dykdkjh Sustainable crafts in Kutch
dykdkjh Sustainable crafts in Kutch
Digital Publication of student for private circulation only This document has been written, edited, illustrated and designed by Dhwani Chauhan Prof.Suvankar Pramanick (faculty GLS Institute of Design) All rights reserved under international copyright convention. No part of this document shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Publication 2018 Processed at GLS Institute of Design
Acknowledgment I am enormously indebted to those people who have helped me in completing this research paper. I have enjoyed their warmth, humour and insights and profoundly acknowledging my guide Prof. Suvankar Pramanick who have helped me a lot in this research paper. Communities of Kutch and all those artisans whom I visited deserve a special thanks for there great hospitality and patience of answering my questions. I have come across to many people who have guided me directly or indirectly for getting the contacts of artisans I really feel thankful to them. I feel tremendously lucky to study in GLS Institute of design through which I got a chance to research on this topic. I would also like to thank my parents who came with me at Kutch and supported me.
Contents Abstract Research question Objectives Scope and limitation Introduction Background Literature Review Methodology Case studies Analysis Suggestions Conclusion References Appendix
Abstract This paper explores the sustainability issues in crafts of Kutch. That how the crafts are being sustainable enough to survive in the market. The aim of this document is to look forward to the issues in sustainability of the crafts. This document is about the survival of the crafts according to the needs and trends of market and studying the sustainability of the crafts of Kutch that how many crafts are maintaining their level and if they are not sustainable then it explores the root cause of the sustainability issues. Even this research was also for sustainable fashion as directly or indirectly crafts which are in Kutch are related to it. The outcome and the contribution of this paper is for the betterment of the crafts. it will help in uplifting the crafts through the suggestions and scope. Key words Sustainability, Crafts, Fashion, Issues, Suggestions, Scope. Research question • • •
What is sustainable development in crafts? Is sustainability and craft related? Which crafts of Kutch are not sustainable and why?
Research objective • The main aim of this research is to know the crafts of Kutch and understand that which all crafts are sustainable i.e. which crafts are strengthen to stay in market by utilizing right amount of resources. • Even to study the non-sustainable crafts and to suggest the ideas and the way to boost those crafts.
Scope and limitation • The main opportunity through this research is that the crafts which are not in the market due to their resource crisis and the design limitation are studied and then suggested some areas through which they can grow and even spreading awareness about it. • The head constraint is this study is that the crafts which are been focus in this paper are not getting such resources and they don’t have any source of enduring the market.
Introduction India’s industrialization and participation in the modern world economy is decades old. Millions of Indians still stay upon local modes of production, traditional skills and techniques to make a living based on handmade products. These craftspeople and artisans are the pillar of the non-farming rural economy. Every state of India has its own unique set of traditional crafts that are now slowly dissolving due to absence of the right infrastructure to promote them. Corporate India too has shown little interest in promoting rural craft skills. Craftspeople form the second largest employment sector in India, second only to agriculture. Handicrafts are rightly described as the craft of the people: there are twenty-three million craftspeople in India today. One of the biggest issues in India is that our markets do not recognize the true value of craft. When this value is recognized, and people become willing to pay a higher price for craft-based products, it would translate into higher wages for weavers and craftspeople and act as a boost to millions of rural-based livelihood opportunities associated with this sector. The economics however is not as simple, as finally it comes down to the conflict between pricing and sales. If you out-price goods, you sell only a limited number. If you don’t give craftspeople enough work, it kills the craft. Sustainable livelihoods will ultimately depend on finding a fine balance between the two. For example: Fabindia follows an inclusive model of capitalism, placing craft at the center of the quest for profitability and growth. So in this way if the corporate world get familiar to handicrafts then there will be raise of our bequest given as a tradition in the form of treasure. This research incorporate the crafts of Kutch. I have taken one area on Gujarat which is a buzzing state for crafts. Kutch is a blessed land having the gold which cannot be snatched by anyone. It is a legacy from forefathers and the people are still working and carrying on there tradition through continuing the crafts. But due to modernization and the world being machine friendly and fast are not using the handicrafts. Due to which many of the crafts are dissolving slowly. On the contrary there are many crafts which are very popular but its process is harmful to the environment. Hence looking forward on the point of sustainability I visited to Kutch, to explore the crafts on which I can study the sustainability.
Outline of Kutch From Farm to Fiber from Fiber to Factory from Factory to Fabric and from Fabric to Fashion, this is the story of five Fs of Fabric and Fashion. Indians mainly have been wearing clothing’s made of locally grown cotton. As far as our knowledge goes India was one of the first places where the cultivation of cotton existed and cotton was used and it is during the period as early as 2500 BC ie during the Indus valley civilization or what we call the Harappan era. The presence of fabric worn by the people can be seen as a proof in the rock cut sculptures. These sculptures show the figures of human wearing the clothes or fabrics which can be wrapped around the body, for e.g. the Sari or Turban and the Dhoti these are traditionally Indian wears which are tied around the body to cover oneself but done in various ways in different part of India and in different cast or communities around India. Textiles are connected to communities and no other region in India is as rich in folk costumes even now. Kutch in Gujarat which is the western most state of India you will find not one or two or three but more than 25 different types of embroideries or patch work or weaving patterns in Gujarat, each belonging to different ethnic groups and each ethnic group have their own unique style of embroidery, different motifs, patterns that gives them their visual identity. To name a few ethnic groups like jat Muthwa, Rabari, Ahir, Sodha Rajputs, Haliputra, Meghwals etc. have different style of embroidery namely, Suf, Kharek, Ari etc., Not only is the embroidery of Gujarat Famous but is famous for its weaving also like the Double Ikat Patola, or Mushroo weaving or the Tangaliya weaving, also Single ikat weaving etc. or let it be the shawls for the Rabari community also known as Dhabada in the local language. You can also see felt making in Kutch region. Ajrak printing work of the Khatri community people who have been doing this for the past 9 generations can be seen here, Kharad weaving is another unique art that can be seen here and the most beautiful art is Rogan Painting an art been done by only a hand full of people of the same family and probably the only family doing this work in India and may be even in the world. Gujarat is the place to visit if you are on a textile tour to India.
Background Sustainability is the process of maintaining change in a balanced fashion, in which the misuse of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and institutional change are all in accordance and strengthen both current and future possibility to meet human needs and hope. Sustainability is defined through the following interconnected domains or pillars: environment, economic and social .So it is directly or indirectly dependent upon climatic change. Sub-domains of sustainable development have been considered also: cultural, technological and political. When we stress upon sustainable crafts of Kutch then the study would be carried on the basis of the level that crafts has and how it has accepted the market demands and the way it is changing according to the needs and trend. And how some of the crafts are recycling the things to maintain the climatic conditions. Definitions of craft and sustainable development There are multiple comprehension of “craft”; we broadly define craft as “the application of skills and material-based knowledge to relatively small scale production”. At the core of this definition is recognition of the process; of “making”. Concerns for the environmental integrity of the planet and the need to achieve equitable development outcomes for all humans alive today and for future generations are inextricably linked. Sustainable development thus demands critical analysis both of planetary sustainability and of the economic, social, and humanistic project that lies at the core of the current environmental crisis. Craft provides opportunities to display concerns for material sourcing and the relationship of the maker with the natural world. The conceptual framework of sustainable development also offers support to craft. The potential to reconfigure our economic system towards a new understanding of prosperity and re-localization that includes elements other than just the economic ones, provokes support for craft that aim beyond the development of full time enterprises. Craft can contribute to the building of re-localized, resilient communities.
Literature Review Sustainability and its importance Sustainability is a broad discipline, giving students and graduates insights into most aspects of the human world from business to technology to environment and the social sciences. The core skills with which a graduates leaves college or university are highly sought after, especially in a modern world looking to drastically reduce carbon emissions and discover and develop the technologies of the future. Sustainability draws on politics, economics and, philosophy and other social sciences as well as the hard sciences. Sustainability skills and environmental awareness is a priority in many corporate jobs at graduate level and over as businesses seek to adhere to new legislation. Therefore, Sustainability graduates will go into many fields but most commonly civic planning, environmental consultancy (built and natural environment), agriculture, not for profit, corporate strategies, health assessment and planning, and even into law and decision making. Entry-level jobs are growing and over the coming years, bachelors graduates can expect more and more options and opportunities. What is Sustainability? The definition of “sustainability” is the study of how natural systems function, remain diverse and produce everything it needs for the ecology to remain in balance. It also acknowledges that human civilisation takes resources to sustain our modern way of life.There are countless examples throughout human history where a civilisation has damaged its own environment and seriously affected its own survival chances. Sustainability takes into account how we might live in harmony with the natural world around us, protecting it from damage and destruction. We now live in a modern, consumerist and largely urban existence throughout the developed world and we consume a lot of natural resources every day. In our urban centres, we consume more power than those who live in rural settings and urban centres use a lot more power than average, keeping our streets and civic buildings lit, to power our appliances, our heating and other public and household power requirements. That’s not to say that sustainable living should only focus on people who live in urban centres though, there are improvements to be made everywhere - it is estimated that we use about 40% more resources every year than we can put back and that needs to change. Sustainability and sustainable development focuses on balancing that fine line between competing needs - our need to move forward technologically and economically, and the needs to protect the environments in which we and others live. Sustainability is not just about the environment ,it’s also about our health as a society in ensuring that no people or areas of life suffer as a result of environmental legislation, and it’s also about examining the longer term effects of the actions humanity takes and asking questions about how it may be improved.
There are three pillars of Sustainability: Economic Development, Social Development, Environment Protection A Sustainable Future It is not yet clear what our sustainable future will look like but with emerging technologies and the improvement of older cleaner fuel sources, many people now look to a post fossil fuel world - including businesses. Since the 1950s, we have experienced unprecedented growth including intensive farming, a technological revolution and a massive increase in our power needs putting even greater pressure and strain on the planet’s resources. We are also far more aware of the plight of the developing world and that facing our planet as we now observe both natural and human-caused disasters and the effects that these can have on the ecosystems and on human population. It’s vital that we develop new, cleaner technologies to cope with our energy demands but sustainability is not just about the environment. The biggest social activism movement related to the social development side of sustainability, has been programs such as Fair Trade and the Rainforest Alliance in encouraging good farming practices while ensuring farmers who produce luxury goods such as coffee and cocoa receive a decent living wage. Activist and sustainability professionals hope to remove trade barriers in future so that they may benefit everyone, contributing to the economic and social development core of sustainability while promoting good environmental practice
Methodology Initially the process of research started by accumulating secondary data. Firstly understood the exact meaning of sustainability and then evaluated the relation between craft and sustainability. Then after knowing the brief I decided to take an area on which I was supposed to focus and particularly found the crafts in that area. However, Kutch which is humming state of Gujarat for crafts was taken into consideration. Consequently I started listing all the craft from Kutch and even amalgamating the background of those crafts. As I required the crafts which set into the range of sustainability i.e. eco-friendly, zero waste, maintain the crafts in market. So I opted for some crafts like Namda craft, Ajarakh printing, recycled plastic weaving, Kharad weaving and Bandhani which came in those range. I inquired those crafts in which some were sustainable whereas some were not. So I planned to give suggestions at the end of the research papers that how they can be sustainable enough in market and how to promote them. So after completion of secondary data I interacted to the artisans of the craft which I opted for. 8 Next I outlined a meeting with those artisans and requested to explain their craft process and how they deal with the market. My visit to Kutch was of two days, First day I went to Mundra for Namda carpet weaving and then to Nirona village for Rogan painting. Then second day I visited to Bhujodi for shawl weaving, Bhuj for Bandhan and lastly for Kharad weaving. Interviewed all those artisans and known the problems which they were facing to come in market.
Case Study Namda Craft
Brief: Namdas are non-woven felts made by hand using local sheep wool. The wool fibre is dyed in various colour and intricate designs are made. History: In 11th century during the region of Mughal Emperor Akbar, a man named Nubi innovatively created a felted covering for the kings ill horse. Since then people have been making felted clothes from the wool of sheep. The craft is primarily practiced by Pinjara and Mansuri communities Sama Muslim native to Kutch this craft is practiced in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kutch. Stumbling Blocks: There is only one family working on this craft in Mundra, Kutch and today that artisans has started working as carpenter due to less demand. Due to the poor designs people prefer less to purchase the products. The main issue is that he cannot make the products in bulk as the wool catches insects by keeping that product for certain months. For avoiding this they need to keep those products in sunlight and to wash frequently.
Rogan Art
Brief: Rogan is the technique of painting on the piece of fabric by heating castor oil and mixing it in the powdered colours to obtain paste sort of consistency. Incorporating it as a freehand i.e. half design is painted by hand and then the fabric is folded to make whole pattern. Hands make the significant art. History: The ancient and rare craft of Rogan art comes from Persia. Rogan in Persian means “oil-based�. The motifs used in Rogan art, such as geometric flowers, peacocks, and the tree of life, evoke a once-sublime culture and its understanding of beauty. Today Khatri families are continuing this crafts in Nirona village in Kutch. Stumbling Blocks: There are couple of families working on this craft. Due to machine production this craft is on the verge of extinction. The substitute of this craft is rubber print which is done through machines. Recycled Plastic Weaving
Brief: Plastic weaving is and innovative concept promoted by KHAMIR as a solution to waste management issues by using traditional weaving skills in Kutch.
This is the best example of sustainable crafts, in this particular craft the recycling of plastic is carried upon. The first step is that the women working there collect and segregate the plastic waste. Next is washing the plastic waste and drying. Then it is trimmed into thin and long strips. Eventually it is woven into a sheet even by using nylon threads. Building bridges: The craft is based on reusing of plastic which is now a days in ban but reusing it in a form traditional weaving is an unique idea. This craft makes the environment clean from plastic bags and other waste thrown here and there. Consequently, women working there collect the plastic bags for nearby villages and make the products like table mat, pouch and purse. They are even giving weaving loom and giving the ground to woman by teaching this so they can emerge this craft. Kharad Weaving
Brief: Kharad weaving is an ancient technique of weaving with camel hairs. The fibres are made from camel hair and then it is dyed by using natural dyes and chemical dyes and then it is woven in to carpet and camel decoration. Presently the Kharad craft is a diminishing craft. Out of the 10 families practicing this craft until the 1990s, there are only two left. All others have shifted to other livelihood options. These 2 artisan families are also finding it hard to get regular orders. Stumbling Blocks: There are only two of the families working on this craft. Due to machine production this craft is on the verge of extinction. The process is very long in making this carpet or the camel decoration so it costs too much and now a days people easily manipulate in machine made and hand made and the similar product they will prefer to buy in low cost.
There are countless crafts in Kutch out of which the above crafts are such which came into the range of my study and through which it was able to gain the perfect meaning of sustainability. Some of the crafts which I covered but not mentioned here are Ajrakh printing, Bandhani. One of the best thing in ajarkh printing is that the natural dyes are used so it do not harm environment it is totally eco-friendly and even the dyes which are been used are not discarded but the artisans use in agriculture. And ajrakh printing is also being changing its motifs according to the market needs. Subsequently it is accepted by people and demand is raising. Thus this craft is sustainable. It sets in all range i.e. reuse, eco- friendly, accepting change. Sustainability has been defined in innumerable ways. There is no specific definition of it, Consequently, it is interpreted by following like reusing, recycling, eco -friendly.
Analysis Through this research I remarked one thing in all the crafts that they need right direction to emerge for instance , Namda craft is the old technique of weaving with hands from sheep wool and it is long process . But due to the climatic condition of Kutch this material is not used in garments . The place where the temperature is low , the caps & jackets of this materials are used . At present artisans make woven toy , wall hangings & table mats .Unfortunately there is only one artisan left over in Kutch who is practising . In this way there are many crafts which are leaving behind unveiled and there are many reasons behind it like resources , economic point & acceptance of change. The prior element is changing according to the market. Suggestions There are some point which is to be recommended for making craft sustainable . One frequent entity which triggered during the research was change. Change is necessary. After some period of time every thing needs to change according to the atmosphere and in case of craft if they rigidly hold there traditional motifs, colours and techniques then it will be low in demand after some point. Undoubtedly there is a unique essence of touch and feel but according to the market demand and people’s liking they need to accept change and work accordingly, for instance in Bandhani or weaving they are combining two crafts as the people are striking their minds towards unique thing. In this way change should be accepted. Likewise Namda craft can be taken into upgraded to another level by producing unique product like they can make hangings. Even they can incorporate some other material and the same technique which is traditional so might be demanded due to change in resources. After that if we say for recycled plastic weaving then they are having limited source of getting those plastic bags so if the awareness is been spread by the organisation or if the government make people aware as indirectly it is related to Swatch Bharat Abhiyan. And the products which are made out of it are also very attractive and unique so it may be spread out among the people by exhibiting those products. Then incorporating the knowledge of the craft as institutional studies/ project. Recommendation: -Accepting Change -Incorporating craft as Institutional Studies -Making people aware about those crafts
Conclusion Through this study the conclusion we get is the artisans who are struggling to come in market and the crafts which are on the verge of extinction should follow the recommendation and the artisans need proper direction to the craft for present market and designs so the workshop should be conducted and the people in design fields and the people who are joined in this craft area should be aware about the above crafts like Namda is at the worst condition right now, the artisan is not getting any kind of support from the government and almost left his craft. Consequently the people should be made aware about the crafts which are still existing but they are not getting support so they are supported and upgraded through some events like exhibition, involving the design students to interpret that in there study.
References http://www.sustainabilitystore.com/sustainable/ https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/sasi/research/projects/craft/ https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/njsts/article/view/2430 https://yourstory.com/2016/06/india-growth-sustainability-scale/ http://www.khamir.org/crafts https://www.lostwithpurpose.com/crafts-kutch/ https://www.makemytrip.com/blog/unique-craft-villages-kutch-gujarat http://www.rannutsav.com/handicrafts-kutch.php Textiles of the Banjara By Tim McLaughlin Handcrafted Indian Textiles By Martand Singh Photo credits Photography by Dhwani Chauhan Edited by Dhwani Chauhan
Appendix
(Illustrations)
Interview From how many years are you working on this craft? Is this craft a gift from your ancestors? From where do you get the resources? How many orders do you get? Are you getting enough money from this craft? Do you face any challenges in the process? What is the history of this craft? Do government provide any facility in upgrading your craft? Do NGOs help in any way? Are you changing the designs according to the trend? Do you still perform the traditional method? Which kind of products do you make? What is the reason behind extinction of craft?
Documented by Dhwani Chauhan