Press Release

Aakkam- To the hands that mould

Chennai, 13th September 2012: To reach out to the artisans and to sensitize the youth towards the dying tradition of handicraft and handlooms in India, Department of Journalism, Madras Christian College, conducted a PR campaign, ‘Aakkam-To the hands that mould.’ The campaign, which was held as a part of the curriculum, was conducted from the 10th to the 13th of September, and was widely attended by the students from across the city.

 

The students of the department paid a visit to the artisan community of Kancheepuram on the first day of the campaign, which was graced by Mrs. Vidya Shastri, CEO, Craft Council of India, Chennai, as the Chief Guest. Mrs. Shastri held an informal discussion with the artisans, largely comprised of silk weavers, basket makers and potters, and enlightened them about the various schemes by the government for their welfare. This was followed by the artisans filling up the forms for availing an “Artisan id” card, which would provide them health care benefits and free education for their children among others.

The formal inauguration for the campaign was held on the 11th at Madras Christian college, with Mr. R. Mohan Kumar, Joint Director, Department of Handlooms and Textiles, Government of Tamil Nadu, attending the event as the Chief Guest. Mrs. V.R.Devika, founder and Managing Trustee, ASEEMA Trust, who graced the event as the guest of Honour. Enticing the students with her demonstration of the spinning wheel, Mrs. Devika gave a brief idea about Gandhi’s ideology on handlooms and handicrafts, and focused on the point ‘Production by the masses, and not mass production.’

This was followed by a panel discussion on the topic ‘Is India doing enough to secure its future artisans’ between Mr. Muniswamy, a potter from Pondicherry and five time national awardee, and Mrs. Pushpa Chari, an eminent journalist. It was an enlightening session, with active student interaction, and highlighted the role of the government and the larger society towards the development of the artisan community.

The third day of the campaign started off with a guest lecture by the entrepreneur and retired journalist, Shanthi Ganesan, upon the topic ‘From a prominent contributor to the economy to a mere symbol of culture; Is India buying handmade products just as a reminder of its tradition?’

 This was later followed by various competitions and cultural performances all based on handicrafts and artisans. The campaign concluded with the valedictory function that was held later on the day, with India’s renowned documentary film maker, Mr. R V Ramani attending the event as the Chief Guest.