“Make me a fox,” the little girl asked and Devika Krishnan made her one of clay. “Teach us too,” the children implored. It was 1993 and Devika, fresh out of design school, was living in Sherpur village. She was there on a Dastkar craft programme, living in a hut, without a toilet, and sharing the villagers’ food. But nothing would convince the potters to let the ceramicist handle the wheel. “There are no women potters in India,” they said.
After six months, Devika was ready to quit. Laila Tyabji, chairperson of Dastkar, arrived and challenged the potters by asking: “How do you know what she can do unless you let her?”
Jairam reluctantly offered his wheel and clay pile. Turning the rustic wheel with a pole, Devika made an elaborate teapot with a lid and handle. After that day, there was no looking back. She became one of Jairam’s
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When the forests of Ranthambore were designated a tiger reserve in 1989, forest dwellers from the core zone were resettled outside the sanctuary. This cattle-rearing community lost its way of life, grasslands and ancestral houses. In those days, just one train stopped at Sawai Madhopur and there was not even a bullock cart to take you to the reserve. At night, leopards and hyenas would be on the prowl.
Looking to give the displaced people livelihoods through craft, Laila Tyabji and conservationist Valmik Thapar entered the picture. It’s been 25 years now, and Dastkar’s programmes support 350 women as well as a niche group of men in eight villages. Kendras established in Kuthalpura and Kundera have given the women a space to work on block printing, embroidery, patchwork and tie-dye. Rameshwari, a widow, and secretary of Ranthambore Dastkar Kendra, was one of the first to join in 1989. She is also a quilt-maker and world traveller. “When she first left, the villagers were waiting to see if she would actually return,” says director Ujwala Jodha.
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(Scrap animals made by Geeta, Rukshana and their group. Photo: Special arrangement)
Caste, religion, occupation and age were transcended as people worked together. Over a decade, skills were enhanced in order to engage with quality craft. The women, now empowered, are able to sustain themselves. Grandmothers teach the craft to their daughters-in-law. All the women have bank accounts. Their first earnings in 1990 were Rs.67,000 and their first outlet was set up at Sawai Madhopur in 2000. Soon, there were designers from Belgium and collaborations with the U.K. and the U.S. followed. Dastkar Ranthambore now exports its products and the turnover is over a crore of rupees.
The beauty of Tyabji’s approach is that she does not disturb the system, and instead carves out from it. She does not confront hierarchies or caste, such as tanners being at a lower rung than shoemakers. A belief that people should realise their creative potential is inherent. Now, leather craft from Kundera and black pottery from Shyamota have evolved. In the year Dastkar wanted to initiate block making, the only block maker in the village was blind. His son, Babulal, working in the railway station, was cajoled into joining the programme. Today, he runs the block printing division with seven people working under him.
The tiger, which started it all, is Dastkar Ranthambore’s zabardast mascot, derived from a child’s drawing at their art camp. “You know a Ranthambore block when you see it. It is unmistakable,” says Devika. “It is theirs. Not something any designer asked them to do. I go with an empty mind; we arrive at products together.”
Dastkar Ranthambore’s 25th anniversary celebrations are on from October 21 to 24 at Melo Ranthambore.