SHASHWAT GUPTA RAY
Being differently-abled doesn’t make you lesser than anybody, it is often said. The students of Sanjay Centre for Special Education, Porvorim have proved this adage right by securing orders for a whopping 36 Lord Ganesh idols out of the 39 made by them ahead of this year’s Ganesh festival starting on September 14. These students have been making the idols under the aegis of State Commis sioner for Persons with Disabilities Goa and trying to sell their products. But it evoked very low response for the first couple of years.
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But this year, through their perseverance and profession al support from Kalakruti, a socio-ecological organisation based in Mapusa, these students have made history. Headmaster Sanjay Centre for Special Education, Tatu Kudalkar said this year, the programme has scaled signifi cantly, with approximately 39 idols produced and 36 units already ordered—a substantial increase from the 10–12 units sold last year. Year before last it was nil. “Goa Handicrafts, Rural and Small Scale Industries De velopment Corporation Ltd has placed orders for 19 idols; we have received orders from 11 police stations across the State, including Canacona, Margao, Mandur, Porvorim, Sali gao, and Calangute amongst others. We have received or ders for six idols from parents, teachers, and local bodies,” Kudalkar said. Additionally, they also sold 12 Naag idols for Naag Pan chami earlier this year. “All proceeds from these sales (calculated as total reve nue minus production costs) will be distributed directly to the 14 participating students’ parents prior to the Ganesh festival.
Additionally, each student has been provided with their own dedicated tool set, significantly improving craft ing confidence and finishing quality,” he said. Notably, a 9-inch idol was presented to the Governor of Goa during an event at Raj Bhavan on August 15, receiving praise, alongside appreciation from the Chief Minister and the Minister of Social Welfare. “Looking ahead to next year, we plan to commence pro duction earlier in April to scale operations further. Our strategy includes establishing a dedicated chitrashala at Sanjay School for direct sales and partnering with local artisans and vendors for wholesale distribution,” Kudalkar said. Deputy Manager (Accounts), the Goa Handicrafts, Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Ltd (GHRSSIDC), Shyam Nayak said the quality of their work is outstanding and compares remarkably well to that of reg ular artisans. “Given the exceptional craftsmanship they have dis played, we have decided to purchase and sell these idols.
To further encourage and build upon their skills, I strongly recommend that these children be provided with advanced training, such as sending them to the Central Pottery In stitute in Khanapur, where they can refine their technique even further,” Nayak said. He said that for the past 25 years, the main objective has been to eradicate Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols from Goa by offering eco-friendly, clay Ganesh idols at reasonable prices in Panjim. “Every year, we successfully sell between 300 and 400 of these idols. Selling the idols made by these talented chil dren aligns directly with our mission,” he said. State Commissioner for People with Disabilities, Gu ruprasad Pawaskar said that what began three years ago as an exploratory effort has now evolved into a fully profes sional venture designed to foster economic independence and career pathways for these students as skilled artisans. “Following initial developmental stages, we partnered this year with Kalakruiti to provide specialised training over two months. With essential support and equipment provided—including high-quality clay and air compres sors—our students have produced exceptional, profession al-grade work. This dedication to quality has resulted in an overwhelming response and a high volume of orders,” Pawaskar said.
Building on this success, the plan for next year is to ex pand the initiative’s reach by increasing participant num bers and establishing additional activity hubs across differ ent locations, including schools in Margao and Curchorem. “Our ultimate goal is to encourage community support through direct engagement and purchases. However, we strongly emphasise that these products should be pur chased based on their outstanding quality and the gen uine talent of the artisans, rather than out of sympathy,” he said.
