#CraftTales: SRCC students help revive dying arts in the pandemic

Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, has a group of students working under Project Virasat, to enable the artisans sell their crafts. The youngsters have set-up an e-commerce platform so that the younger generation feel motivated to carry forward the legacy of the artisans.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been several talks of how Covid-19 crippled India’s economy, and especially the artisans who have struggled to make ends meet. Many are trying to help those who keep the dying arts alive. Among them is a group of Delhi University students, from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), who have launched an e-commerce platform for artisans.

Delhi University students, under Project Virasat, are supporting artisans skilled in some rare art forms.

“During the coronavirus pandemic, we were aware of the hardships faced by artisans, as they were unable to sell their crafts. We wished to do something for them, that’s when we realised the need to set up an online platform,” says Taruni Singhal, a B Com (Hons) final year student, and the project director. She says this initiative was under Project Virasat, as members of Enactus SRCC society tried to revive the Indian handicrafts. “Virasat is an umbrella organisation for craft cluster development. We have been working towards alleviating the problems faced by craftspersons, and are creating opportunities not only for the existing artisans but also for their future generations, so that they can safely carry on with the legacy.”

Artisans practising Usta Kala art and Gaurahari stonework have been supported so far by this initiative.

The youngsters identified two dying craft forms – Usta Kala from Bikaner, Rajasthan and the Gaurahari stonework from Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh. “We could barely find any information on these art forms on the internet, and on further research we realised that barely a handful of people practise them now. Earlier, an entire village was practising Gaurahari stonework, but now only 2-3 families are pursuing it. So, we included these art forms under Virasat, and now we have almost 40 artisans as part of this initiative. We also handhold them through the design process, with help of a few design students,” informs Agrim Jain, a B Com (Hons) student and co-director of the project, adding, “Through the website, the artisans have received over a dozen orders in the last few days.”

The artisans involved in the project are relieved that the new website will help them revive their craft. “The biggest problem we were facing is that our craft isn’t getting the right platform to excel. Many among the new generation does not want to pick up our art, aur paise kum hone ki wajah se hum isko achche se alag alag sheheron me bechne ke liye le ja bhi nahi paate. Par in college ke bachchon se milke ab aisa lagta hai ki humari kala ko bhi samman milega, dekh videsh mein,” says Mohsin, an Usta Kala artisan from Bikaner.

Author tweets @bhagat_mallika

Follow more stories on Twitter and Facebook