Handicraft holds an important place in Meghalaya's traditional, social and economic space. For centuries, handicraft has been the mainstay for creating various household items such as domestic tools and decor, and to a certain extent it continues to be a part of the lives of people especially in the rural communities across the state. Items such as baskets, furniture, beds, floor mats, wood carvings, and flower pots made of bamboo and cane products are some of the highlights of what the communities of Meghalaya are capable of producing.
Lately, however, there has been a gradual decline in the number of artisans engaged in this traditional art, one of the key reasons being that handicraft is meticulous to make and difficult to sell due to the high price when compared to modern alternatives. To make ends meet, many artisans have had no choice but to abandon this art and to opt for other means of livelihood. Tynnai is a classic example of such a place that once excelled in this tradition but is today struggling to preserve that heritage.
Tynnai is a small village that comprises of eighty six households and is located in South West Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya. In the past, the village was renowned for its cane and bamboo handicrafts. The skilled artisans from this village were capable of creating numerous useful and unique handicrafts and would pass down their knowledge to their children who would later succeed them. In this manner, the knowledge was passed from one generation to the next and the activity continued. Some of the notable products produced by these artisans included stools, baskets, mats, cone baskets and bamboo rice winnowers, which were made using cane and bamboo from their own gardens. At one point of time, their products were so popular that people from neighbouring villages would visit Tynnai just to buy these products for household use. Their handicrafts would sell not only at the local weekly markets but also at far-away, bigger markets such as Iewduh in Shillong, Nongstoin, Mairang , Mawkyrwat and Riangdo.
In the last decade however, the number of handicraft artisans from Tynnai started to decline. Most of the male artisans stopped making handicrafts because they could not earn much from it, and have instead opted to work as labourers in other towns and villages. The women artisans too, while still engaged in making handicraft, have stopped producing for the market. The reason is that the demand for such products has reduced significantly with the availability of cheaper mass produced alternatives in the market. Customers now prefer cheaper and easily available plastic products over the old-fashioned cane or bamboo products.
Concerned by the fact that handicraft, which was once the pride of the village, was at risk of fading into obscurity, Bah(Mr.) Twolding Jyrwa, the headman of the village, decided to step-up and do something to elevate the fading art. He observed that while demand for handicraft for household utility had declined, there was still huge potential in the tourism sector. Determined to revive this age old practice, he got in touch with the women who still practiced handicraft and got into serious discussions with them over the opportunities that still existed in this domain. As an outcome, in 2010, twenty six women artisans got together to form the Women's Cane and Bamboo Industrial Cooperative Society with Mr. Twolding Jyrwa as their adviser.
The Society was clear on its mandate which further crystallised its five precise objectives as follows - (1) To uplift their own economic conditions and statuses; (2) To showcase their crafts to other parts of the country during exhibitions and trade fairs; (3) To advance their own skills and abilities; (4) To seek support from the government in the form of relevant aid and schemes; and (5) To further expand their market.
With the support of the District Commerce and Industries Centre (DCIC), they went for exposure visits to Assam, Tripura, Kolkata and other states that have been successful in commercial production of cane and bamboo. There they learned how to make new products like table lamps, showpieces, table mats and other cane and bamboo decorative items. After this, they registered themselves at the Mawkyrwat Enterprise Facilitation Centres (EFC) which further helped promote their products by arranging for their participation in various programmes and exhibitions across the state.
With each opportunity, Bah Twolding was able to grow his network and increase the sales of the society. He was able to link the women to handicraft shops at Police Bazaar, which is a prime commercial area in Meghalaya, and was able to make deals with traders from Kolkata. As a result, the society was able to bag several bulk deals and this significantly improved their revenue. As of now, each member earns between Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 on average, daily. But this number could go up if some existing constraints are addressed. One of the biggest constraints that prevents them from increasing production is the lack of a dry shed to store their handicrafts. Tynnai receives rainfall almost throughout the year and with no proper protection, the excess handicraft products gathers moss and fungus, rendering them useless.
Another reason why the members needed a work shed is to maintain consistency and quality in their products. As of now, each member works in their own house making it difficult to keep a check on quality and consistency.
However, the members are already working on a plan to build a common work shed so they can all work together in one place. With the shed in place, monitoring and quality check of mass produced products can be done. A proper storage house is also planned for construction.
The hard work of Bah Twolding and the artisans of the Society have not only improved their own livelihoods but also gradually helped to turn the tide for this age old tradition that nearly disappeared from their village. Today, even the men who had once abandoned this activity are beginning to return to their roots, a testimony to the great work of these astounding people.