How TEDP is nurturing the revival of tribal arts and crafts

Jan 13, 2022

India is a land of arts and crafts. Due to its diversity, every region has its own history and tradition of art to offer, which includes drawings, paintings, embroideries, carvings, handloom weaving, rangoli designs, portraits, and saris among others. However, many traditional tribal art forms are on the verge of extinction or getting replaced because it is often not an economically viable option for artisans.

Multiple efforts are being made to revive traditional arts and crafts by numerous institutions, NGOs, and government agencies. The Tribal Development Entrepreneurship Program (TEDP) is one such initiative. A joint enterprise by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and apex industry body, ASSOCHAM, it has helped artisans from the remotest parts of the country to generate decent revenues and provide them a platform to promote their work online. As of today, the initiative has succeeded in bringing 350 tribal artisans from various parts of the country into the mainstream of society. The program has provided artisans with opportunities to present themselves digitally to access global markets.

Take the case of Sumitra (45), a tribal artisan from Meenangadi, Wayanad, Kerala. She has been making bamboo handicraft products for the past 15 years. “My ancestors were skilled in these items and the entire village people would come to our house to learn from them. Even I learned this art from my family and have continued the tradition,” she says. However, she did not pursue it further as it was not a profitable means of livelihood. In 2005, a local NGO got in touch with her and the other tribals in the area to train them to make different products than the ones they were already making. Since then she works for the NGO and earns Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per month.

Sumitra was one of 350 artisans chosen by ASSOCHAM to participate in the skill improvement training for the tribal artisan workshop last year. “We are being trained to make new products, which can be sold in the market. I hope this will help me earn more,” she says. After the training, she even participated in local events as well as exhibitions organized by MoTA to sell the products. “The training by TEDP gave me the confidence to pursue art and create new items,” she shares.

Similarly, the TEDP training helped Dinesh Shyam (33) to continue with his Gond painting. “The expert trainers told artists to produce paintings according to the demand in the market,” says the Gond artist from Madhya Pradesh. “Earlier, I would randomly paint anything. I had no idea about how to structure my artwork and display them.” Since Gond art is steeped in folk ethos, the mentors during the TEDP workshop taught him to select a theme on its Adivasi cultures like the tribal lifestyle, food habits, and deities and weave stories around them. Appreciative of his training through a series of workshops, camps, and events initiated by the government, Dinesh learned that detailing and colour combinations used in his paintings would make his work stand out.

Theresia Lyngdoh, 38, has mastered the art of traditional handloom weaving. She belongs to the Khasi Bhoi tribe in Meghalaya and has inherited the art of handloom weaving from her family. The artisan specializes in weaving indigenous tribal wear such as shawls in white-and-red and black-and-red which is symbolic of the tribe. However, the TEDP training helped her get insights into new designs and be self-sufficient enough to be able to promote her business online and take orders.

Dr. Steffy Teressa Murmu, (35), a Ph.D holder in the ‘Oral Tradition of Santhals’ is a woman of multiple talents. She is a professor, author, writer, social activist, and a Jererd Santhal mural artist. She runs a non-profit social welfare program, Rasik Besra Memorial Trust, in Santhal Pargana. She and her team work for the upliftment of indigenous women, health, and agriculture among other things. Her love for her art and culture made her come up with this trust to work for the indigenous identity and educate rural people. Talking about her participation in the TEDP workshop, she shares, “Talking from the tribal artists’ point of view, the workshop was a great opportunity to learn and enhance the skill. I took the training, because if I am not aware of these things how will I inform or educate the people there.

This joint initiative is in-line with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan announced by the central government to initiate self-sustenance and help in creating employment-generating opportunities for the tribal community.