Students get insight on potential of handloom and handicrafts

A one-day national seminar on ‘Handloom and handicrafts: An economic perspective of indigenous products in Northeast India’ organised by the Economics department of Immanuel College, Dimapur — sponsored by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

DIMAPUR — The general manager of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Tiakala Ao, said that handloom and handicraft sector has immense potentialities in terms of economic prospect, employment opportunities and for export in the global market besides preserving and promoting indigenous products.

She stated this during a one-day national seminar on ‘Handloom and handicrafts: An economic perspective of indigenous products in Northeast India’ organised by the Economics department of Immanuel College, Dimapur, on July 1 at the college conference hall. The seminar was sponsored by NABARD. Tiakala has described handloom and handicrafts as the most important sector next to agriculture in Northeast region.

She also highlighted on the schemes provided by NABARD to six villages to help the local artisans, stated an update from the college.

The keynote speaker, Jesmina Zeliang, COA member of Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, founder of Heirloom Naga and Cane Concept and executive member of Handicraft and Carpet Sector Skill Council, spoke on ‘Scopes of textiles and crafts of Northeast India.’ She has emphasised on the impact of handloom and handicraft on the sustainable development goals and its environmental friendly benefits.

The handloom industry being the largest cottage industry in India, she informed that the North eastern part of India alone contributed over 50% of the weavers in the country. Jesmina also expressed her views on becoming stakeholders in the handloom industry and its scope in both domestic and global markets.

She urged the participants to instill the importance of handloom and utilise the vast resources available in the region. She concluded by citing the challenges faced by the handloom industry and some measures to address those challenges.

In the first session, three resource persons namely Neitshopeu Thopi, coordinator of Nenterprise Chizami Weaves in Phek; Dr. Polakshi Bhattacharya, assistant professor at Don Bosco University, Guwahati; and Dr. Trinankur Dey, assistant professor of Management and Commerce at ICFAI University, Tripura, presented their papers on handicraft and handloom with reference to Chizami Weaves, vocal for local and the handloom sector of Northeast India and marketing perspective in this sector respectively.

Kotra Balayogi from Unity College of Teacher Education in Dimapur and Suraj Debnath from Assam University, Diphu campus, have emphasised on entrepreneurship education and employment generation, which are emerging avenues for the people living in rural areas.

The second technical session witnessed discussion on the initiatives taken by the government to empower and preserve cultural heritage, a historical perspective on reconstruction of indigenous nettle (Thebvo) weaving of the Chakhesang Nagas, analysis of women’s participation in the handloom industry in Northeast India, economic prospect of handloom in Nagaland and traditional bamboo crafts of the Nath-Yogi community of Sivasagar district of Assam.

Papers were presented by Angshik Sharma Bhiswa from Assam University, Diphu campus; Dikhrou Dianu from Nagaland University; Brave We’ll Mawthoh from Don Bosco College, Tura; Riongchang Jamir and Ellika N Chishi from Immanuel College; Uttam Nath, Temsunungla, Toshinungla Ao from St. John College, Dimapur.

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