Tarao tribe sustaining livelihood with bamboo crafts
Source: Chronicle News Service / Ranjit Angom
Imphal, December 13 2022:
As the government is taking up several initiatives to promote the handicraft sector, residents of Khuringmul village, a settlement of Tarao tribe, located some 18 km away from Chandel district headquarters, are adopting bamboo craft as their main livelihood source.
The village, whose settlement dates back to 1984, lies in a small hillock and does not have proper road connectivity.
In the absence of any bridge nearby, they cross the Maha River on four wheeler vehicles during lean season.
Village secretary K Parkham told The People's Chronicle that they do not have any agricultural land except for four families, who practice agriculture on hired land.
Bamboo craft is the main source of livelihood for the villagers.
However, some youths have started to shift to woodworking lately while a couple of families are engaged in blacksmithing.
Some women residents are also engaged in weaving using traditional backstrap loom.
Bamboo craft products that the villagers make include mats, 'sham' (bamboo basket with head straps), and conventional baskets among others.
They live on hand to mouth with the meagre income they get from their craft works, which they find it tough to get proper market.
Amid such poverty and lack of opportunity to generate income, the villagers are deprived of benefits of government schemes.
Despite bamboo craft being the main source of income, the residents have not received any benefits of handicraft schemes till date.
The main hurdle that comes in their way in availing benefits of handicraft scheme is lack of training and certificate, which are prerequisites for getting any support, even though they are well versed in their profession.
Due to lack of proper road connectivity and communication infrastructure, the villagers are also unable to participate in training programmes organised by the government, the secretary elaborated.
Though the Government of India set up a weaving and handicraft workshed under NEC funding in 2020-21, they are not able to enjoy any benefits of the facility, he said.
The villagers want the government to organise training programme at the workshed so that they could get the required training and certificates to get benefits of schemes, K Parkham added.
On the bright side, he said, the Government of India had sanctioned Rs 3 crore for four Tarao villages a couple of years back.
With the fund, a community hall for the Tarao tribe, one creation centre and two delivery blocks were constructed at Laimanai village, which is the first Tarao settlement.
A boys' hostel was constructed at Leishok village and a girls' hostel at Khuringmul village, he said.
The village also got two handpumps installed by the Central government and NERCORMP, which resolved the issue of water scarcity in the village to some extent, said the secretary.
Though there is a government UJB Primary School in the village, it is left high and dry without any teaching staff.
For the cultural heritage of the community, the state government sanctioned Rs 10 lakh under Manipur State Rural Livelihood Mission for construction of a Tarao Tribe Heritage Museum.
With the fund, they have started collection and display of items related with the community's art and culture, Parkpham conveyed.
Apart from these fundings, they have not got any notable assistance from the government to enhance their income and living standard.
However, the villagers are still hoping that their bamboo crafts will get recognition one day and bring new hope to the village, he confided.