Like most other practioners of haathi daant,a 250-year-old inlay craft,63-year-old Baldev Kishan battled poverty through his life but with the setting up of the Wooden Handicrafts Centre (WHC) in Boothgarh village in Hoshiarpur,things are finally looking up. Opened in 2009,WHC has not only infused life in the dying craft but also set Boothgarh on the road to development. Not only has the work of the centre been showcased abroad,it also routinely receives visitors from abroad who come to study this art. All efforts are being made to showcase this work in every part of the world but the main challenge before the centre is to bring the youth back to this traditional craft and building in quality control measures so that the products meet international standards, said Geetika Kalha,the Principal Secretary,Tourism Punjab. Since inlay work of haathi daant or ivory was banned under the Wildlife Protection Act,1972,this craft now involves inserting shaped pieces of acrylic plastic on wood. Boothgarh learnt the art of inlay after a few craftsmen came from Chiniot,a city in Pakistan,and settled here. With the setting up of the centre,artisans and government alike are hoping the younger generation will take this craft forward. Middlemen and the traders take the lions share in profits. After working day and night,a craftsman earns about Rs 100. Our wages have not even kept pace with inflation, says Rupan Matharu,a fourth generation artisan from Boothgarh who received a national award from the Ministry of Textile in 1997. Another award winning artisan Vjiay says though he chose to follow his fathers profession,his son has decided to take up some other occupation. But the state government is hoping some of the youth will return to their family profession and ensure this art lives on.
