Sustainable Livelihoods for Indian Craftsmen

Traditional Village Markets in Prime Urban Location for Providing Sustainable Livelihood for Craftsmen

Evaluating the factors in urban area for sustainable livelihood of craftsmen in traditional village haat

Tenzin Dokar[1]

Abstract

India has a rich heritage of traditional handloom and handicraft activities, associated with the culture of people. Handicraft is one of the significant intangible cultural heritages as India is a country of craftsmanship. Millions of Indians root on indigenous modes of production, traditional skills and techniques to make a living based on handmade products. These craftsmen are the backbone of the non-farm rural economy. They have a vital role to play in contemporary India – not only as a part of its social, cultural and aesthetic past, but also as a part of its economic future in country’s mainstream. Nevertheless with the passage of time and advent of industrialization and urbanization, there has been emergence of imitation homogeneous macro-culture due to which the traditional handicraft communities are suffering from attrition. Further Lack of infrastructures, permanent markets, exposure and their absolute dearth of communication skills forced these gifted artisans to turn nomadic and opt for an alternative livelihood options.

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the various factors in urban area for sustainable livelihood for the rural craftsmen. Thereby, elaborating on the importance of the urban haat and linkages for sustaining craft based livelihoods. The study has concentrated on two urban haats, both located in capital cities, viz. Bhopal and Kolkata. The study also contributes to setting up traditional haats at prime urban location where culture, tourism, transition and craft creation flourish together through which both craftsmen and urban consumer are benefited. This contributes to preservation of indigenous handicrafts communities of India.

Key words: craftsmen, handicrafts, livelihood, sustainable, urban haat

Introduction

India is worldwide known for its rich traditional heritage of folk/tribal arts and culture. It has one of the most ancient and diverse traditions of handmade products, and its handicraft industry has been an important cultural, social and economic asset. From East to West and from North to South each and every region has its own handicrafts exhibiting its rich culture and tradition. Craft is a term that comprises culture, community, society, skill, knowledge and many other innumerable aspects which are intangible to be enlisted. India's myriad crafts traditions and living crafts skills has been vehicle of its cultural identity. This skills and knowledge have been passed on from one generation to other by oral tradition rather than written branches. It has been a means of sustenance for numerous communities engaged in this sector. These craftspeople or artisans are the backbone of the non-farm rural economy. "Craft industries produce tangible or intangible artistic and creative outputs, and which have a potential for wealth creation and income generation through the fostering of cultural assets 7 and the production of knowledge-based goods and services."(Define by UNESCO)

There are thousands of living crafts in India ranging from embroidery, leatherwork, painting, carpentry, smithy work, pottery etc. with variations and regional specificities within each rural community. It is estimated that around 7 million artisans according to official figures and upto 200 million artisans according to unofficial sources are engaged in craft production to earn a livelihood (Ministry of Textiles, 2011)

Background

The story of Indian handicraft has been deeply rooted in history, mythology and culture. It is one of the key elements in defining a community’s cultural heritage. During the ancient times the craftsmen had enjoyed a high social standing and were part of the rich nobility, who were responsible for the creation of temples, palaces etc. Also the craft continued to flourish because of their utilitarian nature, royal patronage and the grouping of artisans into guilds. With the decline of the princely states during the second half of the 17th century and the entry of the East India Company and colonization resulted in the fragmentation of the crafts community (Mohsini, 2007). Hence, the production and exchange of artefacts were slowly declining.

Subsequently with the advent of industrialization and globalization marked the steady decline in crafts production and craft based livelihood potential for the village craftsmen/artisans. “The industrial revolution had influenced on people around the world because of the transformation of the mode, and relation of production and the benefits of machine production. Factory production has become an inescapable force when the modern globalization era has developed” (pensiri, 2013). Industrialization led to the production of cheap duplicated goods which seem affordable to consumer in developing countries. Handicrafts are hand-made products and costly to produce in terms of labour time. Rural craftsmen have been facing severe competition in contemporary market because of the availability of cheaper and more varied products due to the advancement in new technologies. Crafts are considered to be old fashioned and disproving to modern tastes. According to the United Nations, over the past 30 years, the number of Indian artisans has decreased by 30%, indicating the need to re-invest in artisans to safeguard history, culture and an important source of livelihood (Jena, 2009).

Present Scenario

Though the handicrafts of India found a global appeal, the rural craftsmen have continued to stay exploited.

Due to consumerism there is always a conflict between pricing and sales. The presence of middlemen between artisans and consumer tend to out price the products so that he gets the maximum profit. Out pricing of such products resulted in selling of products to less number and so the craftsmen don’t have enough work. This has ultimately resulted in the killing of crafts. A Sustainable craft based livelihoods depends on finding the balance between the two.

One of the biggest issues of our country is that our markets do not recognize the true value of handicrafts. When these values are recognized and people are willing to pay the price for handicraft products, this would act as a boost to millions of rural artisans and improve a better livelihood opportunities. It also provides the following opportunities:

Economic Opportunities:

Employment and income:

The crafts sector has the potential to provide stable employment and income generation to diverse communities and to those with different levels of education.

Migration: Promoting hand production goods among the rural guilds would effectively check migration of rural labour to urban centres in search of alternative job opportunity and prevent loss of skills.

Economic growth: The global market for handicrafts is USD400 billion, of which India's share is below 2% representing a tremendous growth opportunity.

Competitive advantage: Artisans can serve as key drivers of specialization and competence in precision manufacturing.

Environmental Benefits:

Low energy requirement: Production processes used in crafts typically have a low carbon footprint and promote the use of locally available materials as well as natural and organic materials where possible.

The factors responsible for deteriorating the exchange of arts and handicrafts are:

• Lack of adequate infrastructure and communication facilities;
• Presence of middlemen/agencies between the craftsmen and the consumers;
• Unavailability of raw materials at appropriate prices to the rural artisans;
• Lack of organised marketing facilities and inadequate market information;
• Lack of exposure to the urban market resulted into erosion of artistic products resulting into poor life standard of rural artisans;
• Lack of permanent markets and their absolute dearth of communication skills forced these gifted artisans to turn nomadic and shift to alternative livelihood opportunities;
• Lack of design inputs; no interaction between craftsmen and consumer;
• Lack of inadequate support mechanism for product development and a steady source of income;
• The presence of multiple government bodies have resulted in a lack of unified policy for the craft sector;
• Lack of promotion of these indigenous exotic handicrafts.

There are many organisations, NGOs, government bodies etc. which are helping rural artisans to use their own traditional craft skills as a means of employment, income generation and economic self-sufficiency. Many organizations work on Craft Preservation/Promotion, by offering design and marketing support to the craftsmen, however none have empowered the artisan to grow by himself, thus making them rely on the organization itself.

The traditional Haat originated as an impermanent village market that is either set up on certain days or moves from one place to another. The traditional Haat has evolved quite naturally into the contemporary, urban haat. The contemporary urban Haats in India are seen as a cultural oasis where craftsmen, artisans, merchants and artists from all over the country assemble. Contemporary urban Haat stay at some defined urban locations and spaces, and the craftspeople change from time to time. My brief is to understand and analyse the factors visually, assimilating information from the location, Socio-cultural, accessibility, topography, form, Space perspectives etc. In effect, through all this I wanted to capture the essence of these contemporary urban haats in urban area.

Bhopal haat

The bazaar is spread over an area of about 2.5 acres. Thrust of the design was on creating an environment which projects an informal, comfortable and colourful ambience. Due respect is paid to the undulating topography of the site. Various plazas are created at different levels which are enclosed by structures made for different activities. Entrance level plaza, enclosed by units, includes spaces for theme galleries, exhibition, office, emporias and design development. 2nd plazas contains amphitheatre and the lowest plaza, contains 48 sale counters on one side and food courts on the other side. The total haat bazaar is barrier free for physically challenged.

The policy has also changed and private firms are allowed to occupy 25 per cent of the space to sell their products. This has been done to meet the expenses on account of power bills and payments to artists invited to entertain visitors.

Swabhumi, Kolkata

Swabhumi is a heritage plaza wherein the best of India's rich art, culture and tradition has been portrayed. It represents the style and elegance of the Indian culture in its architecture and emphases on showcasing the culture and heritage of various parts of the country, especially West Bengal. Swabhumi is designed and conceptualized on the lines of Dilli Haat of Delhi. The facade of the structure is that of a village haat, but enclosed with modern amenities. The theme of Swabhumi is ‘khushi’ (happiness) and relaxation. A vast courtyard which was enclosed by a building reminiscent of old Kolkata has been renovated and completed with red brick and green shutters.

The plaza complex is meticulously designed and bears architectural features of 19th century Bengal. Swabhumi is spread over an area of 6 acre. It is divided into three sections - Sambhar (the urban courtyard), Shilpagram (traditional zone) and Santushti (the food court).

The traditional zone or Shilpagram is segmented into four parts, namely Karigarer Haat, Meena Bazaar, Music Courtyard and Astrology. At Karigarer Haat meaning "The abode of craftsman", or the village bazaar, craftsmen get an opportunity to showcase their artistic skills. This place is a replica of the ancient bazaar. . The courtyard has an exclusive music zone wherein the rural musicians play traditional music with sitar, tabla and a wide range of traditional Indian musical instruments to keep the visitors entertained.

Site & Location - Key Drivers of Success

The Swabhumi is located on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass (opp. Salt Lake Stadium), the main arterial read of the city and on the way to the airport. The location of the site is very interesting. It is on a small picturesque hillock, the only natural hillock in the whole of Kolkata. The natural beauty, undulating landscape, lush greenery and quite surroundings on one side and the Subhash Sarovar Lake on the other adds on the ambience to the site. The site is ideal to make the people to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Discussion

Following factors are considered to analyse the above case studies;

Conclusion

Analysing the above factors and condition, below are some suggestion of how an urban haat should be, that would really enhance the importance of traditional handicrafts. In addition not only the crafts pieces and skill but also the space and location plays an important role in enhancing the authentic handicrafts of our community.

1. Low profile design, in harmony with surrounding.

2. Creation of garden around the Haat. The entire area should be exclusively landscaped.

3. Construction of stalls should reflect the local construction style of built form.

4. The other complex should have tensile structures for cultural programmes, performing arts, exhibitions etc.

5. Use of non-conventional energy like Rain water harvesting etc.

6. The Urban Haat should be designed keeping in mind the ethnic and cultural heritage of the area using architecture to create the ambience matching the natural rural Haat at the same time it should the contemporary needs.

7. The Urban Haat should consist of education, training, library, accommodation etc facilities within the haat. Establishing such centres to impart training, providing market intelligence and establishing linkages.

8. Locating the traditional haat at prime urban location where where culture, tourism, transition and craft creation flourish together through which both craftsmen and urban consumer are benefited.

REFERENCE

Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, 12th Five Year Plan, 2011; Crafts Council of India, Craft Economics and Impact Study: Stage 1 & Stage 2, 2011

Jena, P .K. Orissan Handicrafts in the Age of Globalization: Threats and Opportunities, in Mukherjee D, Indian Handlooms and Handicrafts: Issues and Experiences, 2009

[1] Tenzin dorkar, student –spa vijayawada