Sabar
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Jan 01 2015
Project Palash gives new life to J'khand tribe
Manash Gohain
The year 2014 definitely ushered in “acche din” for the Sabar tribe of Jharkhand. This endangered tribe, once trapped in the maoist zone, is still struggling to beat extreme poverty and underdevelopment. It is looking forward to the New Year with new hope, all thanks to Palash, that not only offered them sustainable livelihood but also saved their tribe from extinction. Palash is an initiative to train Sabar artisans from Saraikela district to weave eco-friendly designer products to make a livelihood. Sabar is one of the most primitive and languishing tribes in the country. Their strong resistance to British dominance resulted in getting listed among the 68 denotified tribes who were tagged criminals under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871.
Most Sabar people now live in Samanpur (60 km from Jamshedpur), a village which does not have proper road connectivity. “It was beyond my imagination to see the pathetic condition of the Sabars when I first went to Samanpur in 1996. Abject poverty prevailed there. They lived in small huts of three-by-four feet, which they could enter only by crawling. They survived on roots and fruits or on dead animals,” said Suchitra Sinha, joint director (industries), Jharkhand government, who initiated the project Palash.
“We lived in the jungle and never knew of education. We used to gather firewood and sell them to earn Rs 100-200 a month. There is still no road, hospital or anything,” said Sagar Sarwar, one of the 10 arti sans who are present at the India International Trade Fair.
Things started turning around when Sinha saw a woman weaving a basket out of Kanshi grass. “I saw a huge potential in this intricate weaving,” she said. With the help of National Institute of Fashion Technology in Delhi, Sinha arranged training of 50 such artisans. They now earn Rs 4,000 per month, said Vijay Sawar, an artisan.
“To develop it as a model village, we need to increase our production base and participate in events like IITF. It can also be projected as a tourism destination due to its greenery,” said Sinha.
Sabar
(From People of India/ National Series Volume VIII. Readers who wish to share additional information/ photographs may please send them as messages to the Facebook community, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be gratefully acknowledged in your name.)
Groups/subgroups: Sabar, Muslim Sabar, Sabar [West Bengal] Surnames: Das, Nayak, Singh [West Bengal] Gotra: Kashyap, Moudgulya, Sandilya, Vyas [West Bengal] Exogamous units/lineages (bansa): [Orissa]
