Empowerment for Chhattisgarh craft clusters

Abstract

Chhattisgarh, a state which has almost 41% of its land area under forest cover is one of the major contributors to the handicrafts sectors inhibiting art forms like Dhokra, Terracotta, Bamboo work, Wrought iron etc. The main contributors to these crafts sectors in the state are the tribes residing at remote locations in the state. There are many families or groups who have been practicing these art forms for generations, are now drifting to other means to earn their livelihood. A report from UN says that the no of artisans working in India has been reduced by 30% in past 3 decades. Therefore in our work we try to address the issues pertaining to the state of the crafts and understand what technological interventions could be brought in, to make the crafts self-sustainable. In this paper we try to bring to forefront of our attention that the traditions of the handmade crafts have to be empowered for its sustainability and improvement of living conditions of the artisans.