GUWAHATI, Aug 12 - Traditional handloom weaving skills of the State�s weavers are still winning accolades at the national level. The Union Ministry of Textiles have honoured four handloom weavers of the State this year, by presenting them the National Award for 2013 and the National Merit Certificate for the same year. Three of them received the National Award.
For the year 2012 also, three handloom weavers from the State could obtain the National Award and two others could secure the National Merit Certificate. Significantly, all of these artisans are women and most of them belong to the interior areas of the State, with one of them now shifting to Manipur.
For 2012, Nungshitombi Devi (for tapestry), Kisamhungle Nriame (Jeme Naga women clothe), Hiran Goswami (traditional eri shawl) were selected for the National Award, while Madhubala Kumbang (Garo tribal dress) and Hema Prava Kalita (eri chadar) were selected for the National Merit Certificate.
For 2013, Lasti Mithi (Tiwa garment), Binapani Koch (Kanbang) and Chenimai Doley (Mising Muga silk saree) were selected for the National Award, while Lakhi Prava Bordoloi (wall handing) was selected for the National Merit Certificate.
The awards and the certificates were presented to them at a function held at the Madras University Auditorium, Chennai on August 7, 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Around 100 weavers of the country, including the above named ones from Assam, were honoured at that function for their outstanding creative skills by the Union Textiles Ministry. Incidentally, August 7 was observed as the National Handloom Day by the Ministry.
Talking to this newspaper, Lasti Mithi (around 70), who is also a recipient of the 2011 National Merit Certificate of the Textile Ministry, said she won the Award for her product Re-Chokodo (traditional Tiwa male wrapper), which was prepared with a traditional geometrical design and floral patterns, is now keen on teaching the young girls the skill of weaving cloths with adorable designs and for that purpose she is now trying to set up an institution. But, she said she needs support from all the quarters to set up the institute.
Mithi, a resident of the Amkhalam village of Umsai area under Baithalangso Police Station of Karbi Anglong district of the State, she learnt weaving from her mother, grand mother and elder sister (Ruphati Mithi, who is now over 70 year-old), when she was a minor girl. Weaving is still a community tradition among the Tiwas living in the Hills district of Karbi Anglong, she said.
She said they mainly use cotton and eri yarn, which are prepared by themselves. They colour the yarn by applying the traditional herbal dyes they produce from tree leaves, turmeric, lah etc. They can produce red, black, dark purple, yellow etc yarn by applying their home-made dyes, she said.
Jibeswar Koch, the Head of the Department of Bodo of the Dudhnoi College, who is the husband of Binapani Koch of Padumpukhuri Damra Road, Dudhnoi in Goalpara district, told this newspaper that his wife took around one month�s time to weave the Kanbang (a kind of a Rabha shawl) in a loin loom. She used cotton yarn and natural dye to colour the yarn black, red and green.
Binapani Koch is a higher secondary pass woman with 25 years of weaving experience. She also obtained a one-year diploma in weaving from the Ramphalbil Weaving Centre in Kokrajhar district, said Jibeswar Koch.
