Hooghly, Oct. 29 -- With Diwali approaching, district leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have urged people to use traditional earthen lamps, highlighting their cultural and religious significance and the need to support local potters.
Serampore MLA and Minister of West Bengal Bhaskar Bhattacharya said the appeal was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Vocal for Local' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaigns. He said people were being encouraged to buy clay lamps made by local potters instead of mass-produced alternatives, so that festive spending could benefit small-scale artisans in rural and semi-urban areas.
Surendar Singh, a potter from Serampore, said the growing popularity of Chinese-made miniature lamps resembling burn...