed tune,” he said. Rajkumar Prajapati and his extended family of 15 members are sitting on a stock of 40 to 50 idols of Goddess Durga and Lord Ganesha that are up to 12 feet high.
When asked why they are not making small idols for installation at homes, Dev Prajapati said idols for installation at homes sell for Rs 100- Rs 500 while those meant for public places cost Rs 25,000 - Rs 1.5 lakh a piece. “It is not economical,” he said.
Dev says he hires artisans from Kolkata every year. “I had paid Rs 4 lakh as advance to 15 artisans from Kolkata,” he said. They were to arrive here by May-June but could not come because of lockdown. He said idol makers have already suffered major losses. “This year, we could not sell idols on Hanuman Jayanti and on Chaiti Chand. Pitchers are lying unsold. And now the government announcement on banning public celebrations is bolt from the blue,” he said. Besides Bhopal, he used to sell idols in Sehore, Guna, Raisen and other nearby towns. Dev said he stands to lose Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. Ajay Prajapati, 32, is equally worried. “We will be reduced to penury,” he said. Ajay feels that government should permit installation of idols at public places with reasonable precautions. He finds the ban unreasonable. “When malls can open, when liquor shops can open, what is the problem in allowing installation of idols,” he asks.
In fact, he is sure that if idols of Ganesha are installed, coronavirus will vanish. “Ganesh is vignaharta. He will end problems, all diseases,” Ajay said.
Ban not acceptable
A meeting attended by 150 representatives of Durga and Ganesh Utsav was held here on Saturday. They threatened to launch agitation if government does not withdraw order banning public celebrations of two festivals. “We are ready to follow all government instructions but a total ban is unacceptable,” they said. Chandrashekhar Tiwari of Sanskriti Bachao Manch said when Jagannath Yatra can be allowed, why not Ganesh Utsav.
