Channapatna wood craftsmen train Ambasamudram artisans to make world-class toys, articles

TIRUNELVELI

Following the successful launch of banana fibre toy and ornament making units in Kalakkad and a few more areas, District Collector V. Vishnu has roped in a team of expert wood toymakers from Karnataka’s Channapatna to train the traditional woodcraftsmen of Ambasamudram in the district.

 “This is an attempt to impart intricate wood-crafting skills to our craftsmen and expose them to modern toy making equipment so as to qualify our products to compete in international markets like our banana fibre products are rocking the overseas buyers,” the Collector said while inaugurating the training programme on Friday.

 Even though wooden toys and brassware being made in villages around Ambasamudram like Keezha Ambur and Vaagaikulam have been feeding the artisans’ families for decades, their limited resources and lack of exposure to the latest skills and machineries have hampered their marketing prospects. Their cup of woes started overflowing when cheap colourful Chinese toys made of synthetic products flooded Indian markets.

 Hence, this programme has been planned with two-pronged strategy of ensuring comprehensive training by expert craftsmen and adequate sanctioning of loans for buying quality raw materials through the Tamil Nadu State Urban Livelihood Mission.

 Over the past one year, the banana fibre value addition centres in Tirunelveli district had exported over 1 lakh toys and decorative articles made with this fibre to the United States and European markets. Similarly, the earthenware from Kooniyoor and Kaarukurichi, brassware of Vaagaikulam and palmyrah leaf products of Thevarkulam units were enjoying excellent reception from the international buyers.

 “Our ultimate objective is to create clusters of rural products manufacturing units in every taluk with the locally available products and the workforce. The district administration will extend all possible help in training the artisans and creating the clusters,” Mr. Vishnu assured.

When the artisans being trained here wanted the daily assistance to be increased from ₹200 to ₹250, the Collector announced that each artisan would be given ₹300 a day.