 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Sunday, Mar 08, 2009 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tamil Nadu |
|
News:
ePaper |
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Engagements |
Advts: Retail Plus | Classifieds | Jobs | Obituary |
Tamil Nadu
Life at crossroads: A sculptor at work at Thirumuruganpoondi sculpture cluster in Tirupur. — Tirupur: Crafting a way of life, sculptors in the Thirumuruganpoondi sculpture cluster situated on the outskirts of Tirupur city are in smiles even as recession is eating away the competitiveness of industrialists of the nearby (Tirupur) knitwear cluster. The reason is the boom in demand for statues of deities made of stones owing to an increase in temples being either constructed or renovated in and around Tirupur (about 100 temples have come up in the region in the last five years). CompetitivenessBut how long the smiles are going to last on the sculptors’ faces is a question that looms large, as craft persons here are at crossroads beset with declining competitiveness of the cluster owing to lack of adequate government support. T. S. Mahalingam, a fifth generation ‘sthapathi’ (sculptor) at the cluster, fears that their knowledge is in danger of dying with them, as the next generation is hesitating to take up the profession due to absence of sector-specific assistance to their business. At present, the cluster houses about 25 ‘Sirpa Kalai Koodams’ employing about 800 craftsmen. Some of the conundrums faced by them, according to the sculptors, are the harassment at the hands of various officials while transporting raw materials (i.e. stones). They feel that the government should issue identity cards to them to ensure smoother transportation of stones and charge electricity rates on a par with that of domestic households instead of at rates meant for factories. Regarding credit, the sculptors say, “It’s indeed ridiculous to stipulate a minimum educational qualification (Std X pass) for disbursal of loans to us as most of the sculptors inherit their profession during childhood itself leaving no time to pursue school education. To overcome the shortage of skilled manpower, they wanted the government to declare pension for sculptors as a social security cover, which, in turn, will encourage more people to take up the profession.
Printer friendly
page
News:
ePaper |
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Engagements |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | The Hindu ePaper | Business Line | Business Line ePaper | Sportstar | Frontline | Publications | eBooks | Images | Ergo | Home |
Copyright © 2009, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|