Heritage Handlooms

Retrospection of the various craft projects, development activities and  design development of crafts in India I have gone from appreciating them to loving them to fighting to preserve them. 

Crafts are not just about pretty,  handmade,  mostly eco friendly products.  It's about hope and smiles for the millions making them.  It's about a sustainable solution to economic disparity and strengthening of national resources.  The decline of crafts is a step towards killing of the folk economy.  It is the reason for Migration and the impending rather race people face. 

Encouragement of the traditional cottage industries is the only step towards sustainable growth and economic harmony and equality. 

While the sun shines

Been browsing through the numerous unattended drafts on my dashboard (there are actually more unfinished ones than the finished posts believe me.) So a piece dated 2010 caught my eye. Briefly it was dedicated to the development crisis in the nation and questioned how shining is India Inc... It focused on the paradox of a society where the streets around a five star hotel is littered with hungry kids feeding off dustbins. (True we dont see them around anymore thanks to common wealth beautification drive). An economy which has people failing to spend rs 25 on one square meal a day to people who spend 25000 on dinner alone.

The paradox remains and as sociologists say, it always will. But what has changed is the feeling of hopelessness. The pulse of the nation which read " Is desh ka kuch nei ho sakta" is finally seen to turn to the greens. There is hope, while the sun shines.  Thanks to a number of eminent personalities, a general consciousness seems to have developed. People talk of change, people talk of making the society a better place and some even dream of bringing out the change. And that in itself is such an encouraging prospect. "India Shining" ... maybe, " India Changing" Definately!!!!