KVIC brings alive 1000-year-old Monpa handmade paper sector

NEW DELHI: A 1000-year-old heritage art – the Monpa handmade paper of Arunachal Pradesh – which was driven to the extinction, has come to life once again, with the committed efforts of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

The art of making handmade paper originated among the Monpas over 1000 years ago. Gradually this art became an integral part of local custom and culture of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Once produced in every household in Tawang, this handmade paper was a major source of livelihood for the locals. However, the handmade paper industry almost disappeared in the last 100 years; prompting the KVIC to plan revival of this ancient art.

The KVIC on Friday commissioned a Monpa handmade paper making unit in Tawang which not only aims at reviving the art but also in engaging the local youths with this art professionally so that they can earn from it. The unit was inaugurated by KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena in the presence of local people and officials. Inauguration of the paper unit is a historic event for the locals.

The fine-textured handmade paper, which is called 'Mon Shugu' in the local dialect, is integral to the vibrant culture of the local tribes in Tawang. The paper has great historic and religious significance as it is used for writing the Buddhist scriptures and hymns in the monasteries.

The Monpa handmade paper, is made from the bark of a local tree called 'Shugu Sheng', which has medicinal values too. Hence availability of raw material will not be a problem.

Back then, such was the scale of production that the Monpas used to sell these papers to countries like Tibet, Bhutan, Thailand and Japan as no paper-making industry existed in these countries at that time. However, the local industry gradually began declining and the indigenous handmade paper was taken over by the inferior quality Chinese paper.

An attempt for the revival of this handmade paper industry was made in 1994. But the move failed as it was a mountainous task owing to various geographical challenges in Tawang. However, with the strong resolve of the KVIC management, the unit was successfully established despite many challenges.

On the instruction of KVIC Chairman, a team of scientists and officials of Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute, (KNHPI) Jaipur, was deputed at Tawang to set up the unit and start training the locals. KNHPI is a unit of KVIC. Over six months of rigorous efforts bore fruits and a unit has been commissioned at Tawang.

Initially, the paper unit has engaged nine artisans who can produce 500 to 600 sheets of the Monpa handmade paper daily. The artisans will be earning wages of Rs 400 per day. To begin with, 12 women and two men from local villages have been trained to make the Monpa handmade paper.

The most challenging task for KVIC officials was to transport the machines to Tawang owing to its difficult mountainous terrains and inclement weather conditions. The Arunachal Pradesh Government lent full support to the project and offered a building on a nominal rent to set up the unit.

The KVIC Chairman said that reviving the Monpa handmade paper industry and increasing its commercial production was the key objective of KVIC. "Owing to its peculiarity, this handmade paper has high commercial value that can be harnessed to create local employment in Arunachal Pradesh. By increasing production of the Monpa handmade paper, it can again be exported to other countries and regain the space occupied by China in the last few decades. This is a local product with great global potential, which is aligned with the Mantra of "Local to Global" given by the Prime Minister," said Saxena.

"The fatigue from the 15 hours of road journey from Guwahati to Tawang in this difficult terrain just vanished on witnessing this paper unit coming to life again. It is, indeed, a privilege to have inaugurated the unit that will revive this local art," said Saxena while lauding the KVIC- KNHPI officials for their hard work and the Arunachal Pradesh Government for their support to the project.

Apart from the handmade paper, Tawang is known for two other local crafts – handmade pottery and handmade furniture – that are also getting extinct with passage of time. The KVIC Chairman announced that within six months plans will be rolled out for revival of these two local arts. "Revival of handmade pottery will be taken up on priority under the 'Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana' very soon," said Saxena.

The Monpa handmade paper unit will also serve as a training center for the local youths. KVIC will provide the marketing support and explore markets for the locally manufactured handmade paper. The KVIC plans to set up more such units in different parts of the country. Saxena said that the KVIC will also begin production of innovative plastic-mixed handmade paper in Tawang. This move will be crucial for reducing plastic waste in the region, he added. (PIB)