Giving Voice To The Subalterns

 How Ecolook Is Enabling The Rural Artisans Of West Bengal, Bihar And Orissa With Wings To Fly High

It was nearly a century ago, when probably on a wintry night in Turin, Antonio Gramsci coined the term, subaltern.  And when, in the sunny days of 1983, India was about to script history by edging past the much-fancied West Indies side to lift the coveted Prudential Cup (as it was officially known then), another Indian, Gayatri Chakraborty Spivak came up with her epoch-making thought, ‘Can the subaltern speak?’. But little did they know, that there would be another bunch of dreamers in the 21^st century, who will be dealing with this term as mothers deal with their child – love and care galore! In her famous essay, Spivak argued, can the subaltern speak? She went on to address the question from various perspectives and firmly concluded, that the subaltern can speak, if they are given a voice.

Allah Megh De, Pani De, Chaya De Re Tui (O God! Give Us Cloud, Rain And Shadow) – Ready For The Swansong?

The rural artisans of Bengal, have been always blessed with the enviable skill to create great art effortlessly, with a tinge of magic. Same applies to the brilliant craftsmen of Bihar and Orissa. One can trace the sheer excellence and the awestriking variety of life unfolding in many facets, in their fascinating artworks over thousand of years. They remain an embodiment of the extremely rich folk culture and tradition of the incredible melting pot named, India. It’s an absolute bliss to the eyes, as well as the soul, to witness them – purely handcrafted works of art, made with enormous sweat and blood. When you touch them or have a close look at these beautiful pieces of art, you can feel the warmth that has gone into their making, the very essence of the mother nature in its truest form and can easily connect with it at once. But for the last couple of decades, due to several key factors related to the socio-eco-political scenario, these gifted craftsmen are finding it extremely difficult to paint the canvas of life with its various colours as they used to do for generations. To add to their woes, the pandemic wave hit them hard and they had to encounter with a couple of super-cyclones in the last few years. In such trying times, these masters who hail from the roots, are now fighting to survive alongside the indigenous art forms they have expertise in, with all they have.

Much Needed Sunshine 

In the recent times, the slow fashion brand, Ecolook, which has already gained the trust of numerous people, especially through its eco-friendly jute products, is doing wonders! The beautifully designed multi-purpose jute bags have become the talk of the town in no time. This Kolkata based green startup is successfully bridging the gap between the customers and these powerful artisans from Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, by offering the latter a strong global platform. It certainly keeps the middlemen at bay and ensures that these craftsmen, who reside at the fringes of the society, get the price they deserve for the rare, class apart artworks they produce. The way it has been standing with them through thick and thin, calls for a big shout-out! Thanks to Ecolook, the subaltern artisans can speak and now their voices can be heard from faraway places.