COMMUNITY NEWS

Location :- Ahmadabad Time :- 1030 Hrs.

We all reached the destination together clouded with the idea of finding the communities we are looking for if any but not sure of what exactly we are looking for. Just getting down the auto rickshaw what I saw was huge POP models in a row seeming to me like as if I suddenly white waves of ganesha from each and every nook and corner and interestingly breaking the monotony was these very colorful stones like a pallet of an artisan trying to break the existing aura like looking to a rainbow (Kuntal’s idea of rainbow still fascinating me!!!) in a beautiful snow capped mountains only that the mountains are ganesh shaped any way these glitters took my eyes and interest.

This is a community comprising of migrants from Rajsthan, who have started selling stones and took up the art of making stone installations at residential, commercial and public places. They source their merchandise from various places of Western and North western regions of the country like Jaisalmer in Rajasthan , Chandigarh , Dehradun in UP etc. They have to personally travel and select their choice of stones. These stones are purchased as well as sold by price/unit of mass, price based on the size, quality and uniqueness of stone.

Since, stone selling is not sufficient enough to support livelihood, the main source of income for these workers are the installation orders for fountains, table tops, structures for trees etc. The entire family is involved in the business with usually ladies looking after the retail stall and men visiting sites . The source of orders is the popularity of place along with, word of mouth and contractors/architects with whom they have already worked in the past. They maintain a catalog of their work by means of an album of photographs of their art. The community depends on each other for additional labour support from if required for making the installations and to procure additional stones in case the key seller falls short of the same.

There is no certainty in their profession and they have to often resort to daily wages labor or seek to alternative services like gardening for residential colonies. Though there exist families who have ceased to make idols and taken up this profession owing to the seasonal nature of the former.

But as the saying goes "The grass is always greener at the other side" they had a new set of problems thus I am on my way to find a greener pasture for them in the same side....

Social project on a community: Anganwadi

After visiting several communities, I took “anganwadi” as the community under social project.

Anganwadi is a childcare and mother care center sponsored by government of india. In hindi, the word anganwadi means “courtyard shelter”. It was introduced to government of india on 1975 to fight against child malnutrition.

I took the anganwadi located in the village kudasan near gandhinagar. There are three centers in that village. The number of anganwadi in a village depends up on the population of the village.
It mainly focuses to the children (age group 0-6) and pregnant women who fall under below poverty line. The anganwadi is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm.There is a worker and a helper in the particular anganwadi. Around 30-35 children are there. The worker, surya ben who comes from the nearby village maintains the record of each kid. She checks the weight of small kids with help of a weighing machine given by the government and maintains the record which has to be submitted to government on monthly basis. There is supply of flours from government which is used to prepare food at anganwadi and served to kids and pregnant ladies. Also there is supply of nutritious chocolates to kids. To fight with cold and fever they have medicines supplied from government.(I have few samples of the chocolates which i will show in the class. The only line I am able to read is “ISO 9001 & HACCP CERTIFIED CO.”. Language was a barrier for me, but the simple gestures, linking the objects to the action and expression of the community worker explained all nicely. There were few miscommunications, as a result of which I end up my second visit at wrong time. )

The community involves kids (age group 0-6), pregnant ladies, a worker and a helper. Surya ben who is the anganwadi worker had a twenty days training before coming to the center. She is welcoming and very enthusiastic in nature. The center was clean but not very welcoming for small kids. It has a store room and a 12ftX 15 ft room. At one corner of the room they prepare food. The helper usually does that and the other portion of the room is with a black board, a table and a chair. There is a carpet on ground for kids. There were toys but broken and dirty ones. Surya ben takes the attendance, checks their weight and teaches the kids (counting, colours, different animals, pre-school subjects). Kids play inside the room and also at the veranda of the aganwadi. Small kids, below 3 years generally take food, play and sleep over there.

This is the information from my visit to the place; I am yet to get information from unicef on their participation in anganwadi model. The scenario will be much clear after getting information from different souces. I am still working on it in detail and will share it all with you.

shahpur farmers

Community - Shahpur farmers.

This community of farmers and their farmlands are a visible trademark once one crosses the bridge commonly known as 'broken bridge' (now completed), and ventures into the more lucid and green landscape, which is a far cry from the ever changing construction areas of Gandhinagar, gh-0.

The landscape, with its green blanket of planned crops and unplanned wilderness, always tickles and then directs the curiosity of an onlooker towards the men working on these farms. Repeated visits to this secluded landscape by me made me a part of the curious community who would want to tiptoe through the muddy waters of the fields and reach out for these farmers who seem to be as much a part of the field as the scarecrows. Hence, when the opportunity prevailed in the form of 'Social Project', it came as no surprise to me when I chose these farmers community to study.

My regular visits to the farms, revealed quite a few interesting information about their lives and their work. I directly approached a tea-stall on my first day of research, where a group of farmers were taking their evening break, and tried to communicate with them. The communication proved to be futile as most of them were conversing in Gujrati, and which led to our trying to communicate with each other in a whole new language of signs and gestures, until Jayanti Bhai came along to my rescue.

Jayanti Bhai had walked more than 2kms from his lemon field to the tea stall, and does that quite often, even to drink water. This simple observation made me realise the perception of distance by them. On further questioning he revealed that he comes everyday walking from the railway station (where he lives) to his fields. His wife commutes with him regularly to the fields.

All the farm lands are the property of different ‘thakurs’, and they give the land to these farmers for a certain period for a fixed method of payment.

I followed him to his field and we talked for an hour under the shade of a lemon tree.

Every field needs to be prepared initially to suite the needs of the crops that would be grown on it, and sometime it takes about a year to change an unkept, unfertile land to the survival place of that particular crop.

These farmers acquire their raw materials (seeds, fertilizers) from shops, and then follow the method of outsourcing for ploughing the field, spraying the fertilizers etc. On the final days, when after the long wait, the flowers drop down, unveiling the small fruits, does each farmer move to their field. They stay in temporary shades (an arrangement made out of putting plastic sheets on top of four erected logs). The ‘Sabzi Mandi’ where the fruits and the vegetables are sold is situated in Sector – 24.

Talking to the farmers also gave me an insight about their lives and their lifestyle. The livelihood they carve out from their heavily debted lifestyle, the way they try to meet their ends meet by trying to gain extra income by trying to do more and more jobs, and still getting their kids education, sets interesting study parameters.

Everyday is like walking on a thin line for these farmers, as well said by Jayanti bhai – “pata nahi kaisi phasal hogi, apni apni naseeb ki baat hai”

Community Project - Fishmongers

Gandhinagar Fish Market:

Do Gujaratis eat fish? What happens to all the fish caught in the coastal areas of Gujarat? What do seafood lovers in Gandhinagar do? How far is the nearest coast from Gandhinagar? How far is the nearest fish market in Gandhinagar? Which restaurant serves fish in Gandhinagar? These were few of the questions I have and share with few of classmates in my college. Fish being such a rare commodity in GN (Gandhinagar) I was surprised to hear about a fish market in GN. Actually it was mentioned to me by a farmer we visited for the same community project. Driven by curiosity about how they manage to get fish and sell it in GN I ventured to the fish market near the Chiloda circle.

Finding the place is a puzzle itself after roaming for ten minutes and numerous questions I tracked the fish market hidden among the trees. It is a very small market place with just three sellers and occasional helpers from their respective families. All of them are in the trade for the past 5-6 years. Ibrahim Bhai, Manju Bhen and Dhanu Bhen the three sellers in the market right now. They don’t have a license expect Manju Bhen (but it is of no use - in her own words), it’s an illegal settlement. They are harassed regularly by the police, notification department on a regular basis. No matter what the weather condition is the traders sit there from morning 9 to evening 7.

I was quite surprised to find so many varieties of fish. The traders get their ‘maal’ (as they call it) from the Ahmadabad main meat and fish market. Usually the fish comes from Porbandhar or from the local dam. All three of them set out early morning every day by an Auto to the main market to get the fish. They pay 300 rupees everyday for the auto. On an average they buy maal for 1000-1500 rupees mainly on credit and sell them for 2000 rupees. After all the expenses they make a small profit of 200 to 300 rupees. The profits are not on a regular basis. They don’t compete with each other.

Rohu, Silver, Surmai, Neimeen, Zinga, Pomprets are offered in a regular basis. On rare occasions people are lucky to get Crabs and other exotic varieties. There is a surprising number of south Indians specially malyalees in GN who are the regulars. In fact the fishes are categorised as madarasi fish and Gujarati fish by Manju Bhen.

It’s a small and an interesting community and they are quite helpful. I am really looking forward to meeting them again.

Community Research

WOODEN BLOCK CARVING –PETHAPUR,GURAT.


Pethapur is situated 40 kms from Ahemdabad and is the only surviving centre of ancient wood block carving in India. The craft was developed and specialized by Suthar artisans who were originally carpenters. It is also believed that the craft has been adopted from Iran at the time of mughals and then it concentrated in shikhapur in sindh from where its spread in Pethapur ,Gujrat.Rajastahn ,Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh are the three centers where art of making wooden blocks became famous.Most of the craftsmen engaged in this work belonged to the gujjar suthar caste who believe that their ancestors settled in pethpur 200 years ago. These people believe that they are the progeny of Vishwakarma-the architect of the gods.
The block makers of Pethapur believe that many years ago when women got bored of wearing plain clothes they began using their bangle dipped in color to pattern their clothes.Pethapur supplies hand blocks to Sangnar(rajasthan) ,Bagh (Madhya Pradesh) and Kutch region. Blocks are ordered and sold directly between the printer and the carver, with no middlemen or agent. Block makers travel to the printing centres most of them located in M.P with their directory of designs or vice versa the printers come to the village with their samples.


Artisans-

Gajjar Shantilal(family)
Popat Lal Mistri(family)
Govind Lal Prajapti(family)


Tools

ari/karvat(saw)
bhido(vice)
dismis(screw driver)
farsi(chisel)
ghodi(wooden stand)
gothilo/tahpdi(mallet)
hathodi(hammer)
kanas(file)
pakad(pliers)
panch(punch)
randho(carpenters plane)
shardi (vice)
tankanu(chisel)
vansalo(adaze)

Raw Material

Wood
Khadi(white chalk)
Tracing paper
Coloured Pencils

Process

The wood Is bought In an open market. The most common wood is teak (sag) or ( (sag saghwan) preferred because of it is durable ,water proof, resistant to termites and decay. It Is locally known as (sag2 patll). Despite Its durability, the wood Is soft I and easy to carve. It is also fibreless so especially suitable for fine work. It is bought from the forests of Southern Gujarat.
When bought the wood is in uneven pieces called (wadh). It is stored In a dark enclosed space for up to one year. Once the wood is ready the edges are shaped with the saw, chisel and adze to give it the desired shape - oblong, square or round, depending on the design. The surface to be carved is filed and smoothened by grinding on a rough stone on which is spread fine river sand and water. The shaped smoothened block Is known as (kaplo)
The (kaplo) is now ready for the design to be traced on Its surface and carved. For any design two types of blocks are carved today: the main block with the outline called (rekh) and the subsidiary or relative blocks for each colour called (data3). They are both carved in relief.
The smoothened surface is coated with the layer of white chalk to aid definition and visibility of the traced design.
The design is first drawn on paper. The paper is fixed to the whitened surface of block, held in place with nails. Using a fine tipped or pointed chisel the design Is perforated onto the block.
Once the design Is traced onto the block, the negative spaces are carved or gouged using a variety of different shaped and sized chisels. If the spaces to be removed are vast, a hand drill Is used. Once the block has been carved the block makers finish by engraving a nail shaped point, (mokh), on the right hand corner of the block. This enables the printer to precisely align the blocks while printing.
The four sides of the block are sloped, narrow at the top slanting outwards at the base where the design is carved. In the case of dense designs such as floral patterns or closely carved designs holes are drilled through the block to allow trapped air to release and thus ensure all' bubbles don't smudge the print or spread the colour. These air passages are called (pavan-sar).
The handle (chhado) is either carved from the block or attached later. The first is more durable and also more expensive.
After the carving is complete and the block Is ready it is placed in groundnut oil for a couple of days to season the wood and protect It from climatic changes and moister.this makes sure that the block doest wrap through repeated use .It takes up to three days to carve a intricate design .and the general price is 2000 per block.the rates vary on the basis of complexity of design.

Meeting with Govind Lal H. Prajapati

It was indeed a life altering experience. As we look towards the legends of art in the western world ,after meeting govind I realized there are millions of bernins yet to be discovered in our nation.
Govind who is 62,has been involved in the business of wooden block carving ever since he was 11 years old. He left his school as the art of carving wood interested him more than anything else.Govind never attended formal classes to learn reading or writing but to my surprise he can read and write in Gujrati,Hindi and as well as in English. When I entered Govinds home , he was carving a wooden block in a well lit baramada,over his wooden sindook. . His house was very neat and clean with miniumal basics . Next to Govind was his wife ,who has been witnessing him working on those wooden blocks day in and day out since the last 54 years..Govind goes to Madhya Pradesh with his huge design directory to get orders from the printers. Wooden block carvers are also settled in faukabad ,jaipur,khushhgi ,bagh but as govind says “ fine intricate carving can only be done in Pethapur”. Govinds blocks are more or less like a art work -very neat ,precise and expressive..Another difference between the craftsmen of Pethapur and other states is that they use a different wood called -shishu( they sell it in the name of shesum).This wood is Corse and thus the carving is often not very fine. The kind of finish which comes by using blocks made in pethapur is just like a digital print. They donot leave any scope for error.Govind is quite a passionate worker but he says as time is proceeding further artists are paying lesser attention to neatness and intricacy .They don’t want to spend much time on one block.Govind has been facing this problem with the workers earlier as they can’t do fine work."It will take three years to pass on the knowledge as the skill needs a lot of practice" says govind .his son is also engaged in the same business though he sells these blocks to Kutch region of the country. When Govind was 50 he could easily make 20-25 thousand a month (It was only him because he never wasted a single plank). He claims that even if we do laser cutting on wood it cannot be as precise as his work .It is a miraculous sight to see Govind carve on wood faster than we can draw on paper. At 62 ,in spite of having a cataract removal surgery ,govind passion for wood carving is unbeatable. He truly cherishes his profession.

Meeting with Lokesh

Lokesh is a ahemdabad based designer.He has been exporting block printed bags to U.K and U.S from the past 5 years.Lokesh is a regular vister to pethapur.I met him at gajjar lals,studio where he had come with his hand drawn samples.While talking to lokesh i got to know that Ahmedabad, Sanganer, Bagru, Farukhabad and Pethapur, are the main centers of hand block printing in Rajasthan and Gujrat. The Bagru and Sanganeri prints are not easily distinguishable but on a closer observation the difference between the two are revealed. The Sanganer prints are always on a white background, whereas the Bagru prints are essentially in red and black. Artistry and intricacy characterize the designs of Farukhabad. Banaras block prints which makers design their blocks to suit fine silk printing - sometimes each design has seven colors.
Block print design gets bigger and bolder and the delicacy is lost as one moves towards the south or towards Calcutta. The designs vary from traditional flowers and creepers to images of animals and birds and also modern graphical patterns. Today, Andhra Pradesh is a large center for hand block printing
Block printing is popular because of the rich and vibrant colors. Originally natural dyes and block printing inks were used but today they have been replaced by chemical and artificial inks.

as the journey continues...
The future of the block carvers of Pethapur Is uncertain. It Is entirely possible that they will follow the other block making traditions and apply their skill to making products which have a wider and also urban market. This would ensure the continuity of the knowledge but it would be unfortunate if In the process the beautiful hand printed fabrics which India has been renowned for since the beginning of civilization become extinct.

Community Search

Pottery (Family profession)

Sardabein and family have been making pots in this village for the past 15 to 20 years. They make kundi pots, upadi’s and tava’s. They have been in the business forever since their grandfathers also were a part of the same profession. The workload is shared by everyone and not just a single member of the family. They are the only family in this village who manufacture pots.

Materials used include Madhera, Black soil, Grey Soil and Rodejare. Work is done for eight months of the year, while they remain closed for the remaining four months. During the eight month stretch work is started at 3 am every day.

The entire process is done in their village itself; they have a place for fermentation of the soil which they have built. However they don’t sell what they make directly. People come over and pick things up and sell it in the market. They are only responsible of bringing in the raw material and making their craft.

Stones from the gulf of Khambat.

In the business of trading rare stones and pebbles used to decorate homes, gardens, making of fountains and various other installisations.

Community includes a handful of people doing the same thing, mostly family members spread out around a certain area selling the same products. They have been doing this for about ten to fifteen years now. Before they got into this trade they were working as malis (gardeners). During the off season they go back to gardening.

The stones they sell are bought from the Gulf of Khambat. They buy them in bulk and sell them for 5 Rs profit per piece. They mostly sell the smaller stones based on weight. Their main customers include contractors and interior decorators or Landscape architects, whom they also help in construction of monuments or sculptures with these stones.

Ganesh Murtis

Communities earning their livelihood by making statues of Hindu idols. These Idols are used mostly during festivals for immersions.

Most of them make moulds of their statues in different sizes, based on the needs of their clients. These moulds also help them manufacture everything faster with more efficiency.

It cost Rs 7000 to 8000 to make a mould through someone else, while it cost just Rs 3000 to 4000 if you make it yourself. The advantage of making such moulds is that these families can then make up to 10 statues a day. The average cost in making one statue is about Rs 1500 and they sell it for Rs 2500 (this cost includes everything labor, materials and painting.)

Apart from Ahmedabad (biggest market) customers come from as far as Baroda and Surat as well.

This is also a seasonal job and in the off season people tend to do cladding of stones or other gardening work.

A community by trade

We commence our project at a time when process structures and institution (not in the sense of an establishment, but again a process) building processes have already faced a great degree of criticism; whether in corporate or in the public institutions, the end results seem to be far less than what is needed to create a visible impact. The concerns are to link all the different human dimensions and multiplying perspectives with increased Globalization, emerging economy and various socio-cultural crises. It is our convenience to build sectoral and interest focused processes tackling specifics of development issues; it is imperative to look at the possibility of processes that could address sustainable development in broader terms. Networking and collaboration, consortium and community based approaches and similar initiatives are thought to be the possible answers. But such new approaches need new design, structures, learning, delivery and management mechanisms, frameworks and policies; the current processes seem to be falling short and needs to be reoriented and restructured.

It is essential that in such broad based, multiple perspective approaches are led by processes that are designed to create communities, new environments encouraging systemic deign thinking and implementation and with primary focus in designing to instigate education (broad based, an integral of formal, non-formal and informal education) as it is the single thread that connects all the human dimensions. Having said that it is also needs to be pointed out that in the current scenario and understanding of design the envisaged result of a “networked society” is difficult to achieve. It would be essential that we develop respect for design that is beyond the current understanding and pivoted around two very important concepts of “User” and “Quality”. Many times we talk about designing environments as the main task for broad-based, systemic and sustainable development of human society; to do so community design efforts need to be emphasized and worked upon. Usage of technology needs to be contextual and appropriate, which needs innovation ecology with multi-perspective approach.

The idea of taking a community trade is to understand how collective efforts, with a suitable business model could lead to betterment of human environments. Core of the project lies in appreciating a specific econom8ic activity that sustains itself by the virtue of the collective drive and understand design intervention in all three required levels of improving learning, productivity, produce and prducts as well as services.