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BANGALORE, INDIA, October 23, 2004: Tribal and dalit arts and crafts tend to get neglected when compared to urban classical art forms. But in Bangalore an effort has been on for the last five years to bring together troupes and craftspeople from all over the country to make them self-sufficient, without the need for middlemen. For the folk artists and craftsmen assembled in Bangalore, the effort of the city-based NGO Madhyam is an opportunity to sell their cultural and traditional folk and art forms, as well as showcase their talents.



“We have made one presentation now and we feel proud that we are showcasing our culture to a Bangalore audience,” said Nandlal Bharathi, an artiste from Uttaranchal. “We want to succeed in projecting the culture of our village to the rest of the country,” said Priyanka, another artiste from the state.



The tribal craftsmen who have come to Bangalore from across the country feel that their business will thrive in the garden city. “People in Kutch are not interested in buying these things because they are made there. But for people in Bangalore it is something new,” said Abdul Shakur, a craftsman from Kutch.



Madhyam wants to revive these dying tribal art forms but at the same time do away with middlemen so that these artists can enjoy the full benefits of their work. “Classical arts get all the money and all the patronage. It’s the dalit and tribal art forms that are lying waste. Unless somebody does something, I think it will not be alive for very much longer and our children will not get to see them,” said Munira Sen of Madhyam. At present the organizers are dependent on government and corporations to sustain this initiative, but their ultimate objective is to create a permanent space for these crafts people to give expression to their creativity.

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