PRODUCERS COMMITTEE MEETING OF TIKULI CLUSTER OF DANAPUR (PATNA) ON 10TH OCTOBER, 2018 FOR THE OPERATIONALIZATION OF CFC AND FINALIZATION OF MACHINES AND TOOL KITS

The Producers Committee Meeting of Tikuli Cluster was held today on 10th of October, 2018 at the Danapur (Nasriganj) CFC as they discussed on the issues which included Operationalization of the common facility centre (CFC) and finalization of machines, tool kits and other accessories meant for the functional CFC.

Apart from holding of the three-month Training Programme for the semi-skilled artisans followed by the two-month Design and training workshop for the skilled artisans, the 'Tikuli Craft Cluster' artisans were also organised into number of Self Help Groups. The Tikuli Craft Cluster also organised themselves into Producers Group and also elected their 3 office bearers and 7 committee members; totalling 10 members, with Mr. Ashok Kumar Biswas, the renowned Tikuli Artist as its Chairman. UMSAS is imparting its technical help by deputing one IT-MIS, one Designer & one Marketing personnel, to help out the committee members/artisans; as per the scheme under Integrated Development & Promotion of Handicrafts (IDPH). 

The D.C. Handicrafts (Government of India) has sanctioned 15 craft-clusters scattered across ten districts of Bihar and they include Tikuli (1), Applique-Kasida (2), Sujani (2), Wood (1), Stone (1), Madhubani Painting (1), Terracotta (2), Sikki (2), Bamboo (1), Jute (1) and Manjusha (1) respectively. There are two craft-clusters in Patna situated in the Mithila Colony of Nasriganj, Danpur (Patna).

In the backdrop of design intervention, UMSAS is also moving forward with the series of initiative in the form marketing through Amazon, building E-portal platform, convening Buyer-Seller Meet and initiating steps to access national and international market among others.

UMSAS is also taking initiative to form more than 100 SHGs, in 15 craft-clusters, across Bihar. and also formalized 9 Producer Committees through elections. 

UMSAS has taken steps to build and formalize 15 CFCs in 15 craft-clusters for which the IDPH has sanctioned Rs 15 Crores (Rs 1 Crore to each CFC) for the building of CFC and for buying the machines (associated with particular craft) and Stationary items. The Tikuli Producers Committee discussed and formalized the machines and other aspects after discussing on the matter. 

The PG Committee meeting of Tikuli was attended by Prabuddha Biswas and Saket Chaudhary from UMSAS along with presence of field team members and they include Rahul Kumar, Romila Bharti, Sheema Rahman and Robert Williams respectively!

SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE FIVE-DAY LONG BUYER-SELLER MEET ON “HANDICRAFTS OF BIHAR” AT PATNA FROM 26TH TO 30TH SEPTEMBER, 2018

The five-day long joint Buyer-Seller Meet and Mahila Udyog Mela from 26^th to 30^th September, 2018 has concluded today.  The counter sales of Rs. 1.5 crores have been ensured in the Mahila Udyog Mela. On the other hand, the Buyer-Seller Meet has ensured the counter sale of Rs 50 lakhs during the five days event. However, the perspective of Buyer-Seller Meet was to promote the handicrafts of Bihar and create orders for them.

 The event was concluded by the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare (Government of India), Sri Ashwini Choubey. He has expressed great pleasure on the occasion. The President of the Mahila Udyog Mela, Smt. Usha Jha has presided over the concluding session and Deputy Director of the Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan (UMSAS) Mr. Ashok Kumar Sinha was the Special Guest.   

The Buyer-Seller Meet on “Handicrafts of Bihar” at Gyan Bhawan, Patna was held successfully in which more than Rupees seven crores of business is expected in future months by way of supply to various states and export to other countries. The current Buyer-Seller Meet is being implemented by Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan San  sthan consisting of 11 crafts spread in 15 craft-clusters across 10 districts of Bihar.

Most of the Buyers were well acquainted with the Madhubani painting but they had no idea about other crafts of Bihar. Hence, the Buyer-Seller Meet has opened new vistas for Buyers as they could know about various craft clusters of Bihar and they include Madhubani Painting, Sikki Craft, Sujani, Applique-Kasida, Wood Craft, Stone Craft, Manjusha Painting, Tikuli, Bamboo, Jute, Metal Craft, Block printing among others. There is representation from the Carpet Cluster of Kaimur also.

More than three dozen buyers participated in the five-day conclave and they include the buyers from Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Delhi, Gwalior, Jaipur, Pune, Mumbai, Varanasi, Lucknow, Bangaluru, Gurugram,  Jodhpur among others! The buyers are having their corporate clients spread nationally and internationally. They have directly interacted with sellers and have also discussed with the officials of the Industries department which include the Principal Secretary Mr. S. Siddharth, Director Mr. Pankaj Kumar Singh and Deputy Director of the Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan (UMSAS) Mr. Ashok Kumar Sinha about the prospects of marketing of Handicraft products of Bihar.

Pankaj Kumar Bhandari from Jodhpur Rajasthan commented that the products (to be exported) must be handy so that they can be easily exported!

Mr. Sanjay Nanda from Nizammuddin, New Delhi commented, “We don’t need expensive products but we need great volume but products must have minimum pricing so that we can place order in a bulk. “The Colour combination and the quality need to be understood by the local artisans because clients of different countries have varied taste for colours along with the standard quality,” according to Bobby Ranjana, from Gurugram. Alka Bharti (from Shahpur Jat, Delhi) is looking after premium products and hence she wants that the respective artisans of Madhubani Painting, Tikuli and Manjusha must adapt the fineness and the neatness of the high-end clients.

 “I am really very happy to see all the kind of products, what is expected in this event ………. I could place very good order from my (International) Buyers….,” admitted by Dhanasekeran from Bangaluru. Shristi Gupta from Noida talked about the grooming of artisans and having leadership quality to promote them in national and international events.

The Buyer-Seller Meet has created an opportunity for the craftsmen of Bihar. Most of the stalls represented the Self-Help-Group of respective craft-wise clusters in the Buyer-Seller Meet. The artisan-entrepreneurs, who represented as sellers, are masters in their own trade as most of them are state awardees or have represented Bihar in various workshops, seminars, trade fairs, and Melas of India and abroad. The live demonstration of Tikuli, Wood Craft, Metal Craft and Terracotta hav attracted maximum audience during the five discourse of Buyer-Seller Meet.

WOMEN ARTISANS CUM ENTREPRENEURS IN HANDICRAFTS: THEY HAVE EMERGED AS THE CULTURAL AMBASSADORS OF BIHAR

The ongoing Buyer-Seller Meet on ‘Handicrafts of Bihar’ in Gyan Bhawan, Patna; under aegis of Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan (UMSAS), from September 26 to 30, 2018; has opened new vistas for artisans of Bihar who are representing various craft clusters of Bihar and they include Madhubani Painting, Sikki Craft, Sujani, Applique-Kasida, Wood Craft, Stone Craft, Manjusha Painting, Tikuli, Bamboo, Jute, Metal Craft, Block printing among others. There is representation from the Carpet Cluster of Kaimur also.

[BUYER-SELLER STALLS]

All the artisans from different crafts have opened the stalls in the Buyer-Seller Meet and are having direct interaction with Buyers, who have come from various towns and cities of India, representing diverse handicrafts of Bihar. But the most significant aspect of the Buyer-Seller Meet is the prominence of “Women Artists cum Entrepreneurs in Handicrafts”, who are dominating the whole show with their skill, business sense and mobility.

The current Buyer-Seller Meet is part of the IDPH (Integrated Development and Promotion of Handicrafts) Scheme under DC Handicrafts (Government of India) and is being implemented by UMSAS consisting of 11 crafts spread in 15 craft-clusters across 10 districts of Bihar. Incidentally, this scheme has created an opportunity for the empowerment of women (like Madhubani Painting, Sikki, Sujani, Applique, Manjusha) and for the emancipation of the artisans (Stone, Wood craft), who are also hailing from the down-trodden section of the society. Most of the stalls represented the Self-Help-Group of respective craft-wise clusters.

The women entrepreneurs of Madhubani Painting have come all the way from villages of Jitwarpur, Ranti (both are hub of the painting near the Madhubani town) and Darbhanga Town and they represent five stalls.  Some of the names include Veena Dutta, Rani Dutta, Bindu Jha among others. 

[ALL MADHUBANI PAINTINGS]

The Sikki artists of Madhubani are representing from all the prominent town and villages of Rampur, Raiyam and Madhepur across blocks of Pandaul, Jhanjharpur and Madhepur and they are Munni Devi, Sudhira Devi, Rama Devi (all Raiyam) and Renu Devi (Madhepur) among others.

Sujani clusters of Bhusra (Gayaghat of Muzaffarpur) is represented by Sanju Devi and Pinki Bhusra women are represented by two stalls. Whereas, Sujni Cluster of Danapur, Patna is represented with three stalls under the able guidance of Mala Gupta along with Rekha Devi and Asha Devi respectively.

The Applique-Kasida cluster of Arrah have been represented by a stall of Ruma Verma and associated by Chandrakanti Devi, Neelam Bharti and Kajal Srivastava. Rashmi of Patna is also having a stall in the meet.

Smt. Ulupi Jha and Anjana Kumari from Bhagalpur are also representing their stalls on Manjusha Painting. Similarly, Gitanjali and others are also busy with their special innovations in Tikuli Painting. There are five Tikuli Stalls and all are manned by women.

Divya Rani Singh of Patna, the leading entrepreneur in Jute craft has also opened a stall here. The Block Printing expert Sunita Prakash of Patna, another leading name is also busy with her innovation. Rambha Jha, another upcoming entrepreneur has also attracted the attention of Buyers from the outside state.

Most of the lady entrepreneurs are masters in their own trade as most of them are state awardees or have represented Bihar in various workshops, seminars, trade fairs, and Melas of India and abroad. During the Base Line Survey conducted on November 27 & 28; 2018 at Raiyam village of Madhubani, I had found that more than five ladies had gone out of the village to train others on Sikki Art and they include: - Indrakala Devi, Radha Devi, Munni Devi, Sudhira Devi, Runa Devi, Sudha Devi, Sushila Devi respectively. Raiyam lady artists have become brand ambassadors of Sikki Art in the State and beyond.

It is not only the Sikki lady artists but “Women Artisans of various crafts have emerged as the Cultural Ambassadors of Bihar”.

"ONLINE AND OFFLINE MARKETING THROUGH UMSAS PLATFORM"

ADDRESSING MEETING OF TIKULI ARTISTS AT GAIGHAT MAHALLA. JULY 13, 2018; SATURDAY

The agenda was "ONLINE AND OFFLINE MARKETING THROUGH UMSAS PLATFORM"

The Upendra Maharathi Shilpa Anusandhan Sansthan (UMSAS) is in a big-way, venturing for the online and offline marketing of Handicraft products.

The stage has been set for the overall development of the Handicrafts Development of Bihar along with the centrally sponsored IDPH Project, which has extended the development of 11 crafts in 15 clusters across 10 districts of Bihar under the overall guidance of UMSAS; and they include the following: -

Eleven crafts - Applique, Sujni, Tikuli, Wood Craft, Stone Craft, Manjusha, Terra Cotta, Sikki, Madhubani Painting, Bamboo and Jute.

Fifteen Clusters - Arrah, Sutihar (Daryapur), Nasriganj (Danapur), Bhusra (Gaighat), Gaya, Patthatkati, Bhagalpur, Maulaganj, Mangrauni, Rampur, Raiyam, Jitwarpur, Chandpur Dhamaun (Shahpur Patori) and Katihar.

Ten Districts - Bhojpur, Saran, Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Bhagalpur and Katihar.

Along with the Three-Month Training programme of Semi-skilled artisans and Designed Development Programme; the next happening thing in Bihar is the making of 15 Common Facility Centres (CFCs) in all 15 clusters across Bihar with four clusters (two Sikki, one each of Madhubani Painting and Terra Cotta respectively) at Madhubani district, two each in Patna and Gaya districts respectively. The UMSAS will be distributing Tool Kits to 10,000 artisans across 11 crafts.

UMSAS is venturing in forming about 101 Self Help Groups (SHG) in Bihar, through whom Producer Group and its Committee will be formed, who will market the handicraft product and will look after the functioning of CFCs and marketing of products of respective crafts.

Presently, UMSAS has tied up with AMAZON to market handicraft products and has uploaded more than 80 products. As a result, the online orders and its marketing have been initiated and it is looked after by professional hands.

The on-line marketing and offline initiative by UMSAS will give artisans of Bihar, a great platform, to sell their products, with proper remuneration.

Bihar is having Geographical Indication (GI) Registration in four products Sikki, Sujni, Khatwa Applique and Madhubani Painting; but all of the four need renewal of GI. Since the GI of Madhubani Painting was done by the Department of Industries (Govt. of Bihar); UMSAS has taken the initiative to renew it. The renewal for the other three GIs is to be done by the Office of the D.C. (Handicrafts) as they were the parties in having the GI.

UMSAS has taken steps to get the NEW GI of Tikuli and Manjusha craft.

This time, the initiative for the registration and GI tagging in the products of the artisans are one the biggest challenge, otherwise the original artisans of Madhubani Painting, Tikuli or Manjusha painting will be deprived off the marketing benefit of their produce.

TIKULI ARTISTS of PATNA

The Tikuli artists of Patna are generally concentrated in around Danapur and Digha Area (about 150), as the Tikuli Cluster has come up in the Nasriganj Mahalla of Danapur, where several SHGs have been formed. The leading Tikuli Artist of Patna and Bihar is Ashok Kumar Biswas and other master artisans are mostly his disciples.

There are about 60 artisans in Gai Ghat area under Alamganj PS; who are working/students under Madam Geetanjali, a disciple of Ashok Kumar Biswas and also successful entrepreneur on her own merit. The meeting of Tikuli artists were organised at premise of 'Ethnic Fashion World under the initiative Madam Geetanjali. There can be formation of 3 SHGs of Tikuli artisans in Gaighat area.

The Tikuli artisans had given a patience hearing but also requested for regular meeting in Gaighat area as it is difficult for them to move to Danapur, every time, to attend the meeting at Nasriganj CFC!

THE FESTIVAL OF HOLI IS THE 'CELEBRATION OF LIFE' IN ALL ITS MANIFESTATION By PRABUDDHA BISWAS

“Holi is celebrated as FESTIVAL OF COLOURS which signifies youthfulness and beauty, in all its manifestations – love, innocence, passion, vitality, vivacity and verve of young and romantic hearts!”

Enjoy the festival of HOLI at its fullest!

Sharing one of my write-up on Holi......Published in the Patna Edition of Hindustan Times dated March 28, 2002; HOLI - CELEBRATION OF LIFE.

"MY PARTICIPATION AT THE 78TH SESSION OF INDIAN HISTORY CONGRESS, 28-30 DECEMBER, 2017; AT JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, KOLKATA": PRABUDDHA BISWAS

The 78th Session of the Indian History Congress was held successfully during 28-30 December, 2017 at Jadavpur University  Campus (Kolkata) with list of papers in various topics presented by delegates and participants and they include thee following: -

Section I: - Ancient India (106 papers)

Section II: - Medieval India (122 papers)

Section III: - Modern India (374 papers)

Section IV: - Countries Other than India (34 papers)

Section V: - Archaeology (41 papers)

Section VI: - Contemporary (103 papers)

Though more papers were submitted (after the stipulated date), whose names couldn't be published but those papers would find published in the final volume to be distributed in the 79th session, 2018.

I got the opportunity to present my paper, "THE HISTORICAL JOURNEY OF PATNA BARRACKS AND THE FINAL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DINAPORE CANTONMENT," in the 'Modern India' Section on the inaugural day, i.e. on 28th December, 2017.

The inauguration of the Indian History Congress was initiated with the exchange of the chair by the outgoing General President Professor(Retd.) Shireen Moosvi and the present General President Professor (Retd.) Krishan M. Shrimali.

The inaugural speech by the General President, Professor Shrimali was 'Reason and Rationality: Some Leaves from India's Intellectual History'. The speech was exhaustive and exemplary.

The Sectional President on 'Modern India' Section, Professor (Retd.) Bhojnandan Prasad Singh gave the deliberation on the topic, "Ideological Foundations of the Gandhian Movement: Reflections on the Champaran Satyagraha."

[Sectional President, Modern India Section , Professor (Retd.) Bhojnandan Prasad Singh]

I was also present in the Gandhi Bhavan to hear the Professor S.C. Mishra Memorial Lecture given by Indu Banga, Emeritus Professor, Punjab University, Chandigarh was formerly Professor of History, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (1982-90).

[Gandhi Bhawan Auditorium]

PRESENTATION ON THE TOPIC "PATNA UNIVERSITY AND ITS HERITAGE BUILDINGS." THROUGH POSTER DISPLAY

Today I got an opportunity to present before revered alumni of Patna University;  a set of twelve pictures of ‘HERITAGE BUILDINGS and illustration of THE GANGA RIVER-FRONT CAMPUS OF PATNA UNIVERSITY’ through the kaleidoscope of time. It was presented at ‘Kahaanighar' on Monday (December 25, 2017).

Each poster was not only presenting the ‘visual of heritage buildings’ but also taking ‘One and All’, to A JOURNEY IN THE PAST because “The Historic Ganga River-Front Campus of Patna University” is part of the great ‘Magadhan Capital of Pataliputra - Patna – Azimabad’;  which includes Bankipur locality of the colonial period, Muradpur locality of the medieval, and Mahendru locality of the ancient periods respectively.  

[Prabuddha Biswas at Kahaanighar today presenting “Patna University and its Heritage Buildings”]

Indeed, it was the unique way of celebrating the on-going Centenary of their beloved Patna University as admitted by all who were present and they include Retd. Prof (Dr.) Mala Ghosh, Former Principal Magadh Mahila College; Retd. Prof. Shaileshwar Prasad Sati, Retd. Prof. Dr. N. K. Chaudhary, Former HOD, Economics (PU) and Principal, Patna College; Retd. Prof. (Dr.) Padmalata Thakur, Ex-HOD History (PU); Prof. (Dr.) B. K. Mishra, HOD, Geology (PU); Dr. Imtiyaz Ahmad, Former Director, Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library among others. 

The poster series include the heritage buildings with ‘history in motion’ of Patna University Administrative Building, Wheeler Senate House, Patna College, Magadh Mahila College, Bihar National College, Patna Medical College, Darbhanga House, Science College, Patna Women’s College, NIT (formerly Bihar College of Engineering) among others.

The unique depiction of the history of the Patna University, through posters was conceived jointly by Kahanighaar and Forgotten Past (A site dedicated to Heritage and Culture).