Dr. Santosh Kumar Rai and Dr.Shalin Jain, S.G.T.B. Khalsa College
Abstract
Abstract
The Foundation Course in ‘Indian
History and Culture’ moves around three historical themes i.e. habitats,
transitions and hierarchies. This paper incorporates the basic premises for
practicing interdisciplinarity through themes such as environment, gender and
culture.
The Challenge: We
propose selecting a single project and using an interdisciplinary approach
to address topics in all the Foundation Courses.
PROJECT THEME-I: CRAFT COMMUNITIES
Study
of marginalized communities such as the
handloom weavers of Benaras, gadia lohars
(ironsmith) or banjaras of Rajasthan
could open multiple possibilities for project work.
1.
Language, Literature, and Creativity –I
(Hindi /MIL /Sanskrit /Arabic /Persian / Indian Literature) Project Work
2.
Language, Literature, and Creativity –II
(English) Project Work
These
language based Foundation Courses could focus on the shift of literary notions
about the image handloom weavers through study of Kabir, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi
and Abdul Bismillah.
For example:
a. Vani of Kabir-
Hum
sut neet tanhi tana,janeu kant tumhare I
Tum to ved padhhu,phir bhi
sab karma niskarma hamaare II
b. Hazari Prasad
Dwivedi, in Kabir
Shayad hi kisi
anya jati mein apni vartmaan samajik maryada ke vishay mein aisa teevr asantosh
ho jaisa ki vayanjivi jatiyon mein paya jata hein
c. Abdul Bismillah in Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya
Who except the
master weaver (Grihasta) in this world is the supporter of a poor weaver?
3.
Information Technology Project
Work
a.
Product/Design
Development
i.
Tie
and dye,
ii.
Chikan
and styles,
iii.
Neck
design,
iv.
Sleeve
design,
b.
Launching
of common web portal
c.
Capacity
Building/Skill up-gradation programme for weavers
d.
Analysis
of present weaving technology and finding better technology available for
weaving
e.
Publicity
campaign for Brand Equity of Banaras
4.
Business,
Entrepreneurship, and Management Project Work
a. Investigate the demand-supply, marketing
strategy, management of financial resources and capital investment.
b. Export
Procedure and Methodology.
c. Investigate the changing
occupational structure and economic profile of the Handloom Industry-
i.
Ordinary Weaver,
ii.
Master Weaver
iii.
Kothidar/Gaddidar
5.
Governance and
Citizenship Project Work
Role of state and citizenship rights of the weavers could be studied
through-
a. Weavers’
Cooperatives Societies
b. Government
Weaving Training Schools
c. Loans
from Banks
d. Cases
of death due to Hunger
e. Child
Labour
f. Social
Oppression, and role of NGOs
g. Government
Health Schemes
6.
Philosophy, Psychology,
Communication and Life Skills
- Background of economic instability, nutritional deficiency, pressure of debts influencing working efficiency, marginalization, increasing illiteracy, suicidal tendencies and gender inequality in the context of the craft communities.
- Even then, how the communication and life skills of the craft are passed on generation after generation and the communities have maintained the craft skill. This deserves to be analyzed by the students.
7.
Geographic and
Socio-Economic Diversity
Weaving hubs in Madanpuras of Ibrahimpur, Mubarakpur, Mau,
Benaras, Calcutta, Bombay,Malegaon and Bhivandi show an earnest desire on the
part of the migrant weavers’ population to recreate and reproduce the locality
of the homes left behind.
a.
Demographic patterns of textile
workers in new settlements.
b.
Occupational migration and the urban market.
c.
Linguistic style and rituals.
8.
Science and Life
Analyse shifts in
the life skills of the craft communities through-
a.
Shift from pandloom to power
loom
b.
Shift from hand spun yarn to machine
made yarn
c.
Dyeing technique
d.
Bleaching technique
e.
Beaming technique
f.
Sizing of the yarn
9.
Indian History and
Culture
The
terms cloth, handloom and weavers largely denote three meanings in Indian history-
i.
Ancient Indian history- Export to European and Asian
Markets for earning gold and consequent migration of weavers.
ii. Medieval Indian history-Royal Karkhanas and Kabir’s vani.
iii. Modern Indian history-Experience of de-industrialization due to European
colonialism.
Students
without formal training in History should be encouraged to develop
following ideas -
a. Study
of caste cum occupational groups with reference to Muslim Ajlaf or Hindu Dalit weavers
b. Process
of community formation.
c. Use
of the family labour creating invisible labour forms; women and children
perform secondary works but never get wages in this household/ cottage industry
d. Occupational
shifts from household to karkhana created
new hierarchies of labour.
10. Building Mathematical Ability
Data Analysis for
the following areas is required-
a.
Quantity of yarn consumption
b.
Types of products
c.
Age groups among weavers,
d.
Sex ratio of skilled and
unskilled weavers,
e.
Rural-urban ratio
f.
Various sectors of industry,
g.
Wages
h.
Literacy rate,
i.
Work participation ratio
11. Environment and Public Health
In their dirty
and congested combination of working and residential areas, weavers spend long hours of working on pit-looms inside damp and ill ventilated rooms thus
they develop diseases such as:
a. Tuberculosis
(due to dust of handloom khaddi)
b. Diarrhea
c. Aching-joints
d. Rheumatic diseases
e. Digestive/respiratory
disorders
f. Impairment
of eyesight
g. Low back pain
In
Abdul Bismillah’s Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya one character Aleemun
dies of Tuberculosis and the other Rehana falls victim to illiteracy, poverty
and superstitions when her epileptic seizures are treated through prayers or
witchcraft.
PROJECT THEME-II: RELIGIOUS Processions in Delhi
Fairs and Festivals are an integral part of cultural life. In recent times
religious processions have emerged as strong symbols of expression of community
affiliated cultural sensibilities of the
urban people. In Delhi, processions on occasions such as Dusshera, Durga Puja,
Hanuman Jayanti, Id-i-Milad-i-Nabi, Muharram, Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav, and
martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Jain Rath Yatras and Valmiki Jayanti or the Republic Day parade are emerging as
people’s desire to connect to their
community and nation in a larger. These occasions are the process of identity formation. A study of these religious processions could give students a multidisciplinary approach to
work on their projects.
1. Language, Literature,
and Creativity –I
(Hindi /MIL /Sanskrit /Arabic /Persian / Indian Literature)
2. Language,
Literature, and Creativity –II (English)
Students
of literature can collect and analyze available literature on these processions:
- Newspaper reports and popular literature could be studied for comparison of literary narratives regarding these religious processions.
- How myths are created and identities are formed is an issue which students of literature could discuss through interdisciplinary approaches as they will also be simultaneously dealing with Foundation Course on ‘Indian History and Culture’
3.
Business,
Entrepreneurship, and Management
a.
Organization and management of
such events.
b.
Money and donations involved in
their Organization.
c.
Traffic management.
d.
Comparison between various
events.
e.
Business created for vendors.
f.
Economics of these processions.
4.
Governance and Citizenship
a.
Role of the State agencies and
the process of documentation in organizing these processions
b.
Law and
order issues
c.
Traffic Control
d.
Water and Energy Management
5.
Philosophy, Psychology,
Communication and Life Skills
a.
Psychology of the participants.
b.
Sense of the community
formation.
c.
Space for individuals.
d.
Propaganda associated with
these processions.
e.
Invention of traditions through
imagining the myths.
6. Geographic and Socio-Economic
Diversity
a.
Study of the socio-economic background
of the processionists.
b.
In which part or social group of the
city are such trends more dominant?
c.
Composite cultural trends and tensions
due to these processions.
7.
Indian History and Culture
a. History, Tradition and Legends associated with these Religious
Processions
b. Pre-Colonial,
Colonial and Post Colonial Phenomenon.
c. Largely
Urban scenario because rural nuances are mostly expressed through fairs.
d. Role
and participation of females as most of the Religious Processions celebrates masculinity.
e. Process
of Identity formation.
8. Building Mathematical Ability
a.
Data processing and comparison
b.
Procession wise average number
of the participants.
c.
Required human resources.
d.
Gender ratio.
e.
Age ratio.
f.
Numerical popularity of the
processions to establish demographic change.
g.
Importance and length of route
taken by the procession.
9.
Environment and Public
Health
a. Hygiene and cleanliness are critical issues during these processions.
b. Use of plastic items
c. Consequences of the immersion of idols in the Yamuna river.
d. Noise Pollution.
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