The rakhis are made by 50 trained women hailing from four hamlets in Paradsinga.
Citing most farmers committing suicides being cotton cultivators in Maharashtra, Gram Art Project and Nagpur Beejotsav Group have come up with an initiative to empower them and promote cultivation of locally grown cotton. This Raksha Bandhan, rakhis made of cotton threads dyed in natural colours, will be available for city-based consumers.
A survey conducted during seed festival held at various parts of Vidharbha, revealed that most farmers were using genetically modified (GM) crops and a very small section of farmers cultivated the locally available cotton, who failed to create a market for their yield.
The fall in market for local cotton has resulted in reduced demand for local artisans, as traditional spinners and weavers are being replaced by high-tech machinery. “After studying the problem, we decided to find ways to market the locally grown crop and increase its demand. GM crops are expensive and damaging to the environment. Thus, by increasing the demand for locally produced cotton, we will also encourage more farmers to cultivate the crop. This rakhi initiative is a part of the larger picture,” said Shweta Bhattad, 36, member of Gram Art Project, which has its centre in Nagpur.
These rakhi’s are completely made from cotton yarn spun and woven by artists from Wardha. "Cotton indigenous to East Asian region is used for making this yarn, organically grown by farmers in Vidarbha. The yarn dyed using natural colours has been hand-spun by women of Vidarbha using charkhas,” said Bhattad.
"With the help of Wardha-based Tanmay Joshi, we are trying to connect farmers with consumers directly," informed Lalit Vikamshi, 38, member of Gram Art Project.
The transformed cotton yarn is later sent to Paradsinga for further processing. A student member of Gram Art, Nutan Dwivedi has trained 50 women to make aesthetically simple yet beautiful rakhis. "Some of these women belong to families with farming as its major occupation. We provided them with employment opportunities though the project.” said Dwivedi.
Dwivedi also revealed a uniqueness about the rakhis. “An indigenous seed grown by farmers in Vidarbha, year after year, generation after generation, has been placed on these rakhis, which the buyers can sow at homes or in gardens," added Dwivedi.
Until now, 5500 rakhis have been dispatched from Nagpur, of which, 2500 were sent in Mumbai alone. To order your rakhis and encourage the farmers to grow indigenous cotton, send an email at gramartproject@gmail.com
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