Badali bai grew up with thread and needle in hand. She embroidered colourful designs of peacocks, parrots, flowers and whatever else caught her imagination. Little did she know that one day this unique craft of hand-embroidery, perfected in the deserts of Rajasthan, would fetch a high price.
An art that came naturally to most girls born in the region soon turned into a brand name, providing economic empowerment, and fetching the recognition and status that society had hitherto denied them.
But it took years of hard work and support from voluntary organisations before Badali bai and other women in the 2AD village of Aanduri gram panchyat in Bikaner district could reach this enviable position.
Recalling their early days of struggle, Badali says they had been forced to sell their embroidered pieces to middlemen for a pittance. Today she, her daughter-in-law Andu and a hundred other families in the village earn ₹4,000-5,000 a month.
Their support first came from URMUL Trust, which helped them display and sell their craft at exhibitions and fairs. Rang Sutra, a community-based craft company, has now taken their art to the elite markets in India and abroad. What’s more, along with other craftspersons, many of these women artisans are its shareholders.
Sewing up the market
There are two clusters in the village where women, young and old, work from morning till evening, embroidering on cushions, table cloths, bedspreads, kurtas and other products.
Samubai, like Badali bai, is an expert in ‘pucca’, ‘soof’ and ‘kharak’ stitches. Before they joined Rang Sutra, the women created their own designs, mostly birds and flowers, using bright colours typical of Rajasthani attire and craft. “Now the designs are provided by experts to suit the market. The colours are not bright, but if this helps in selling our products it is okay with us,” says Samubai.
Her niece Tulsi, who has studied up to Class VIII, not only embroiders but also takes care of other logistics at the centre because she can read and write. “I love the work and will continue it even after my marriage,” says the young woman.
Skeins of change
The sarpanch of Aanduri, Jam Singh, takes pride in the fact that the women have brought fame to the villages with their skill. His brother, Mool Singh, points out that the craftswomen, many of whom never went to school, are keen to educate their daughters. Andu’s daughter, for instance, lives in a hostel at Poogal to continue her studies, as the village only has a middle school. “This would have been unthinkable earlier,” says Andu.
Aptly, Rang Sutra’s label is called ‘Be the Change’. Well-versed in their traditional skill, the women artisans are indeed agents of change and the mainstay of this rural brand.
The writer is a senior journalist
based in Delhi