CENSUS OF INDIA 1961 WEST BENGAL & 51 KKI M Volume XVI, Part V"-A(4) HANDICRAFTS SURVEY MONOGRAPH ON DOKRA ARTISANS OF DARIAPUR (BURDWAN) 69124816 Census 1961 CENSUS PUBLICATIONS [All parts will be uniform size, demy quarto Sr' X 11 t~] GOVERNMENT OF INDIA PUBLICATIONS Vol. XVI-West Bengal & Sikkim PART I-A (i) GENERAL REPORT (POPULATION PROGRESS) _Published PART I·A (ii) GENERAL REPORT (POPULATION AND SOCIETY) " PART I-B* REPORT ON VITAL STATISTICS PART I-C SUBSIDIARY TABLES ,. PART II-A GENERAL POPULATION TABLES " PART II-B (i) GENERAL ECONOMIC TABLES (B-1 TO B-IV) PART II-B (ii) GENERAL ECONOMIC TABLES (B-V TO B-IX) PART II-C (i) SOCIAL AND CULTURAL TABLES PART JI-C (ii) MIGRATION TABLES (D-I TO D-III) PART II-C (iii) M IGRATION TABLES (D-IV TO D-VI) PART III HOUSEHOLD ECONOMIC TABLES PART IV 0) REPORT AND MAIN TABLES ON HOUSING AND ESTABLISHMENTS pART IV (ii) SUBSIDIARY TABLES ON HOUSING AND ESTABLISHMENTS " PART V-A (i)* TABLES ON SCHEDULED CASTES " PART V-A (ii)* TABLES ON' SCHEDULED TRIBES " PART VI (1-11)* VILLAGE SURVEY MONOGRAPHS 6 Volumes published; 5 Volumes in Press PART VII-A (i-v)* REPORT AND TABLES ON SURVEY OF HANDICRAFTS 4 Volume published The Present Volume PART VrI-B (1-5)* FAIRS A.ND FESTIVALS 3 Volumes published; 1 Volume in Press PART VIII-A ADMINISTRATION REPORT-ENUMERATION Published (For office use only) pART lX* CINSUS ATLAS In Press PART X-A (i) TABLES ON THE CAT_CUTTA INDUSTRIAL REGION Published PART X-A (ii) TABLES ON THE CA.LCUTTA INDUSTRIAL REGION " PART X-B* ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF VILLAGES ~", "'Docs not reIat.! to Sikkim GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL PUBLICATIONS 16 Volumes of District Census Handbook MaIda, West Dinajpur, Hooghly, Calcutta (Vol. 11), Cooch Behar, Murshidabad, Burdwan (Vol. II), Midnapore (Vols.1 & 11), Birbhum, Bankura, Darjeeli g, Nadia, 24-Parganas (Vols.1 & II), Jalpaiguri, Purulia and Howrah published. DOKRA ARTISANS OF DARIA PUR (BURDWAN) Primary Investigatiolls Field-level Extension Officer (Indus­ tries) of the districts of Burdwan, Birbhum, Midnapor~-Bankura and Purulia and a few Officers of Survey Wing and Handicrafts Wing of C & ssr Directol:ate. Primary notes on Process of Shri P. Sen, Production Director, Regional Design Centre, Calcutta. Report on Linguistic Investigations Shri R. A. Singh, Language Division of Registrar General, India at Calcutta under the guidance of Shri R. C. Nigam, Linguist of that office. Final verifications in artisan's locali­ Shri A. N. Mukherjee, ties, Supplementary Investigations, Deputy Director of Industries, Case Studies, Final Draft, Editing Community Development Project, and Supervision Government of West Bengal. Supervision of Printing and Shri S. Sinha, Publication Deputy Director of Census Opera­ tions, West Bengal. FOREWORD T HIS REPORT on Dokra artisans of Dariaput in the district of Burdwan and Purulia of West Bengal by Shri A. N. Mukherjee is the result of much fru~tful collaboration between the Directorate of Cottage and Small Scale Industries, West Bengal; the Director of Census Operations, West Bengal; the Language Division and Social Studies Division of the Office of the Registrar General, India and the Regional Design Centre at Calcutta. The report covers not only the establishments of the artisans of Dariapur in Burdwan, but also gives an indica­ tion of the existence of such units in the districts of Birbhum, Bankura, Midnapore and Purulia. An attempt has been made to show the nature of the shaky social position of the artisans in the local community. The individual and group characters of the artisans have also been brought out through a number of case studies. A very important contribution to this study has' been made by Shri R. A. Singh, Senior Technical Assistant of the Language Division of the Office of the Registrar General, India, through this investigation, under the guidance of 8hri R. C. Nigam, Linguist, on the linguistic affinitiees of the Dokra artisans. My thanks are due to all the scholars who have collaborated in the completion of this project. I also avail of this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Director of Cottage and Small Scale Industries, West Bengal, who was good enough to allow Shri Mukherjee and his colleagues to take up this project at the request of the office of the R~gistrar General, India. ASOKMITRA. Registrar General, India DOKRA ARTISANS OF DARIAPUR (BURD'N AN) A Glance 1. The report, together with an Appendix, throws some light on the technique, economy, language artd social life of the small community of hollow-casting artisans of Dariapur (Burdwan) in the background of similar small communities in the districts of Burdwan, Birbhum, Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia. 2. The communities of all these districts (excluding Purulia and including Rampur only of Bankura) have been found to be migratory for lack of living facilities. 3. Although, such artisans are so far known as "Dokras", field investigations may jmtify in identifying their communities in the districts of Burdwan, Birbhum and Midnapore as "Malar", but would suggest further probe into their community identification and social linkages between themselves in particular reference to the traces at Singhbhum (Bihar) and Mayurbhanj (Orissa). 4. The report suggests the immediate need for permanent settlement of the artisans' groups as viable Co-operative Units under constant technical and management guidance, should not, again, the small communities migrate and are lost, only to be recognised q new in unknown places, whereas, the local people of earlier locations could show a few casting pieces and would complain of their debt and lack of whereabouts. 5. As their products have been selling in foreign countries now and their mastercraftsmen have been national award winners, further care is needed. A. N. Mukherjee Deputy Director of Illdustries (CDP), Cottage & Small Scale Industries Directorate, Government of West Bengal. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 remain deeply indebted for the kind guidance and co-operation of : 1. Dr. B. K. Roy Burman, Officer-on-Special Duty, in the office of the Registrar General, India, New Delhi. (For his continuous advice on the frame-work and guide-lines of the study and arrangements of Photographs from Government of India, Census.) - 2. Sri R. C. Nigam, Linguist in Language Division of Registrar Genera}, India, office at Calcutta. (For his Report on "Linguistic Investigations among the Dokra artisans".) 3. Sri R. A. Singh, Senior Technical Assistant of Language Division of Registrar General, India, office at Calcutta. (For his very valuable basic notes on the subject.) 4. Sri P. Sen, Director, Regional Design Centre, All India Handicr-afts Board at Calcutta. (For his keen personal interest and guidance in course of the Study and provid­ ing important basic data on the technique of Dariapur artisans as obtained from his investigating officers and Sri S. Banerjee, Master Craftsmen and for helping with a few Photographs of cast products.) 5. Sri S. Sinha, Deputy Director of Census Operations, "Vest Bengal, Census, (For his constructive guidance in the publication stage all throughout and facilitating the assistance of the members of the Staff of the State Census Office.) I remain also grateful to the following officers for their kind co-operation, notes and suggestions sent from time to time, whenever needed. It is the Field Extension Officer's (Industries) of respective places who took great pains and care in 1965-67 investigations. Without their help, the preparation of the Report would not have been possible. 1. Sri P. Das, District Level Extension Officer (Industries), Bankura. (For his independent intensive work in Rampur, Bindajam and Netkamla villages ; his personal association with Rampur artisans has been very helpful for the Study.) 2. Sri S. Pal, District Level Extension Officer (Industries), Midnapore. (For his intensive enquiries in Relia area.) 3. Sri J. Sarkar, District Level Extension Officer (Industries), Purlilia. (For his intensive investigations in the Purulia villages.) ( IX ) 4. Sri B. Roy Choudhury, Ex-Executive Officer, Dariapur Dokra Artisans' Co-operative Society. (For his narration of personal experience in the Society.) 5. Sri C. N. Chatterjee, Extension Officer (Industries) and Executive Officer, Dariapur Dokra Artisans' Co-operative Society. 6. Sri S. Chatterjee, District Level Extension Officer (Industries), Birbhum. (For enquiries in Nachensa area.) 7. Sri N. Guha, District Level Extension Officer (Industries), Burdwan. (For enquiries in Eklakshmi area.) 8. Sri S. Dey, Field Organiser, Handicrafts. (For his enquiries in Amda area.) 9. Sri S. N. Dutta, Inspector, Survey Wing in Cottage and Small Scale Industries Directorate. (For first detailed enquiries in Dariapur area.) 10. Sri S. Goswami, Assistant Director of Industries (Handicrafts). 11. Sri M. L. Bhattacharyya, Asstt. Director of Industries (Statistics). (For arrangements of tests of metal pieces in the Quality Marking Laboratory of C. & S.S.1. Directorate.) 12. Sri S. Roy Choudhury, District Industrial Officer, Bankura. 13. Sri B. Bhattacharyya, District Industrial Officer, Burdwan. 14. Block Development Officers, Ausgram-I (Burdwan) ; Keshiary (Midnapore) ; Raina-II (Burdwan) and Galsi-Il (Burdwan). 15. Sri Asis Prodhan, Design Centre, Cottage and Small Scale Industries Directorate. (For all the Drawings and Sketches.). 16. Sri P. R. Dutta, District Industrial Officer, Midnapore. 17. Sri T. Banerjee, District Indultrial Offinel, Birbhum. 69{248 16 Cens\lS ( x ) 18. Sri Sadhan Sen, Extension Officer (Industries) Kharagpur I Development Block., (For investigations in Kharagpur area.) 19. Sri B. Jana, Extension Officer (Industries), Narayangarh. 20. Sri P. K. Adhikary, Extension Officer (Industries), Dantan-I. 21. Sri Amar Singh, Photographer in the Office of the Registrar General, India, New Delh.i. (For all his patient work to pring about the technique and community life on artisans in photo-illustrations.) 22. Sri S. Maity, Project Officer, Rural Industries Projects~ Durgapur. (For enquiries in Barjora areas) 23. The Superintendent of College of Ceramic Techno.logy, Calcutta.