MorungExpress, India – May 1, 2008
Dimapur | April 30 : Located 13 Km from Dimapur, Diezephe Craft Village under Dhansiripar sub-division, is an excellent model of a craft concerted village, where the main source of earning is from woodcrafting.
In the recent times, this village under the guidance of the Nagaland Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation Limited, Dimapur (NHHDC), has taken major strides in of wood, bamboo and cane craftworks.
“80 percent of the village households out of more than 150 in the village have been generating their income through craft,†said Velasüzo Shijo, chairman of Craft and Development Society, which tend to crafts in the village. The society is registered under the Home department, Government of Nagaland. The society consists of 12 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with a total of 142 members, out of which 90 are craftsmen. Some village members who work from home are also under the society.
This village has a common workshed, constructed under the work-shed scheme through NHHDC Ltd., sponsored by the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, New Delhi. This workshed was inaugurated by I Imkong Jamir, the then Minister for Industries & Commerce in November 16, 2001.
Stating the role of NHHDC Ltd in the development of this craft village, Shijo said it was Hekali Zhimomi, the then Managing Director of the NHHDC Ltd who played a significant role to identify the potential of the village in the field of craft.
He stated that it (NHHDC Ltd) has helped financially and showed them various ways. “We sell our crafts through the NHHDC emporiums in Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung and Phek and even outside the state emporiums.†“It is our monthly craft buyer,†he said and maintained that “there was a 5 year project between the NHHDC and the village, during which the NHHDC guided and helped us but the 5 year project is now completed. And now we are self-sufficient.â€
Informing about the showroom at Half-Nagarjan junction, the chairman stated the ‘Craft Gallery,’ run by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), is a three-year project to help craftsmen sell finished products while the expenditure of maintaining the showroom is all made by the IIE. The village has its own showroom, he informed. Referring to the craft of the village, he said that people still prefer handmade products, especially foreign tourists, but due to competition and to meet the growing market demand, the village has started to use machines.
However, he said in some products, the machine gives a prefect finish. He disclosed that the village uses both machine and hand using Dao, hand drill, chisel etc. He informed that 90 craftsmen did not apply for any recognition or award or participated in any competition as these craftsmen are happy earning their own livelihood and pointed out that the craftsmen of the village did not undergo any formal training.
The chairman also talked about the huge expenditure on electricity bill, machine repairing and miscellaneous expenses despite good earning by the village. Apart from NHHDC Ltd, he stated that the society also gets orders from different states in the form of various products like decorative and useful items of wood, bamboo and cane. The society also got orders from Korea and Indonesia, he informed.
Talking about the raw material, the chairman said that the village brings bamboo from the Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency (NBDA) and continued that due to non-availability of cane in plain areas, they bring cane from Peren and Jalukie areas.
Explaining about the help the village received from the Centre, Shijo said that the central government would often send the craftsmen from the village to different states to learn new ideas and modern marketing strategies. “This tradition has started since 2002 till date, however, the selection of the craftsmen is done by the society,†he disclosed.
Talking about the younger generation of the village, Shijo said that the children are proud of holding to the tradition of craft and they contribute through small things. And the youngest among them is of 13 years of age, he stated.
Highlighting some of the grievances of the village, Shijo said that “there is a ‘table-plainer’ machine in the common work-shed but no one in the village knows how to operate it. The government has asked the society to send two people for training but the society has decided not to send any people rather the government should send the technician so that everybody in the village can learn the technique,†and continued that “the society is still waiting for the response from the government.†“Even the motor of ‘table-plainer’ is of low capacity,†he pointed out.
He also stated that the present motor in the work-shed is of 5 HP, but the work-shed requires a 10 HP motor which costs around Rs. 15, 000. “The list of visitors to the village included ministers, bureaucrats, officials from various departments, outside students and even foreign tourists but the village does not have a ‘Rest House’ to accommodate tourists and guests, and to organise seminars in the village,†he stated and continued that “sometimes people stay at my home.†He highlighted that the ‘Ring-well’ and ‘two toilets’ were constructed under AHVY Scheme.
Velasüzo Shijo assumed the charge of Chairman of the Craft and Development Society, Diezephe village in 2002 and has been continuing with the support of the people in the village. He also served the village as the Chairman of the Village Council for 8 years. He even got the invitation from Israel Government to visit the country but he declined the invitation due to language problem. The village makes various kinds of wood, bamboo and cane products for home use and decorations which are very minimal in cost.