For Nima Tsering, 24, the glamor of a metropolis where most of his peers come from a village in Arunachal Pradesh migrated in search of greener grasslands with no appeal. Preserve and revive the thousand-year-old paper-making profession handmade of the Monpa tribe is the most important thing. ‘Mon Shugu’ or Monpas’ paper is derived from the bark of a shrub called ‘Shugu Sheng’, which literally translates to paper tree. It is produced in the picturesque village of Mukto in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, but the craft is on the verge of extinction. (Also read: 6 Incredible Indian Folk and Tribal Art Forms You Should Know About )
“Few people know of the existence of this fine-textured handmade paper, and even fewer are able to do it. This technique has been passed down through generations in families. Our whole village only has it. 4-5 households do this job,” he said. Tsering told PTI.
He added that the craft has fallen victim to a trio of hardships due to its small customer base, fragile profit margins and mass migration of young people. Tsering is part of a group from Mukto that is still involved in the production of Mon Shugu. They were here for the seventh edition of the Northeast Green Summit that just ended.
The summit was organized by the Vibgyor NE Foundation, a non-profit organization, dedicated to the green issues of Northeast India, at the Northeastern Police Academy (NEPA) here. Tsering’s neighbor, Sangey Dorjee (57 years old), has been making Mon Shugu since the age of 7 and complains about the lack of awareness surrounding the special paper, which is chemical-free, environmentally friendly and has a long lifespan. .
“Buddhist monks and locals in Tawang make up the majority of our clientele. Monks write religious texts on this piece of paper, which are then inserted into prayer wheels at monasteries. They only use this paper because it’s light and considered pure because no chemicals are used in the process,” Dorjee said.
The father of five says they are looking to revive the craft and insists that things will change for the better in the coming days.
“We recently established the Traditional Paper and Handicraft Marketing Association to reach out to ministers, government officials and NGOs to help us save the tradition,” he said. this is dying slowly.”
“We are also planning to join social media platforms to promote Mon Shugu and also sell our products on e-markets,” he added. Agreed Tsering, the youngest of the bunch, says he understands the power of social media, and if their product appeals to people on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, it could change their fortunes in just a minute. night.
“I am very serious about selling our products on social media,” he said, adding that a 10-sheet pack of A4-sized printer-friendly Mon Shugu costs about $200 while a one square meter sheet can be purchased for $50.
“The price depends on the thickness of the paper, the thicker the paper, the more expensive it is,” he said, adding that Mon Shugu can be used to make bags, envelopes and stands for paintings. However, Dorjee pointed to logistical challenges that could hinder their plans to enter the e-market.
“We have internet in our village but the courier service is only available at the district headquarters,” he complained.
“So if we get an order, we’ll have to deliver it at the headquarters, which will increase the cost. If door-to-door delivery is provided in the village, it will help. us a lot,” he said.
Meanwhile, Thinley Gombo (53), stressed that although governments will do their best in due time, it is imperative for Mukto villagers to encourage their young people to be a part of it. of the papermaking tradition.
“I have two children and both are studying in Shillong. I convinced one of them to come back to the village and join me in making Mon Shugu,” said Gombo with a proud voice and a grin on his face.
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This story was published from the wire dealer’s feed without text modification. Only the title has been changed.
