BHOPAL: Tribal youths from four states are learning how to preserve and promote their traditional knowledge and how to use it for earning a livelihood. The states include Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
Nearly 25 youths are learning filmmaking as a means to conserve their traditional knowledge so that they need not migrate to cities to make a living under the 10-month residential programme.
The youths belong to Gond, Bedia, Bhil, Baiga, Sahariya and Pardhi communities. The course is being conducted by Mahashakti Sewa Kendra, an NGO, Bhopal, with financial support from Ford Foundation among others. Their accommodation is at a farm house near Airport Road, Bhopal.
The youths have been given cameras. As part of the course, which began from September 6, they will be taught camera handling, video editing and story-telling. After a eight month training, they will be interning with NGOs working in tribal areas of four states. They will be paid a stipend of Rs 5,000 per month during internship and would work with NGOs in states other than their own.
“The idea is that a fellow from, say, Chhattisgarh, should live in Rajasthan and learn about traditional knowledge of tribal communities of that state,” Pooja Iyengar of the Mahashakti Kendra told Free Press.
The tribals were selected through the network of tribal NGOs working in the four states. After an initial round of telephonic interviews, 80 short-listed candidates were called to Bhopal for face-to-face interviews. “We did not insist on any formal qualification. Only their interest and an acquaintance with traditional practices and knowledge of their communities was enough,” she said.
A photographer from BBC has already taught them the basics of photography. Environmentalists, conversationalists and water harvesting experts among others, will also train them. They would also be taken on tours to different places to help them hone their skills. “Next week, they will be touring Bhoj Wetland Area,” Iyengar said.
Aarti Singh, 25, from Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh, who is one of the trainees, said that she has interest in photography. “I am getting to learn a lot,” she said. Aarti said that her parents were against sending her for the course but agreed after the director of an NGO called Chaupal persuaded them.
Suraj Meena, 21, from Udaipur in Rajasthan, said learning photography is her first time experience. “It is amazing to touch camera for first time,” she says,
“A similar course was run for tribals of north-east region. It is for the first time that tribals from central India are being trained to preserve their knowledge, heritage using digital medium,” Iyengar said.
