ENDANGERED ARTS

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: Crafting India
Suman Tarafdar in New Delhi
India is a cultural superpower.” This assertion by current ICCR chairperson Pawan Varma may be disputed by many on grounds of comparative merits with other nations and societies. But there is no disputing the fact that a crucial element in the diversity of India comprises its cultural heritage.

Indian arts and crafts have developed over millennia, and today not just each region, but even micro-regions have their own unique traditions. Whether it be performing arts or woodwork, metal casting or dyeing, the range is varied, and most forms have a highly developed theoretical basis, documented.

And yet they are today being challenged as never before. They are also living traditions, which became a way of life for those involved. For a Theyyam practitioner, it was not just a performance, but the individual’s entire life and livelihood revolved around it. The slowly changing modes of life allowed the traditions to continue over generations, though occa- sional challenges like the intrusion of the colonial economy had already altered some aspects of the artisanal mode of production beyond recognition.

The current forms of economy, with their overwhelming desire to establish similar patterns in production and indeed our lives, are leaving very little space for these cultural forms to coexist. As the result, each passing moment is seeing the death of these age-old arts. As fathers encourage their children to study, and not follow the family traditions of being a kabutarbaaz, or a handloom weaver, there is a gradual, and imperceptible movement towards the obliteration of these heritages, which may remain only as museum pieces.

Kalchattis or stone pots are an art form of Tamil Nadu no longer in vogue. “Kalchattis were used in cooking in ancient Tamil Nadu. It gave a unique taste to the food and was quite popular once. Kalchattis are no longer used by people, even in rural areas. They have been replaced by terracota and brass pots,” says an art expert.

The Indian government, both post and pre independence, has been arguably the chief benefactor or patron of these traditional arts. But as the challenges before the nation, especially after 1947, have had more pressing issues to be addressed, the last five-odd decades have seen gharanas end, kothas wound up, machines replace human skill and artistry, and the artists themselves become construction labourers.