India is a country of colossal diversity!
The Indian land is an expansion of vast cultural, lingual, culinary, architectural and geographical heritage. With every few kilometres a new language, food and clothing is introduced. From North to South and East to West, India offers a varied plethora of experiences. As the quality of air, land, and general resources change there comes a lot of scope of change in the type of occupations people have in those particular areas. For instance, In Kashmir the common traditional occupation of people is farming, making leather items, weaving pashmina along with many others. The geographical conditions in the north of India are favourable for growing apples, saffron, apricots etc. and rearing sheep, which facilitates them, with an opportunity to sell them or the items made with them locally and globally. In a simpler language, when one combines human creativity with the resources available at a place, the output derived becomes the identity or craft of that place. A geographical indication (GI) is a good example of the same. GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. The government of India has taken many measures in this direction and facilitated many ways in which these crafts can be celebrated and can flourish over the years to come. With the advent of advanced machinery and western knowledge the old craft is being replaced with mill manufactured. The communities of craftsmen have resorted to other means of livelihoods. Their offsprings are chasing the rat race leaving the legacy of their land and ancestors behind. The machine made products have not only affected the quality of the items the place was known for but has also ruined the quality of the natural resources. The lands are exploited to establish huge mills and factories, consequently the quality of life of humans working in these set ups, the quality of vegetation and animals have adversely affected, for them to yield anything but the best. The government bodies are now working towards the upliftment of these communities by providing them with platforms
that can help them sustain their craft.
One such initiative is ODOP (One District One Product) scheme by the government of Uttar Pradesh launched in January 2018. It was intended that with this effort, districts and villages throughout Uttar Pradesh could raise their incomes, add employment, and guarantee a sustainable economy for every community. The scheme showed a significant economic growth and hence was later adopted by the central government. This scheme is launched to promote locally produced goods. The goal is to support the local creativity, skill, and resources of different Indian regions. Each district in the ODOP program is given a single distinct product that it may produce utilizing its own resources, skilled labour, or raw materials. This will enable craftsmen and those working in local industry and trade to establish sustainable livelihoods improving the economy of the entire country. The ODOP was launched for all the States/UTs of the country, which is a transformational step towards the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The main purpose of ODOP is – Realising the true potential of a district. Promoting economic development. Generating employment and rural entrepreneurship.
The ODOP has already produced outstanding results, assisting in the employment of thousands of people and boosting the profits of several small businesses.
In Uttar Pradesh, Black Pottery of Nizamabad in Azamgarh district holds a GI Tag and also comes under the ODOP scheme. The black pottery is around a 500 year old tradition of the district, that is believed to have come to Nizamabad with the community of ‘Kumhars’ of Gujarat who were commissioned by a Mughal. The soil of Azamgarh well adopted the craft and enhanced the skill of the potters enabling them to create intriguing shapes and sizes. Kabbish in its past five years has brought out the craft of Black Pottery on a national and international map through its unique jewellery designs. The designing and the marketing strategy of the brand showcases the craft in a very traditional yet in a trending light. The initiatives of the brand have multiplied the number of employment opportunities of the terracotta potters. Awareness has been created amongst not only the local communities, but the youngsters and adjoining districts of the state practicing the same craft.
Kabbish has now partnered with the government of India to work towards the same agenda of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India to promote the indigenous crafts. Such projects would work as a fuel in the development of the languishing crafts. As mentioned above, the Craft is an identity of a region, losing a craft is losing an identity or an age old cultural tradition. Let us become an intermediary in solidifying the basis of our economy, let us support our local craftsmen and artisans in every small way possible to contribute to our overall economic growth. ‘Vocal For Local’ should be a catchphrase of not only the Prime Minister, but every brand, organization, influencer, and individual who has a voice to make the difference and is flourishing in this culturally enriched soil- for as Biren Bhuta said,
“The loss of culture is the greatest loss any society can suffer.”
Seema Solanki (Kanak) comes from a tourism background. She is an Art and Culture enthusiast and holds working experience in most of the sectors in Tourism, and is currently working as a Manager at the Palace Atelier, The City Palace of Jaipur.
