Members of the nomadic Narikuravar community of Tamil Nadu, famous for their beaded ornaments, will now start making artificial jewellery on a larger scale, after the Erode district administration convinced them to upskill their bead craft. Once, hunting was the main occupation for them, but, they had to stop as they were banned from entering the forests. Forced to choose some means to earn a livelihood, they started making beaded ornaments and selling them.

To provide them a sustainable livelihood, the Erode district administration starting a training programme to improve their skills in ornament making and widen the range of ornaments they make.  This way, they can also avail the benefits given by the state government under various schemes.

POLISHING THEIR SKILLS

While speaking with Indian Masterminds, DC Erode H Krishnanunni said, “The Narikuravar people have now become nomads and they travel a lot. The main source of livelihood for them is beaded ornament making which they sell in various places they visit. As these people have no permanent home or a place to stay, they are considered as socio- economically poor. So, in order to help them, we thought of improving their skills in artificial jewelry making and give a value addition to what they already know.”

The community is dealing with poverty, illiteracy, diseases and discrimination from ages. High crime rates and unemployment are other problems which afflict them. The ban on fox-hunting as well as killing endangered species of birds and wildlife have depleted the Narikuravas of their traditional sources of livelihood.

However, in May 2008, a Welfare Board for the Narikuravas headed by the Backward Classes Minister was authorised by the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to help them. Efforts were made in educating Narikuravas and assimilating them into society and, moreover, the demand to remove them from the Backward Class list and include them into Scheduled Tribes was accepted by the state government.

TRAINING PROGRAMME

Project Director, Women Development, Erode, Ms. Getzi Leema told Indian Masterminds, “The marginalised section of Narikurava community who are residing at MGR Nagar of Komarapalayam village Panchayat in Sathyamangalam Block were approached regarding upliftment of their livelihood. This includes around 70 families which were targeted in the first phase of this training programme. They themselves had demanded training in artificial jewelry making.”

Women aged between 18 and 45, based on their needs, were trained to make beaded jewelry, which is their traditional occupation. Under the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission and on the instructions of the District Collector, 13 interested candidates were chosen for artificial jewelry making training through Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI).

Mr. Krishnanunni said, “It was a difficult task to motivate them for the training programme as they had to travel and make their ends meet on a day-to-day basis. At first, they were not ready to come, but as soon as they got convinced, a set of people from the community came forward to learn the value addition skills provided by the administration.”

Ms. Getzi Leema further informed that the village Panchayat president helped them in mobilising the Narikuravar people and bringing them to the training area, which was conducted in the PlF building of Komarapalayam village.

The training has enabled them to sell their beads mala for two times higher than their making value. The people who were earlier not ready to even participate in the training programme are now happy that they have got a value addition to their original skills.

DC Krishnanunni informed that more things are in the pipeline as in the future, more facilities and benefits will be provided to the Narikuravar community, such as land patta and other occupations, for which they need not keep travelling from one place to another.