PATACHARKUCHI, June 24 � Bichankuchi village here, best known for clay art as more than hundred of families are engaged in the work of producing earthen pots with a special kind of clay locally known as hiramati, is striving for survival for various reasons like shortage of raw material, proper marketing plan and lack of proper initiatives on the part of the government.
Due to the impact of changing technologies and the kitcheware and other utility items by plastic and other materials, the earthen items produced by poor artists have no formal recognition or honour. But these have considerable demand in religious and traditional celebrations.
Without earthen pots and items, a day still remain incomplete in most of the families. During daily prayers in the namghar, they have to light earthen lamps; without using earthen pot preparation of curd is meaningless. In the religious functions, these pots play a vital role in the society. But from time to time allegations have been levelled that those engaged in the art have been neglected for a long time.
The Bichankuchi village, 5 km from here, with more than hundred families, specially the women section involved in the art have been producing the items without using any technological aid to enhance production just with the help of a piece of wood, a rod. It is learnt that most of the family members from the poor carry the special soil from long distances like Deepor beel by incurring high costs. They use the soil in producing the earthen items and sell them in the market. They have some special seasons like Bihu and Diwali when the demand of the earthen pots in the society rises which leading to a rise in their incomes.
The community engaged in this type of work is known as the Hira community and their economic condition is very poor. There is ample scope of uplifiting the community if authority concerned takes some special measures but still they are waiting for a shower of blessings from the higher authorities.
PHC locked: A section of irate public locked the door of Nityananda Block PHC under Barpeta district as a mark of protest and to draw the attention of higher authority towards alleged irregularities in various works of the hospital including absence of doctors and irregular duty for which the rural patients have to suffer a lot.
It is learnt that one patient in a serious condition was brought to the hospital recently for treatment but there was no doctor in the hospital. The present incharge of the hospital Dr Mukul Pathak said that no doctor of the hospital stays in the quarters of the hospital campus but during emergency when they are called they attend the hospital from their home. This hospital is considered as one of the important PHCs which is running with four doctors including the SDM&HO and four GNMs and four ANM including one pharmacist and some other official staff.
The hospital covers as many as 41 sub-centres and population of around two lakh. Police had to control the situataion during a protest against the pharmacist. But in the presence of Dr Subhash Majumdar and Dr Gunajit Patowary joint director health services and nodal officer from Barpeta respectively and Puspanjali Das, circle officer Bajali, the situation was brought to normal after giving full assurance of solving the problems of public as demanded .
They have promised to transfer the pharmacist and the doctor within a month. The protesters withdrew their protest temporarily and they also warned that if the problem as promised was not solved they would again start a strong agitation.
