INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF SCREW PINE CRAFT CLUSTER AT VADAYAR VILLAGE, THALAYOLAPARAMBU, KOTTAYAM DIST.

KEARLA STATE, UNDER BABA AMBEDKAR HASTHA SILPA VIKAS YOJANA [AHVY)

A BRIEF REPORT
Intr !"#t$ n% Jawaharlal Memorial Social Welfare and Public Co-operation centre is a social welfare voluntary organization started in the year 1 !"# $t is registered to the %overnment of &erala under 'ravancore Cochin literary( scientific and charitable Societies )egistration *ct as number &#1 +!"# Screw pine Craft Cluster ,evelopment Programme at -adayar village of 'halayolaparambu panchayat is a social development programme implemented by this organization under the patronage of the ,evelopment Commissioner ./andicraft0( Ministry of 'e1tiles %ovt# of $ndia# 'he programme intended to revive the dying craft - Screw pine( through the collective leadership and participation of the traditional Screw pine artisans of the locality# $t aims to inculcate modern techni2ues and designs in the Screw pine craft# T&' ()'#t$*'+ , t&' +#&'-' .r' -.$n/0

1# 'o organize screw pine artisans clusters in to Self /elp %roups .S/%s0 or Cooperative Societies with a view to enabling them to ta3e up economic activity for sustainable development# 4# 'o upgrade artisan5s s3ill through appropriate design technology intervention using 2uality raw material tools and e2uipments to produce value added items# 6# 'o ensure effective participation of all members involved in production and mar3eting 7# 'o provide infrastructure facilities for improved 2uality and productivity# A( "t V.!.0.r V$//.1' 'he identified craft cluster area comprises in -adayar village under 'halayolaparambu %rama panchayath of -ai3om 'alu3 in &ottayam district of &erala state# 'he -illage is 8ust three 3ilometers away from our institution# 'he near by municipal town is -ai3om( the famous place of worship -ai3om Mahadever temple# 'he area of the cluster is 41#14 S2#3ms# and the population is 46 9: out of them 11!:4 are male and 14466 are female# %ovt# ;rganizations( Schools( mar3et centres( <us stations( <an3s( Cultural Centers are situated in and around the village# Social set-up and infra structure facilities are reasonably better if not sufficient for the overall development of the e1isting craft community( and are having good scope for a livelihood pattern of potential target# The Screw-pine Craft: 'he screw pine that is referred to as =Male Screw pine5 is common in the -adayar )egion# 'raditional screw-pine craft persons of the area ma3e mats from it# &erala has the other variety of screw pine also which is soft to feel and touch and at the same time is fle1ible and light in colour# Since the plant of Screw pine grows wildly and in abundance( the women too3 to ma3ing the floor+sleeping mats from this material by weaving# 'hese woven mats are available in the mar3et for domestic use#

'he particular craft screw pine mat weaving has originated as a utility oriented craft especially for the poor# $n fact( the 2uality of the screw pine leave has caused it as an essential item for the day-to-day living for almost all rural fol3 and later to the urban community too# 'he screw pine provides an air-conditioned cushioning effect to the human body since it regularize the sun heat and wet condition and as such screw pine mat have been accepted as a comfortable piece for sleep# $n -adayar village( where( the Cluster development programme is implemented( the screw-pine craft has come in to e1istence by migration of the craft from other rural areas of the district by marrying women fol3 of those localities and settling down in -adayar -illage# -adayar -illage is a waterlogged -illage and having marshy fields with a networ3 of cannels and small rivers and as such the screw pine shrubs were found as a useful plant to protect the edges of canals in the form of retaining wall and also to avoid erosion of earth which is white loose sandy soils# 'his resulted in due course for the availability of screw pine leaves to produce mats and mattings# /owever( the craft has originated and developed as a traditional craft having more than 4"" years( standing# 'he demand of screw pine mats of better 2uality is still on the higher side# Modernization of the craft with new designs( machineries( professionalism( use of information technology in product designing and mar3eting( etc# will certainly create improved demand for screw pine craft# 'his will also enrich the 2uality of life of the traditional craft persons of the area and their families# The Raw Material: 'here are two main 2uality screw pine leaves available in &erala viz#( Male screw pine and >emale screw pine# 'he Male Screw pine is available locally with ease( and is thic3( harder and bul3ier# 'he female screw pine is soft( brighter( more pliable and used generally for table mats and bags# 'he traditional use being fine 2uality mats that are locally used# $n &erala( there is plenty of Male screw pine available# ?sually these grow in the wild and are not cultivated# 'he Material( screw pine may be classified as Pandanus# 'he word Pandanus is derived from $ndonesian name of tree =Pandan5( commonly 3nown as screw pine# Screw pine belongs to the family Pandaneceae# <otanically it is called Pandanus odoratissimuc @inn or Pandanus fascicularis# $t is a Paleotropic family of 9"" trees and shrubs# 'hey are identified by sword shaped leaves( pric3ly margins( spiral arrangement and aerial .prop0 roots( with a coarse foliage te1ture# 'hey have vicious throngs on the spines and sides of the leaves# Spliced Pandanus leaves are every fle1ible and pliable# $n Anglish screw pine is called ?mbrella tree( Screw pine and Screw tree# $n /indi it is 3nown as &ewra( &ewda( &ewara( in Malayalam B &aitha( &aida( 'hazha and in 'amil it is called 'hazhai or 'halay#

'he male inflorescence is valued for fragrant smell emitted by tender white flowers# 'he famous =3ewra5 essence and =attar5 is developed from this plant# 'he scent of pandanus leaves develops only on withering the fresh( intact plants hardly have any odour# 'his particular species is valued for its fragrant flowers( which are important source of attar( scent( oil and food flavors# 'his tropical plants comes from *frica( *ustralia( Southern $ndia( Penisular South Aast *sia( $ndonesia and Western Cew %uinea# $n their native lands they can reach a height of 6" feet# 'heir trun3s are ringed with horizontal leaf scars# 'he roots( which act li3e support( grow from miscellaneous spots on the trun3 and main stems into the ground thus reducing the danger of the tree being blown over during storms# 'he leaves grow in clusters right out of the ends of the branches# 'hey are shaped li3e long( thin swords( 7-1" feet in length# 'hey are green or they may be a combination of green with white or yellowish stripes# 'hey have sharp tips and little pric3les along their perimeters and mid veins# 'he plant species are categorized into male and female because of the 2uality of the leaf and the size of the plant# 'he male screw pine grows tall li3e a tree while the female grows li3e a shrub# 'he leaves of the male plant is coarse and grows up to 9 to feet( and that of the female category is soft( supple and grow up to 6 to 7 feet# 'hey are both cultivated as hedge plants# 'hey produce large clusters of hidden flowers that are male and female# ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED UNDER AHVY SCHEME% 2. B.+' L$n' S"r*'0% 'he <ase line Survey conducted during 4""1- 4""4# 'he first step for the survey was conducting large group meetings of Craft persons in different parts of the -illage# >ive large group discussion and 1" focus group discussions were held during the period from Covember 4""1 to January 4""4# 'he concentrations of craft persons are in Wards -$$$ D $E of 'halayolaparambu# /ence( two large group discussions and 7 focus group discussions were held in these areas# 'wo focus group and one large group discussion were held in Ward Co #$$$# *part from the Craft persons peoples representatives of %rama Panchayats( %overnment ;fficials and representatives of ma8or institutions have participated in such group discussions# !" days have ta3en to complete the identification survey# 'he Study shows that @ow productivity is the basic reason for not having a reasonable earning from the craft# 'hey are not getting sufficient screw pine leaf for wor3# *t present once is getting the leaves re2uired for 8ust one mat while they are able to produce two mats per day# 'he cost of leaves for +mat is )upees 14 to 1:# <y selling the mat( they get only )upees 6" per day# * minimum earning of )s#1(:""+- per month as to the ensured by each craft women#

'he basic problem now prevailing for this craft cluster is the low productivity# ;ut of 71" craft women identified in the survey 19" persons are engaged in this craft as a part time 8ob and 161 person are permanent wor3ers <y re-organizing the present set up and adopting improved methods of production and by arranging the regular and continuous supply of screw pine leaves to these 19" craft women( the production of mats will increase 1:::" numbers per month instead of the present production of 1:" mats#

'he report of the base line survey submitted to the ,evelopment Commissioner /andicrafts( %ovt# of $ndia# *s the continuation of the survey they sanctioned the implementation of */-F Scheme at -adayar -illage# 3. C/"+t'r F r-.t$ n Jawaharlal Memorial Social Welfare D Public Cooperation Centre identified 4"" li3e minded screw pine artisans belonging to -adayar -illage and motivated them to form their own S/%s# 'hey have formed 1" S/%s# Aach S/% have the strength of 4" members# 'hey are having regular meetings and fund collection# *ll the S/%s started their own <an3 account at Corth Malabar %ramin <an3# )ecently they have formed and registered their own federation named =Jai /ind Screw pine *rtisans5 Cluster S/% >ederation# 4. D'+$1n .n! T'#&n$#./ D'*'/ 5-'nt W r6 S& 5+7Pr )'#t+ *s part of the scheme a fifteen days design development wor3shop has conducted by the C%; with the support of the ;+o ,C/# *ctually( the programme conducted with little delay due to the unavailability of resource persons# 'he wor3shop had artisans from different Self /elp %roups formed under */-F Scheme# 'he artisans then would go bac3 to their respective groups and pass on the 3nowledge of this wor3shop to the other members of their S/%# * total of 19" artisans attended the wor3shop# *ll the participants had lot of enthusiasm about learning a new s3ill and wor3ing with a new product range# 4. C -- n W r6 C'ntr'+ ?nder the Scheme three Common Wor3 Centres are started# 'hese Centres are providing facilities for production and storing of raw materials and finished products# 'hese Centres are at &ori3al( <hootham3ery and 'halayolaparambu# 8. Pr !"#t$ n , Cr.,t+.

'he S/%s have started production of Screw pine crafts# 'hey are producing Costers( >ruit trays( laundry bin( >ile holders( folers( shopping bags( hand bags( flower bas3ets( tissue bo1es( waste bin( table mats( etc from the screw pine# 9. P.rt$#$5.t$ n $n E:&$($t$ n Pr 1r.--'+% 'he Screw pine artisans have participated in the e1hibition programme arranged by ,C/ at Arna3ulam# 'he S/%s have soled their craft products through this e1hibition# ;. C -- n F.#$/$t0 S'r*$#' #'ntr' )ecently the pro8ect started a common facility service centre.C>SC0 at &oric3al for the benefit of artisans and craft# $t is a two storied building( which provides facility for production( finishing( storage( etc#