Behind Handicrafts Award For Manipur Woman With Disability, A Life Of True Grit

A paralysis of the limb due to a tumour led to 80 per cent disability for Yengkhom (O) Indira Devi, a resident of Manipur's Kakching district. With movement restricted, she began working on small hand embroidery like knitting on handkerchiefs, pillow and bed covers as a hobby, her family says.

In 2014, Indira Devi - who had been living with locomotor disability - suffered rib and leg injuries in a car-bus collision of such severity that one of the drivers died on the spot, her family says.

Burdened by the second tragedy, Indira Devi, who could not walk, decided to put all her concentration on her hand embroidery work. She has not looked back, her family says.

She was one of the artisans from all corners of India who received the National Handicrafts Awards for 2023 and 2024 from President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday.

Three artisans from Manipur - Laishram Memicha, Yengkhom (O) Indira Devi, and A Bimola Devi - are among those who received the National Handicrafts Award from President Droupadi Murmu.

In a light blue saree, Indira Devi smiled for the cameras from her wheelchair. She held the award - 'Divyang Artisan - Hand Embroidery' - in her lap. While two others from Manipur - Laishram Memicha and A Bimola Devi - also received the handicrafts awards, the circumstances that Indira Devi went through with true grit drew huge support.

"My mother is very happy. It means a lot to her. She has gone to Delhi for the award," Indira Devi's daughter, Anu, told NDTV on phone from the state capital Imphal.

Before the national recognition came, Indira Devi received several state awards for her handicrafts work that involved creating intricate embroideries on cloth, the most recognisable being an embroidered painting of the game of sagol kangjei, or polo.

"I learnt that sagol kangjei [polo] had its origin in the ancient past in Manipur and now the game is popular all over the world. I embroidered a painting of sagol kangjei because I wanted to nurture this game," says Indira Devi.

Indira Devi's fine embroidered work showed three men in the traditional polo attire of the Meitei community riding their local pony, competing to hit a ball with their mallet swung high for maximum force. The colours are pastel, and the background with a hill in the distance is distinctively Manipur.

For the sagol kangjei work, Indira Devi says she used a large piece of white cloth, three circular frames of different sizes, 25 sewing needles, and at least 80 yarn rolls.

"It took five months to complete the work," says the artisan and mother of two children.

Indira Devi says she is the fifth child among six siblings of two brothers and four sisters. Her father, Kshetrimayum Iboyaima Singh, was known for his carpentry skills and was the winner of a state award on woodcrafts.

She has done a Master's degree equivalent from the famous Hindustani music institution, Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.

Indira Devi says she has been looking to form a group and reach out to differently abled persons who want to learn handicrafts as a hobby or as a means of making a living.

At the awards ceremony, President Murmu highlighted that handicrafts are not only a part of India's cultural identity but are also an important source of livelihood.

"This sector employs over 3.2 million people. Most of the people who derive employment and income from handicrafts live in rural or remote areas. This sector promotes inclusive development by decentralising employment and income," she said.

If India's centuries-old handicrafts tradition has remained vibrant and preserved, it is due to the commitment of artisans, generation after generation, she added.

Handicrafts not only provide a means of livelihood to artisans, but their art also gives them recognition and respect in society, and the development of this sector will strengthen women's empowerment as women comprise 68 per cent of the workforce in this sector, President Murmu said.