Govt apathy, duplicate toys threaten authentic Etikoppaka art

Etikoppaka: The traditional eco-friendly craft of AP's Etikoppaka village - the wooden-lacquer ware and toys - is renowned all over India and abroad too. The craft, which is integral to AP's heritage and culture, is however under threat from cheap duplicate toys. Government policies and apathy in development of the artisans is making matters worse for the industry.
The art, historically documented since 1830s, is said to have existed since the time of the Bahamani sultanate and Etikoppaka is the only place in the country where this cottage industry thrives.It requires a lot of artistic effort, creativity and expertise to make them. This art form has been awarded recognition by the National Innovation Foundation of India - department of science and technology and the UNESCO Seal of Excellence in 2006 and 2008.
In agro-based Etikoppaka, which has a population of around 11,000, around 170 households engage in this artistry of toy and ware, using anduku or soft ivory wood, lac and completely natural dyes, which render a unique colour and shine to the crafts. A decade ago, 225 households used to engage in this art but the number has now declined further. There are around a dozen shops in the village where the toys and wares are sold but the authenticity of the art in many of the shops is questionable as artificial colours are being widely used, which is evident from the cheaper quality, finish and price of the products.
Moreover, certain government policies make export of the crafts difficult. CV Raju, director, (production), Padmavathi Associates of Artisans, who has been felicitated by former President Abdul Kalam, said, "Our Indian toys aren't accepted by the Western countries because as per rules, we have to produce certificates from the Indian Institute of Toxicology that the products are toxic-heavy metal free and such clearance costs Rs 5.6 lakh and that too it's valid for just a year. In contrast, such certification in Australia costs just 270 dollars and is valid for three years. Under such circumstances, export becomes very difficult."
Further, for China-made cheap and toxic products, India is a big dumpyard. With the entry of heavy-metal based Chinese toys, cost of toys came down and so did their quality. "Instead of using natural dyes from plants, roots, bark, fruits and seeds to colour the carved locally-found ankudu wooden ware, azo-based (chemical) colours are being used extensively and are of semi-skilled make," added Raju, who has revived the eco-friendly wood-lacquer art in Etikoppaka since 1980s and mentored many artisans.
Therefore, the Etikoppaka-made cheaper and non-original versions (one fourth or one third the price of original eco-friendly ones) are making inroads into the market and have been also displayed at AP Tourism Development Corporation's resorts. While the cost of the original ones range from Rs 30-Rs 3,000 approximately, the duplicate ones range from about Rs 5 to Rs 1,500.
Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) member and heritage activist Jayshree Hatangadi said, "Display and sale of the cheap artificially coloured variety of these toys is doing injustice to the brand Etikoppaka rather than promoting it."
Etikoppaka can also be in the AP tourism hub if the place is promoted properly, point out the younger generation of artists. "Even if tourism officials rarely visit us, none of the locals are involved in discussions or promotion activities. There's no provision for good transport, eateries, guiding the tourists, nor any orientation programme for the artists to interact with tourists," rued N Shivaprasad, a young craftsman.
A senior artisan D Sanni Babu, who is engaged in the toy-making industry for the past 27 years, added, "No politicians, no government officials or collectors come to our village to help in development of the artisans. The government should also help in the development of the artisans and help save the authentic traditional craft from cheap duplicate versions and china toys."
QUOTE
"Our Indian toys aren't accepted by the Western countries because as per rules, we have to produce certificates from the Indian Institute of Toxicology that the products are toxic-heavy metal free and such clearance costs Rs 5.6 lakh and that too it's valid for just a year. In contrast, such certification in Australia costs just 270 dollars and is valid for three years. Under such circumstances, export becomes very difficult"
CV Raju, director, (production), Padmavathi Associates of Artisans