Beyond that mucky grey waters of Sundarbans, two species are engage in the struggle to survive for more than a hundred years. the humans and the Kamot, the local name for sharks of Sundarbans. There are hundred of cases of shark attacks that has never been documented academically, neither do we know much about the lives of the large predatory sharks in the region, who are loosing their waterscapes and lives because of severe anthropogenic effects. This is the first ever academic expedition on human-shark interactions of Sundarbans the Kamot. The articles and the book on the topic are coming out by the end of the year. 

Ladies and gentlemen as you know, we have set on to create a sustainable living solution for the women of Sundarbans have suffered animal bites- through creating the first handicraft products from Sundarbans, starting off with terracotta dolls of tigers, sharks, and crocodiles. In August we are going to Sundarban, with five young artist and have a 4 day art workshop With the women in the region who have experience with pottery, and support them come up with their own interpretation of these animal totems. We going to go back again in September to build a kiln, and support them in firing the art pieces. Beginning of November we will be heading back one last time to inaugurate shop we are hiring in Pakhiraloy, where these handmade items will be sold. At the same time, we hope to organize and exhibition of their work in November in Kolkata and would be delighted to have your gracious presence. Because of our generous donor we have all but arranged the money for all these activities including accommodation and food for theses artis from Kolkata, and the Sundarbans (the women) for these long sessions, hiring the shop space, furniture for the shop, hiring a place to maintain the kiln, and other peripheral matters. We still are running a bit short on money for the activities of the show and some other short matters. WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY FINANCIAL OR LOGISTICAL SUPPORT with this project, and further support in how these products can be further marketed to the rest of Kolkata, and possibly the country. EVERY BIT HELPS.

Publications

• Aich, R. S. (2021). The Kamot Ganga Puja: Sharks of Sundarban. Visual Ethnography, 10(1), Article 1. http://www.vejournal.org/index.php/vejournal/article/view/264

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• Aich, R. S., & Chakraborty, P. . (2022). Kamot: The first academic investigation of human-shark conflict in Sundarbans. TRACE ∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, 8. https://doi.org/10.23984/fjhas.110497

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• Aich, R. S. (2020). Human shark conflict in Sundarban. Sudu Sundarban Charcha (Bengali magazine), 48–50.