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Saathi is helping Bastar's tribal communities revitalise their craft using new techniques to make and market their famous terracotta and bell metal works of art
Chamrara (22) from Pooda village in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district is honing the terracotta skills he learnt from his father three years ago. Chamrara earns around Rs 60 a day making terracotta pots, glasses and pans, which are then shaped into Bastar's famous elephants. Mangath (23) is also working on his bell metal and wrought iron skills to help sustain his family. Likewise, 22-year-old Suklu Ram. All three craftsmen are being trained at a centre in Kumharapara (potters' enclave) near the small market town of Kondagaon in north Bastar, where they spend six to seven hours every day making items for sale. The centre, called Saathi (togetherness), is run by a small group of dedicated ceramic professionals. Saathi's mission is to help, sustain, develop and market Bastar's traditional arts and crafts in both national and international markets. Since its registration in 1993 (actual operations began in the late-1980s), Saathi has been able to impart technical and marketing skills to over 1,400 artisan families living in 90 villagers across three districts in Bastar. The traditional craftsmen and women of the Bastar region are renowned for their expertise in the fields of stone carving, woodcraft, terracotta, bell metal work and iron and bamboo craft. Kondagaon, Narayanpur and Jagdalpur are famous for their terracotta elephants with bells and decorative pots. "We are helping traditional talent bring their products to the modern marketplace with innovative designs," says Bhupesh Tiwari, president of Saathi. Tiwari got himself a BTech degree in ceramics before starting the Saathi Samaj Seva Sanstha. Chhattisgarh's tribal communities have been engaged in making terracotta objects and figures for hundreds of years. They make utilitarian and ritualistic objects that are used during festivals and religious ceremonies. Metal work is also an integral part of the crafts tradition of the Bastar tribals. Brass, silver, iron and lead are used to make various figures of gods and deities. A team from Saathi, based in Kondagaon, trains young and upcoming local artisans to ensure that this tradition and important means of livelihood does not die out. The organisation does this by employing various strategies -- setting up self-help groups (SHGs), conducting workshops, offering training in bookkeeping and marketing, and organising exhibitions to help artisans market their products. "Although the Chhattisgarh government has formed a number of SHGs to extend financial and technical support to the artists, most of them have failed because they lack vision," says Hari Bharadwaj, treasurer and technical director at Saathi. Although successive state governments have been pouring money into development activities, the results are not showing because of bureaucratic delays and the apathetic attitude of officials. Another interesting aspect of Saathi's work is to make sure artisans do not compete with each other in a single market. Saathi's intervention areas are divided into clusters so that each does not encroach upon the other's territory. "This was done to ensure a better price for the artisans' products in the market," says Tiwari. Prior to Saathi's intervention, buyers of tribal craft would induce competition amongst artisans from different villages in order to strike a good bargain. "The ignorant artisans would sell their products with minimum or very little margins," says a villager from Kumarpara. Saathi has established a strong marketing network for products both at the national and international level. Items are displayed and sold at various exhibitions. The artisans also receive support from the development commissioner, handicrafts, at the central government level. And from the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). The Council of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) and the Handicraft Development Commission have initiated an integrated programme called Ambedkar Hasta Shilpa Vikas Yojana to promote tribal art in the region. Despite these measures many artisans in Bastar still do not have access to the modern marketing system. Getting loans from banks remains complicated. "Tribals find it difficult to provide collateral, which most banks demand," says a young artisan from the region. To address this problem, Grameen Bank and other commercial banks have initiated programmes aimed at the formation of SHGs and NGOs to improve the marketability of Bastar's arts and crafts. However, subsidies being offered through various state-government-run developmental schemes hamper the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst artisans. Besides Saathi, there are a number of initiatives such as Shilpi Gram, Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi, etc, that provide training in marketing to artisans. It is the artists and craftspeople of Chhattisgarh's tribal areas that are keeping the state's rich traditions alive. Through their work they express their thoughts, ideas and imagination. They deserve our full support. Contact: Saathi Samaj Seva Sanstha
Village Kumharpara
Kondagaon 494226
District Bastar
Chhattisgarh
Tel: 91-7786-42852/42479/42383
Fax: 91-7786-42383
Email:
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-- Sandip Das
(Sandip Das is a development journalist based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh) InfoChange News & Features, August 2004
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