Archives
Reeding the Future
Kouna products have become a special attraction in almost all the fairs held in the state, national and even international levels. These products have been proved to provide comfort for users besides being eco-friendly.
The demand for Kouna products came mainly from cities like Delhi and Mumbai within India and foreign countries like the UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, UAE, various Latin American countries and Switzerland.
The recent discovery of another Kauna like variety which is called Chumthang is likely to boost up the handicraft activities in the state. The credit goes to social worker turned craftsman Thoudam Modhu Singh for his research work under the aegis of United Scientific Rural Development Association (USRDA).
This 57 year old craftsman started using this plant in making various smaller handicraft items in his first attempt in the summer of 2007. Since then handicraft items made from Chumthang have been gaining popularity both as luxury as well as ordinary household items.
“Thus we started introducing the plant besides giving training to around 20 girls in my locality,” Modhu recalled. The basic idea of introducing Chumthang crafts is to provide alternative work for unemployed women folk in the villages. Stating that the popularity of the Chumthang has been degraded by the daily use of plastics and other synthetic raw materials, Modhu said that Chumthang is used in producing items like various forms of bags, hand-fans, curtains, seats etc and it was once also very popular with the royal family.
Chumthang, a plant available in abundance in the Loktak Lake on the Mayang Imphal site has been common knowledge in the state for ages but was never given the importance it deserves. It has come to the fore yet again today having become the source of income for a sizeable section of the society, showing its potential in providing livelihood in an economically backward state like Manipur.
“So we’ve trained many individuals mostly unemployed village girls of the state of which about 215 of them are working as instructors,” Modhu added. Now, the livelihoods of nearly a hundred families are dependant on Chumthang crafts. Those who have received Chumthang crafts training are now easily earning their livelihood.
Modhu’s Chumthang crafts products filled the stall at the Apunba Kanglei Sinnaibi Lup sponsored 4th Kanglei Ningol Khudol Handloom Mela last year held prior to Manipur’s greatest festival Ningol Chakouba which falls on October 20 and was a the major crowd puller at the event.
So far he had participated in almost all the crafts melas held across the state. He has also attended an International Trade Fair held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. “At that period of time we couldn’t cater to the demands of the customers due to shortage of trained hands in our locality,” he recalls. But now Modhu boasts of having the adequate trained hands and raw materials.
This craftsman further said that there were no problems for raw material as the water reeds are abundantly available in the hills and lakes of Manipur, especially in areas surrounding the Loktak lake and asserted that the availability of raw materials would be sufficient for the smooth running of the industry for more than a decade. Thus he appeals the concerned authority as such a venture could help in providing employment to womenfolk of the state as well as address its unemployment problems.
Further, according to Modhu Singh, the handicraft products made out of Chumthang are in great demand as they can be guaranteed for about 15 years. Modhu asserted that to promote the items keeping in view the economic benefits, there is a need for widespread awareness from the Government side.
So far there is no effort from the government authority to pay attention to the Chumthang products though they keep promising to do the needful because of the uniqueness of the products.
This busy craftsman who is a father of three children is never at rest as he is presently starting to accumulate as many water reed finished products as possible for his participation in another big handicrafts fair in Jharkhand in August this year.
“But we’re discussing the matter as we are pre-occupied with training programs for the beginners besides the ongoing road and communication problems in the state,” Modhu said.
Now USRDA in association with the 12 Maratha Light Infantry is organising an intensive month long training program on Chumthang crafts for the youth at Malom in Imphal West district.
A Guwahati based group of young entrepreneurs had also recently approached them to send the ‘rate quotations’ of their Chumthang products for their commercial outlet in the premier city of the Northeastern states.
The future looks bright for Modhu and his products but only time will tell if he gets any assistance from the Government.
The demand for Kouna products came mainly from cities like Delhi and Mumbai within India and foreign countries like the UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, UAE, various Latin American countries and Switzerland.
The recent discovery of another Kauna like variety which is called Chumthang is likely to boost up the handicraft activities in the state. The credit goes to social worker turned craftsman Thoudam Modhu Singh for his research work under the aegis of United Scientific Rural Development Association (USRDA).
This 57 year old craftsman started using this plant in making various smaller handicraft items in his first attempt in the summer of 2007. Since then handicraft items made from Chumthang have been gaining popularity both as luxury as well as ordinary household items.
“Thus we started introducing the plant besides giving training to around 20 girls in my locality,” Modhu recalled. The basic idea of introducing Chumthang crafts is to provide alternative work for unemployed women folk in the villages. Stating that the popularity of the Chumthang has been degraded by the daily use of plastics and other synthetic raw materials, Modhu said that Chumthang is used in producing items like various forms of bags, hand-fans, curtains, seats etc and it was once also very popular with the royal family.
Chumthang, a plant available in abundance in the Loktak Lake on the Mayang Imphal site has been common knowledge in the state for ages but was never given the importance it deserves. It has come to the fore yet again today having become the source of income for a sizeable section of the society, showing its potential in providing livelihood in an economically backward state like Manipur.
“So we’ve trained many individuals mostly unemployed village girls of the state of which about 215 of them are working as instructors,” Modhu added. Now, the livelihoods of nearly a hundred families are dependant on Chumthang crafts. Those who have received Chumthang crafts training are now easily earning their livelihood.
Modhu’s Chumthang crafts products filled the stall at the Apunba Kanglei Sinnaibi Lup sponsored 4th Kanglei Ningol Khudol Handloom Mela last year held prior to Manipur’s greatest festival Ningol Chakouba which falls on October 20 and was a the major crowd puller at the event.
So far he had participated in almost all the crafts melas held across the state. He has also attended an International Trade Fair held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. “At that period of time we couldn’t cater to the demands of the customers due to shortage of trained hands in our locality,” he recalls. But now Modhu boasts of having the adequate trained hands and raw materials.
This craftsman further said that there were no problems for raw material as the water reeds are abundantly available in the hills and lakes of Manipur, especially in areas surrounding the Loktak lake and asserted that the availability of raw materials would be sufficient for the smooth running of the industry for more than a decade. Thus he appeals the concerned authority as such a venture could help in providing employment to womenfolk of the state as well as address its unemployment problems.
Further, according to Modhu Singh, the handicraft products made out of Chumthang are in great demand as they can be guaranteed for about 15 years. Modhu asserted that to promote the items keeping in view the economic benefits, there is a need for widespread awareness from the Government side.
So far there is no effort from the government authority to pay attention to the Chumthang products though they keep promising to do the needful because of the uniqueness of the products.
This busy craftsman who is a father of three children is never at rest as he is presently starting to accumulate as many water reed finished products as possible for his participation in another big handicrafts fair in Jharkhand in August this year.
“But we’re discussing the matter as we are pre-occupied with training programs for the beginners besides the ongoing road and communication problems in the state,” Modhu said.
Now USRDA in association with the 12 Maratha Light Infantry is organising an intensive month long training program on Chumthang crafts for the youth at Malom in Imphal West district.
A Guwahati based group of young entrepreneurs had also recently approached them to send the ‘rate quotations’ of their Chumthang products for their commercial outlet in the premier city of the Northeastern states.
The future looks bright for Modhu and his products but only time will tell if he gets any assistance from the Government.
Sobhapati Samom
