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Sene Changru, Asst. Professor, Department of History
Some of the prominent dexterous handicraft works of the Nagas were traditional cane and bamboo work, wood carvings, black smithy and pottery. Nagas were also known for their variant tribal attires such as shawls, skirts, headgears etc. along with some ornaments and defensive weapons such as dao, spear etc. Not only that, if we are to look at their sustainability, Nagas were self-sufficient in their own ways. To be more specific, making baskets, mats, houses, water bags, etc. were made from cane and bamboo, not only that bamboo was used as canals for irrigation purposes.
Today, those products which were generally used in our day-to-day life, are now being buried in dust and stockpiled in our cupboards. It is only during some events and festivals; these products are dug up and cleansed for its sporadic use. Our rich cultural values and essence can be traced back through oral, written, archeological sources and even visual or photograph sources. Sadly, our young generation has become so alien to our glorious past, which we all cherished only through historical records.
The dexterity of the Nagas which we once cherished is losing its hold in our society with the advent of goods produced by machines. One could not deny that, it has almost become impossible to live without those industrialized products which is really a great concern for our cultural values and essence, which is being dexterous in nature.
In order to picturize what could be so called as our possible near future, a brief look into the history of industrialization of both Europe and India can be helpful. Industrialization started in Britain in the 18th century which has revolutionized the rural and agrarian societies and it proliferated to the other parts of Europe. Since, goods once which were crafted painstakingly with their hand are now produced in massive quantities by the machines with ease. While that is not the only factor that jeopardized the local market but it was also the difference in the price of the finished goods that were sold in the local market.
India has a long history of hand manufacturing cotton textiles besides being known for other ingenious handicraft works. In India a significant amount of cotton textiles were manufactured for distant markets, often produced by professional weavers. Some merchants also owned small weaving workshops. India produced a variety of cotton cloth, some of exceptionally fine quality. But, with the advent of the East India Company on December 31th 1600, things drastically changed and the effect of industrial revolution was manifested in the local market. Indians were victimized by the industrial revolution, when industrialized goods flooded into the Indian market. To be specific Indian handicraft works declined drastically, unable to compete with the cheap and ready-made machine goods of the Brits by the 19th century.
Over the years many Indian’s skills were extirpated and professions were put to an end. If we were to compare the preceding and the contemporary society, we know how much has changed. If you are as well, one such person that is concerned about the changes then you must already be aware, that our local products (i.e. Naga baskets, traditional attires etc.) are sold in the markets by others. They have inculcated the skills of our culture and are already selling it back to us. The hands which once made baskets, hats, armlets, necklaces, mats, shields and other decorative items are now looking for ready made products from the market.
Though it is important to realize that learning skill is also important for our subsistence. If we contemplate about our society in 100-200 years can you imagine our own culture being replaced by “another” culture so called the New Normal Culture. It is high time that we start thinking about the changes that can impinge our society in the near future. With the growth of Industrialization in India, British industrialization convulses the Indian handicraft industry. It is my philosophy that, when we lose the skill of our hand; we are losing our pride and the essence of our culture as well.
Although, at present industrialized products are of great advantage for our society, on the other hand it is not long-lived. We should not forget that with this advantageous outcome, we are paying even higher price for that i.e. manipulation and exhausting of our natural resources as indicated by the recent report by the National Academy of sciences.
“The byproduct of burning coal, like toxic metals, in Europe in the late 18th century was found on the Dasuopu glacier in the central Himalayas, around 6400 miles from London, the birthplace of the industrial revolution. Researchers found that those metals were likely transported by winter winds, which travels around the globe from west to east.”
Thereby, jeopardizing the future of our upcoming generations.
Can you say that today you are still the Naga, which once were known for its dexterous arts and crafts? Isn’t this supposed to be a lesson to be learned from history? Do you want it to be the future of the Nagas? Do you want these to be our History overtime?
Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr Hewasa Lorin, Dr. Aniruddha Babar, Dr. Pfokrelo Kapesa, Webei Tsühah, Meren and Kvulo Lorin. For feedback or comments please email: dot@tetsocollege.org.
