Tribal Leather Craft in Manipur

Leather Craft amongst the tribes of Manipur is still at primitive stage, a number of them having the habit of consuming hide (animal skin) along with animal flesh and not having had necessary royal patronage. Tanning of hides or even use of tanned leather was unknown among the tribes a few decades back, with mere production of shields to repel spears or arrows. Today, only a few youths from Manipur graduate in leather technology, but they do not go back to their villages for development, opting for service in the urban cities instead. Attempts made to finance a few practically resulted in a number of defunct units, even when a portion of finance was subsidised, only because of lack of tradition. Even if the tribes were trained for producing leather goods, tanning process was not introduced, making them depend on distant raw materials. The villages being scattered, do not get local marketing support, hence requiring market of Imphal or outside Manipur for survival. Availing raw materials from outside and marketing products to distant places make the product costlier than one normally available in the market. Having had no tradition, their products are devoid of any exclusivity. Thus, leather craft is virtually a non-starter in the Manipur tribal belts, with shields, headgears etc. with or without enamelling from dried hides promoted as decorative products at the most.

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