Building their way out of poverty, more than 20 tribal families in Sengalputhur near Nonsuch Estate in Coonoor have taken to making cane furniture to earn their livelihood.
The families belonging to the Alu Kurumba tribal community used to work in the surrounding tea estates till a few years ago. Speaking to The Hindu , the members of the artisan community said that wages from tea estates had hardly been sufficient to make ends meet, forcing most members of the community to depend on government welfare and the Public Distribution System for their survival.
However, over the last two years, a project to transform the fortunes of the community was undertaken by local village elders. Using the know-how of other artisans in the Nilgiris, the community learned to make cane furniture, including intricately designed chairs, tables, teapoys and swings, which they then sell to stores and customers in Coonoor and surrounding areas.
Ramesh R., one of the artisans who has learned to make the furniture, said that the cost of each item starts at ₹2,000, and can be as high as ₹10,000 based on the amount of work that goes into crafting each item.
The community is also insisting on harvesting cane stalks in a sustainable manner from the Shola patches surrounding their hamlet. Workers said that they only harvest mature stalks and leave the younger shoots.
“We also do not collect any of the stalks from the forest during the monsoon season,” added Ramesh.
Sobha Madhan, a tribal rights activist in the Nilgiris, said that by becoming self-sufficient, the community was helping to preserve its own unique identity and in the process, empowering itself.
“As the community has problems marketing their crafts to the public, there should be efforts taken, such as training be imparted so that they can effectively sell their products to the public, without the mediation of the government or other middle-men,” she added.
