Raighar: The livelihood of traditional wall-painting (Rang Tuli) artists is under threat. Wall paintings are disappearing, being replaced by printed flex banners on school walls and other public spaces. This change has led to a serious livelihood crisis for many Rang Tuli artist families. Concerned about their survival, the Rang Tuli Artists’ Association of Raighar block in Nabarangpur district submitted a written petition today to the Block Cluster Education Officer.
The petition, led by association president Prashanta Dangari and secretary Surajsingh Rajput along with fellow artists Yudhishthir Sunani, Rupasingh Nayak, Yudhishthir Patra, Shyamalal Chhatriya, Ramesh Chandra Sarkar, Yadhav Kesari Durga, Santosh Ganda, Madan Patel, Benu Bagh, Karan, Nilu, and Lakshmikant, requests the government to ban the use of flex banners and revive focus on the livelihood of Rang Tuli artists.
Though there are provisions in various government schemes to use hand-painted banners, almost all current official programs are relying on flex banners. These banners, made of plastic, are highly polluting. Even schools that are supposed to promote environmental awareness through Eco Clubs are using plastic flex banners, blatantly violating environmental protection norms.
Although there are plans for painting educational murals on school walls, this practice is rapidly declining. The association emphasized that if school headmasters are encouraged to commission wall paintings instead of using flex banners, around 25 Rang Tuli artist families in Raighar block could benefit significantly.
The association earnestly appealed to the government to prioritize the livelihoods of traditional artists by ensuring their inclusion in school and public sector visual communication.