Crafts and untraining paradigm

Someone rightly mentioned that only singular thing about India is that your can write about it in plural. Crafts which are physical manifestation of human and cultural heritage of India are no different.

Unfortunately, Artisans and their children, who are the custodians of this rich & diverse heritage, are left to substandard, template driven schooling which teaches them everything except crafts.

In words of PK "Lagta hai kaono firki le raha hai" . 

Graduates from these schools are neither fit for higher education in premier design institutions (barring exceptions)  nor they connect with their craft.

Once the damage is done, millions of rupees each year are spent on short term training, long term training, technical training, non-technical training,design training, this training and that training. 

I dont know which storms will awaken us from this ocean of sleep!

Is it not possible to understand and appreciate this plurality and have special crafts schools which lead to special entry intro premier design colleges? 

Is it not easy to shape abhas and andaaz by abhyas  and give these skilled craft persons (and anyone else who is interested) a career in the craft? When will we stop viewing our 10 million-plus craftspeople as a liability rather than an asset?

The real challenge is to break out of binaries of history.  All of us learn from history but history can sometimes teach us wrong lessons, if reflection is not done properly. If the same method, packaged with different names, of rejuvenating the craft sector hasnt been able to break to the drift of artisans from the sector, should we not take a pause and think.

While such a change would require a policy level shift and finding alternative models of schooling, there are beautiful experiments already happening in the craft space. These experiments are trying to educate and train artisans and give them confidence and respect for the craft they and their parents are into. 

It will be interesting for readers to explore more

Somaiya Kala Vidya (Bhuj)

The Handloom School (Maheshwar)

Kalhath Institute (Lucknow)

Each of these experiments have their pros and cons and we can debate that. But regardless success/failures, these experiments have opened the door of possibilities for artisans. These experiments have also given a space to artisans to not just view craft as a mechanical activity but as a reflection of inner creative self.

While aforementioned initiatives are based out of well known craft clusters, need of the hour is to reach out to lesser known artisan clusters and provide best in class education which makes them market ready while keeping the roots intact. This best in class education will remain impractical if industry, buyers, designers are not integrated in the education. It will also remain meaningless if ecosystem of these clusters is not improved while education and market readiness is happening. It will be a hollow education if only young artisans are involved and traditional knowledge and wisdom of elderly artisans is not put to use. ICT will play a major role. Last but not least, a qualified team which can truly "untrain" themselves and work closely with artisans for bridging the gaps in knowledge, skill and behavior; which stays right in the cluster for not 1 or 2 or 4 months but atleast for years which are required to make a good designer, engineer or a manager. 

Easier said then done. But as Munnabhai says "Tension nahin lene ka"  Something is happening in this direction........

Rich Weaves Poor Weavers

If Sunny Paaji was a handloom weaver he would have definitely said that "Facebook par post, Instagram par post, Whatsapp par post, post par post aata rehta hai,....lekin kimat ka asli hissa nahin milta my lord, mili hai to sirf post par post.

Posts with visually appealing images complemented by emotional messages crafted with Tharoorian English  are being flooded day in and day out on social and print media. Some of them also make artisan  stand with a "prison like slate" mentioning their name with a quote "I made your product". What it surreptitiously fails to mention is that despite 'making your product' I didnt get the cream of the value chain!

It is quite evident from the earlier posts that handloom textiles have commercial viability. What is also evident is the fact that this commercial viability hasn't translated into what can be termed as 'dignified income' for the producers.

While everyone in the value chain can be heard parrot rhyming that they work for the livelihood of the artisans, evidence reflects that -Because of Artisans everyone else in the value chain observe a fruitful livelihood and fame.

Designer Shashikant Naidu candidly admists. “Let’s be honest. as designers we hardly do much for weavers. Designers go to a weaver, pick up fabric worth `350, attach their label and retail it for `35,000. They’ve earned far more than what they paid for. This is something that we seriously need to think about."

Barring exceptions, with all the forms of market interfaces be it large retailers, master weavers, cooperatives or not-for-profits; in general income transferred to weavers is sub-par vis-a-vis everyone else in the value chain.

Its a classic case of "Rich Weaves but Poor Weavers"

So when you hear another sensitive story, check for hard facts on their books of accounts? What percentage of the value translates to artisans income? Do artisans have a role beyond being a "mazdoor" (labor) playing weft by warp? What is the ratio of highest paid employee of the not-for-profit and average weaver/handspinners income?

In our future posts we will explore more on following:

How do we swing the terms of trade in favor of artisan ? Can large number of  artisans, if not all, sell under their own identity? Will market value the creative weavers at par with 'degree holder' designers?

Recent fashion shows have started presenting artisans on ramp. How can fashion shows move beyond presenting artisans on ramp and shift to serious business 'for & by' artisans ?

Till then, as Circuit says to Munnabhai "Tension, nahin lena bhai"

समय

कह दो कोई उनसे ;

जो इस किराये के मकान को अपना समझ बैठे हैं;

जरा ऊँचा क्या उठ गए खुद को खुदा समझ बैठे हैं||

कह दो कोई उनसे ;

काल के  कपाल में ओस की बूँद हैं सब;
कौन जाने कौन सा रूप कौन पाएगा का कब;
कोई सूरज की रौशनी में घास के तिनके का बढ़ाएगा अदब;
और किसीका रात ढलते मिटटी  में  मिल जाएगा सबब||

कह दो कोई उनसे ;

कर्म से प्रारब्ध और प्रारब्ध से कर्म सब इसके आधीन हैं;
सबने देखा है कल जिन्हें बनना था राजा राम वो चौदह वर्ष वनवास को आसीन हैं||

कह दो कोई उनसे ;

मै, मेरा धन, मेरा पद  ये पल भर में हाथ बदल जाते हैं;

इनका दम्भ न कर ये जाने के लिए ही आते हैं ;

समय की बढ़ी अद्भुत गति है ;
बिना अहम के कर्म करते जाना ही इंसान की नियति है


कह दो कोई उनसे ;

जिन्हे  फिर भी रह जाए अहम् अपनी हस्ती और नाम  का;
लगा आएं वो चक्कर एक बार शमशान का||

कह दो कोई उनसे ;

अमर , अजेय, अविनाशी और और ना जाने कितने अलंकरणों से खुद को सजाये;
रावण, सिकंदर और  कितने विश्वविजेता उसी शमशान की  राख में समाये;
और फिर भी न समझे तो उन्हें क्या बताये  ;
सोते को तो जगा लें जो सोने का नाटक कर रहे है उन्हें कैसे  जगाएं ||