MP Rajdeep Roy echoes PM's "Vocal for Local" call; promotes earthen lamps against Chinese lights

Diwali is a festival of light. In the last five years, it has also turned out to be a tussle between earthen lamps or ‘diya’ and Chinese fancy lights. Diyas come with a high maintenance cost, but those are manufactured locally, whereas fancy Chinese lights are cheap but they hardly last. In a price-sensitive country like India, Chinese lights surpassed the demand for earthen pots long back. But then came Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his nudge to promote local goods.

In the last three years, a shop owner in Fatak Bazar says he has heard people asking “are these Chinese lights” the most number of times. This time, he says, “It’s at least 10 times more. Yes, there is a lot of demand for the lights but we have noticed that only teenagers are buying them, or at least persuading the purchase. The older generations have opted out of it,” said the shopkeeper.

His brother owns a nearby shop in the bay next to Silchar Sadar Police Station where there are at least 50 stalls with fancy lights on display. “Last year, we ran out of stock two days before Diwali. There was a Diya like lamp which had huge demand, this year, there is no demand for that product. We had a bad 2020 because of the COVID outbreak, and Diwali might not make it better,” said the stall-owner.

Earthen pot makers, on the other hand, have witnessed a surge in demand all across the country. The nation’s think-tank feels Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “vocal for local” call has rejuvenated the industry that was losing its relevance. Moreover, the entire country is aware of the fact that a Guinness World record will be created this year after six lakh Diyas to light up Ayodhya.

Echoing PM’s “Atmanirbhar” call, Member of Parliament, Dr. Rajdeep Roy has made a public statement promoting Diyas against Chinese lights. “As the festival of light is round the corner, instead of installing Chinese lights let’s use earthen diyas to illuminate our houses as well as the life of our local potters by buying their handmade earthen products,” Roy posted on his Facebook.

Speaking with Barak Bulletin, MP Roy said that when the Prime Minister calls for an Atmanirbhar Bharat, he does not mean only producing goods and exporting it to the markets outside India. “Atmanirbhar Bharat means reducing our dependence on imported items. Especially in the case of Diwali where most of the lights are imported from China through the local vendors, I hope people will respond to the Prime Minister’s call to be vocal for local, and opt for handmade Diyas to the Chinese lights,” asserted Roy.

He assessed that there is a steep decline in the demand for Chinese lights and this year, the demand for earthen lamps will be at its peak. He lauded the Prime Ministers’ efforts to promote handicrafts right from food items to textiles. “Rise in demand will encourage the local potters and their art,” said Roy. Adding, “The earthen lamps are biodegradable, which makes them eco-friendly.”

The Prime Minister made a bold statement when he asked the nation to be “Vocal For Local” in order to crawl back from the economic slowdown enforced by the COVID19-induced pandemic. His ministers and colleagues in the parliament are now taking the drive forward.

A similar drive, a few years back rejuvenated an industry. In the financial year that ended on March 31, 2020, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has announced that its turnover reached Rs 88,887 crore. The commission said no FMCG company including Hindustan Unilever (HUL) can match that turnover.

Since Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister, (2015-16), the Khadi production has grown at the average of 19.45% per annum which was merely 6.25% during the previous government from 2004 to 2014. Similarly, Khadi’s sales grew exponentially during the Modi government at the annual rate of 27.6% which remained as low as 6.65% from 2004-2014.

After Khadi and Village Industries, will the pottery see a new surge? The potters find the air filled with the perfume of promise.