Toda artisans involved in the production of intricate hand embroidery designs have demanded that measures be initiated to prevent non-Todas from duplicating their work, as they claim that superior marketing and sales strategies employed by merchants was impacting the local economy of the hamlets.
The iconic ‘Toda embroidery’ used on a variety of textiles, including handkerchiefs, shawls and quilts, is one of the key occupations of the Toda women of the Nilgiris. It provides jobs for up to 250 women belonging to 25 self-help groups, said K.Vasamalli, a social worker from the community of 1,420 people, who are among only two indigenous communities living in the upper Nilgiris.
She said that non-Toda merchants were selling textiles with Toda designs online. “They claim that the items are made by the Todas, but they are mostly woven by non-tribals who have learned to duplicate our designs,” said Ms. Vasamali.
Northay Kuttan, president of the Nilgiri Primitive Tribal People's Federation, said that some of the intricate designs made by the Todas sell for up to ₹10,000, and that the duplication of the designs was having a huge impact on the local economy of the Toda communities.
“The merchants employ a few Todas and many non-tribals to mass manufacture the products,” he said.
Trademark
A. Bhoomadevi, president of the Sangamam Toda Women's Federation, said that the community wanted steps to be taken to prevent people other than those from their community from producing the items, and said that they would try to get a trademark registered.
Members of the self-help groups met with the Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority in the Nilgiris, Judge K. Suresh Kumar, and asked him for assistance in getting a trademark registered for Toda embroidery.
Speaking to the community at the HADP Hall in Udhagamandalam, the judge said that there was a need for solidarity among the community, so that a trust or an association comprising the Todas could be formed to produce, market and sell the items. “The community needs to come together and ensure that all 1,420 people were in agreement, so that any non-tribal looking to use the tag of the Toda embroidered clothes was stopped,” he said.
