With 'No Other Means Of Livelihood', Manipur Relief Camp Inmates Create Crochet Dolls For Support

Manipur News: At a time when the nightmare of their houses being set ablaze is still fresh, the craft has also helped in improving the mental health of the victims.

Inmates of a relief camp in Manipur crocheting the dolls.

Source : DIPR, Manipur

Guwahati: Thousands of internally displaced people in the four-month-long ethnic clashes in strife-torn Manipur, currently taking refuge in several relief camps in different districts of the state, have been crocheting amigurumi dolls that are to be sold in the global market. The ‘1 Million Heroes,’ a global multi-platform entertainment brand dedicated to inspire and instill confidence in a generation of children around the world, came up with an initiative for sustainable livelihood for the inmates of the relief camps by training them in crocheting amigurumi doll making, a Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Manipur press release said.

The inmates have been trained in specialisation of five characters of the amigurumi dolls including Buddy (the pet dog), Mitten (the cat), Raja (the tiger), Oliver (the bear) and Bola (the buddy). The inmates are also being provided with the tools and raw materials, the release added.

Laishram Geeta Leima (36), a mother of three, is one such trainee at the Khangabok relief camp in the state’s Thoubal district. Geeta has been pinning her hope by crocheting amigurumi dolls for a livelihood for her family in this troubled time. She had to flee from her village at Sugnu Awang Leikai in Kakching district when it came under attack from armed miscreants on May 27 this year. Geeta now sees a ray of hope through crocheting the amigurumi dolls, which is satisfying and productive as well.

“Staying at the relief camp, we had no other means of livelihood and the problem was compounded with having to look after my children. During this dark period of our lives, we were trained in crocheting amigurumi dolls as an alternative for our livelihood. I have now almost mastered it. I am feeling very happy to have acquired this new skill,” Geeta said.

Agom Sangeeta Leima, whose village was attacked on May 28 by some armed miscreants said, “The doll-making training has boosted my confidence by showing a way to overcome my financial problems.”

Describing the training on crocheting amigurumi dolls, doll artist and master trainer Utpala Longjam said, “Crocheting is not very difficult if you know the basics and most of the inmates of the relief camps knew the basics. We just taught them the pattern and the right way to go about it. They have picked it up pretty well.”

At a time when the nightmare of their houses being set ablaze is still fresh, other than economic aspects, the craft has also helped in improving the mental health of the victims of violence by diverting the bad memories to create puffy and beautiful dolls thus boosting their self-confidence and hope.

Contributing towards the rehabilitation of the inmates of the relief camps, the Manipur commerce and industries department has assured that the state handloom and handicraft corporation will buy all the products made in the relief camps and immediately pay the inmates who are the creators.

The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.

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