HANDICRAFTS AND HANDLOOM INDUSTRY IN SIKKIM: CHANGES AND CONTINUITY (1947-1975) A Dissertation Submitted To Sikkim University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Philosophy By Sangay Tshering Sherpa Department of History School of Social Sciences February, 2019 Scanned by CamScanner Scanned by CamScanner Scanned by CamScanner ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Anira Phipon Lepcha, for her support, guidance and encouragement to complete my dissertation. I’m grateful to Dr. Vijay Kumar Thangellapali, Head of the Department of History, for his guidance and valuable advice in every step of my research works. I also express my deepest gratitude to all the professors of the Department of History for their guidance and valuable suggestion. For the completion of my research work I convey my thanks to the faculty member and librarian of the Sikkim State Library, Sikkim University Central library, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Handicraft and Handloom Center, West Sikkim and Sikkim State Archive. I would like to thank the Chopel madam, Additional Director of Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Government of Sikkim for providing different figure of arts and crafts. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Almighty Lord for your blessing and guidance. I’m also very much thankful to my sister Nimdiki and Puja for helping me to collect data and information. I would like to thanks my brother Passang Dorjee for providing financial support and encouragement. I also like convey my thanks to my friends Bhaskar, and Rukshana for your valuable cooperation and support. Lastly it is needless to say that without your support and encouragement the present work would not possible. SANGAY TSHERING SHERPA GLOSSARY Pepon : The administrative head of a particular region of North Sikkim Chaprasi : The guard Chogyal : Dharma raja or king or Maharaja Majito : Creeper Plant locally found in forest and the botanical name is Rubia Cardifolia Moorah : Stool made of bamboo products Hatts : Weekly local Market Mela : Fairs or crafts fairs Choekyi : The wheel of Dharma Palbhen : Endless Knot Pema : Meaning is lotus Nam-khang : Manufacturing center i LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS LIST OF TABLES Page No. Table 1:Tools used in Carpets Making 36 Table 1.1: Name of the Plants use for Dyeing Handloom and Handicrafts Products 42 Table1. 2: Share of Sectoral and Sub-Sectoral Plan Allocation in Sikkim (1954-1975) 61 Table 1.3: Number of Trainees in Four District of Sikkim in Handicrafts and Handloom sector from 1997-2001 64 Table 1.4: Fourth Five Year Plan of Sikkim, Handicraft & Cottage Industries (1972-1973) 66-67 Table1.5: Center and Section of Handicrafts and Handloom in North, South East and West district of Sikkim. 69-72 Table 1.6: Branches in North and South district of Sikkim with Year of Establishments 75-76 Table 1.7: Branches in West district of Sikkim with the Year of Establishment 77 Table 1.8: Community wise Census of Sikkim 1891 85 Table1.9: Number of Trainees by gender and type of handicrafts from1997-1999 105 ii LIST OF FIGURES Page No. Figure.1: Thanka painting 27 Figure.1.1: Cane and bamboo crafts 30 Figure.1.2: Loom for carpet weaving 34 Figure.1.3: Carpet designs 35 Figure.1.4: Wooden table 37 Figure.1.5: Wooden screen 38 Figure.1.6: Image painted with natural dye 44 Figure.1.7: Lepcha traditional dress 88 Figure.1.8: Lepcha hat 90 Figure.1.9: Traditional dress of Nepali community 96 figure.1.10: Lucky signs 103 iii CONTENTS Page No. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i GLOSSARY ii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ii-iv CHAPTER-I 1-15 Introduction CHAPTER-II 16-47 The nature and growth of handicrafts and handloom industry in Sikkim CHAPTER-III 48-78 The role of the state in handicrafts and handloom industry in Sikkim CHAPTER-IV 79-107 Socio-economic structure of handicrafts and handloom industry in Sikkim CHAPTER-V Conclusion 108-113 BIBLIOGRAPHY 114-119 CHAPTER-I INTRODUCTION The establishment of handicrafts and handloom industry in and around the world has its long historical and cultural background. The practice of producing goods to be used for local consumption had started since the dawn of civilization and slowly with the advance of culture the excess production of handicrafts and handlooms became a part of the trade, thus turning into an industry. It is thus deeply rooted in the culture and tradition of the native society as a whole. Employment of the people in craft production fulfilled their daily requirement of the family in rural as well as in urban areas. Manufacturing of the several crafts and handloom products are flourished across the villages as well as in towns. The handicrafts were primarily practiced by the craftsperson having the traditional skills and knowledge (including both skilled and semi-skilled). The productions in the field of handicrafts industries generally are rural and family-based rather than manufacturing as a whole. As a result, in India, most of the crafts are produced within families, which require manual labour and skills. This craftsmanship and the crafts reflect the artistic value and the traditional lifestyle of that particular rural area. In India, there are many highly commercialized crafts like printed textile, carpet, wooden products, handloom weaving, etc. and the export of handicraft products gradually saw an increase from the 1990s onwards.1 1 Government of India, Ministry of Textiles, Note on Handloom Sector, Office of the Development Commissioner Handloom, 2015, pp. 1-2. 1 Handloom is an integral part of the rural and semi-rural economic activities. Apart from agriculture, it is one of the largest unorganized activities. The production of handloom goods is eco-friendly and requires minimum use of mechanical power and capital. The contribution of the weavers and their skills keep the traditional crafts and handloom alive in the different state of India.2 The different terminologies being used to denote the handicrafts and handloom industries like cottage industries, household industries, handicrafts, and traditional Industries, etc. With the utilization of traditional skills and knowledge, millions of people continue the production of handicrafts goods in the world even today.3 The Government, as well as private organizations, is taking several initiatives and policies to increase the scale of handicrafts and handloom production. In this context, this research work proposes to look into the handicrafts and handloom industry in the state of Sikkim, emphasizing to seek its development, changes, and continuity as a major industry. Sikkim is situated in the northeastern part of the Himalayan region of India. The development of skills, craftsmanship and the establishment of handicrafts and handloom industries in Sikkim have long historical root. The skills in handicrafts and handloom production reflect the talent and culture of the different communities of Sikkim. Each community in Sikkim has their skills and interest in the practice of craft production as well as in weaving. For instance, the Lepcha community is skilled in bamboo-crafts, spinning of loom and weaving, similarly, on the other hand, the Bhutia 2Ibid. 3 Maureen Liebl, Tirthankar Roy, Handmade in India, Preliminary Analysis of Craft Producers and Craft Production, Economic and Political Weekly, 2003, pp.1-6. 2 community is skilled in ancient Tibetan practices of carpet weaving and rug weaving with muted shades and brilliant colours of pure vegetable dyes. The Nepali communities are famous in metal work, silverware, and woodwork. The role of the state is also prominent in the enhancement of the practice of craft making and weaving. The patronage of the government further promotes the sustainability of traditional industries and craft production in Sikkim. Initially, the people used to weave cloths and carpets by using their handlooms at their houses with the help of the indigenous equipment for self-use and sometimes they used to sell the surplus produce in the Hatts.4 In order to sustain this practice of handicrafts and handloom, the Palden Thondup Institute of Cottage Industries was set up in 1957 by the then Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal in Gangtok.5 In the beginning, there were only 58 trainees (local female and male) enrolled in this institute, but slowly the numbers increased with the development of scope and marketing. Similarly, the two weaving factories were also established in Lachung and Lachen, both in North Sikkim in 1976.6 In this research work the state signifies the Chogyal or Maharaja of Sikkim and the Government of Sikkim. The primary aims and objectives of this institute were to preserve the traditional arts and crafts and the traditional skills and talent of the people of Sikkim. This institute encouraged the local youths which included both boys and girls for regular training in the 4 Weekly local Market 5 Golden Jubilee Celebrations,1957-2007,Estd.9th March, Directorate of Handicrafts & Handloom, Government of Sikkim, issued by Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Sikkim, 2007, p.1 6 Sukhdev Singh Chib, This Beautiful India, Sikkim, Light & Life Publishers, New Delhi, 1977,p.49. 3 field of craft and weaving. The Palden Thondup Institute of Cottage Industries was later known as Government Institute of Cottage Industry (GICI) likewise at now, it is known as Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Government of Sikkim. In this Institute, people are employed as part-time workers as well as a permanent employee. Furthermore, it is making considerable efforts in employing, the youth to be self-reliant and self- depended. The involvement of people in the field of handicrafts and handloom industry support the social and economic life of the people of Sikkim. The ideas, skills and traditional knowledge of craft production and weaving continuously transfer from one generation to the other.