Chinhat pottery industry tells tales of fatal apathy, undying hope
LUCKNOW :There is an almost eerie silence on Kotwali Road in Chinhat area of the state capital, where once ceramic potterymaking units buzzed with activity. Chinhat may have got used to that silence after the closure of almost all pottery-making units more than a decade back, but the potters, who were once the employees in the pottery factories, still exude hope that the industry will see a revival.
Some, though, are hopeless, saying that even the present government has turned a blind eye towards Chinhat—the erstwhile ceramic pottery hub. “It’s painful to see an industry that we once served, dying a painful death. The revival of Chinhat Pottery seems neither an issue for the politicians, nor for governments. It seems we were never on their priority list. But I am still hopeful that someday dead chimneys will belch smoke again and the industry will be revived,” said Sunil Singh, 52, a potter who resides in House no. 5, Chinhat, Lucknow.
Singh, who is among the few potters who preferred not to migrate, said that today, the Chinhat area has only two factories functioning partially.
Singh said that though he is sceptical about the future of the industry but he is proud that he witnessed those golden days when “foreign buyers used to queue up before us to buy Chinhat’s ceramic pottery.”
The story of the rise and fall of Chinhat pottery industries dates back to 1952, when the State Planning Research and Action Institute began setting up pottery units in Chinhat, to provide livelihood to thousands of potters who used to reside in Chinhat.
It was the most appreciable attempt made to provide livelihood to thousands of families, the potter said.
“Until then, potters were into terracotta pottery-making. They didn’t take long to switch to white clay pottery, thinking it would be more profitable. And indeed, it was profitable as the white clay ware used to sell even before going into the kiln,” he recollected.
The State Planning Research and Action Institute had set up around 12 ceramic pottery factories in the area.
“The entire industrial set up was done in two parts. One part, comprising the central unit, used to ensure clay processing and a continuous availability of raw material to units, while the dispersing units were responsible for churning out finished ceramic products,” Singh added.
The potters, similar to other post-Independence era textile mills, jute mills and paper mills, have fallen victim to the apathy of the government as no efforts are being made for their revival.
Saucers, bowls, vases, decorative items, plates and bowls were among the hot selling items in Chinhat pottery. Other than these, he said the trend of big coffee mugs was evolved by the potters of Chinhat.
The decline of the pottery industry began soon after it was handed over to Uttar Pradesh Small Scale Industries Corporation (UPSIC) in 1970.
“That was the very first year of its decline, for the UPSIC increased the rate of raw material. That immediately affected the price of finished products and the ripple effect reflected in the poor sales,” he added.
Besides, the advent of the beautifully crafted, blue and white Khurja pottery, dented Chinhat pottery sale big time, he said. In 1997, the UPSIC, decided to shut down the units, declaring them loss-making ventures.
Potters here say they have staged demonstrations, approached the chief minister and have even gone on strikes but nothing has moved the government.
“It’s been more than two decades now. Present day Lucknow, which is famous for its kababs and chikankari, then used to be famous for its pottery. We are surprised how the present government ignored the industry in its recent ‘One District One Product’ scheme,” said Sukhram Kumar, a potter, who now owns a general merchant shop in Chinhat.