Bandhani Art

 

Khatri community

Kutch is considered to be a heaven for numerous handicrafts, which are carried on from generation to generation. The traditional basis of its prosperity has been its foreign trade in various handicrafts. The artifacts of Kutch moved not only the length and breadth of the country but also in the overseas market. The Khatri community is very much famous for Printing Craft. For example- bandhani, ajrak and rogan art.

 BANDHANI - Bandhni is age old traditional craft of Kutch and Khatri community can be said to be preceptors of this craft. Khatris are involved in this art for the last 400 yrs. Bandhanis are very closely associated with deep rooted social customs of India and symbol of married life. Bandhani is also called as ‘Bandhej’ came originally from the word ‘Bandhana’ (to tie). Today, most of the Bandhani produced in India is made in Kutch, Saurastra and in other neighboring Districts. In this craft the cloth is first tied with small thread at different placing giving it a particular design. Then this cloth is dipped in coloured water. When this coloured cloth is dried then the threads are loosened and opened which ultimately results in final designed cloth raw material which can be used for different purposes. Bandhani is used in main products like sarees, Punjabi dresses, cloth, skirts and shawls etc. Tie-dye Odhanis are produced in cotton, silk and georgette. Mandvi, Bhuj, Khavda, Dhamanka, Tera, Bara and Anjar are main centres of tie-dye.  

                      

                                          

 

 

Today, the Khatri community is the main producer of Bandhani in Gujarat, maintaining a mastery of the craft that has lasted for generations. Khatris in Kachchh are usualy Hindu or Muslim. The demand for intricate designs featuring Bandhani is high, and the newest patterns can feature as many as one lakh ties (dots).  Bandhani is used for daily attire and for auspicious occasions, like births, weddings, and goddess temple pilgrimage. Khatris are making new versions of Bandhani to fit the demands of modern and more international clientele. They experiment with the size, shape, and placement of each dot on the cloth to offer a whole new range of products. Their patterns reflect an artistic sentiment to explore and play, creating new motifs with an innovative spirit.

Seeing the need to control the use of chemical dyes in Kachchh so that lasting ecological damage was not done to the environment, water, and people of local communities, Khamir began initiatives to popularize and teach the value of natural dyes, making natural dyestuffs more accessible to modern artisans. Khamir has conducted workshops and trainings with Bandhani artisans in order to expose them to more sustainable practices.

 

 

The khatri community faces the following challenges:

1  1. Human Rights violation

the security forces continued to be responsible for human rights violations against indigenous people. In areas affected by armed conflicts, indigenous peoples are caught between armed opposition groups (AOGs) and security forces.

 

 

2 2. Right to the land

 A large number of tribes that lived in the forests were denied their rights and the tribes continued to live under the threat of an eviction in the name of forest and animal conservation.

 

    3.Security

The situation of tribal women and girls in India remains very worrying, as they are clearly deprived of many of their rights. Collective and individual rights are violated in private and public spaces. Sexual violence, trafficking, killing/branding, militarization or state violence and the impact of development-induced displacement, etc., remain important issues.

 

 

 Suggestions

1.    Documenting the situation of Indigenous Peoples and the human rights violations they experience. Thus, contributing to knowledge and awareness of their circumstances and promoting respect for their individual and collective rights.

2.  Advocating for change from decision-makers at local, national and international levels

3.  Empowering Indigenous Peoples’ own organizations to act in order to claim and exercise their rights and to amplify the Indigenous Peoples’ movements at local, national and international levels.

4.  Tribal people should be acknowledged and consulted realizing their rights and contribute to the climate change solutions through their knowledge as they are the most effected by climate change

5.   They are losing their lands and this is impacting mainly women, they are being harassed, criminalized and often killed for attempting to save their territories. There should be some land defending programs/ rules and support for them.

6.  Their rights to be respected and protected. They should also be included for the participation in decision making processes for the betterment of their society.