Assam's Boko promotes traditional cane, bamboo craft through free skill training

A free awareness camp and hands-on training workshop on cane and bamboo handicrafts was inaugurated at Bathou Club in 2 No. Chakrapani village under the Boko-Chaygaon constituency with organisers aiming to equip rural residents with skills that can support livelihood generation and self-employment.

The programme, held to coincide with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, will provide participants with practical training in making a variety of household and decorative items using cane and bamboo. According to the organisers, regular training sessions will be conducted every Sunday from next week.

The workshop was formally inaugurated by Manoj Basumatary, secretary of the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL). Bipul Boro, a resident of Boko, has been appointed as the master trainer for the programme.

A large number of villagers attended the inaugural session and expressed interest in learning the traditional craft and developing skills that could potentially provide additional sources of income.

Addressing the gathering, Basumatary said communities in the Northeast have historically maintained a close association with cane and bamboo and could use the region's abundant natural resources to strengthen their livelihoods.

He said tribal communities could improve their economic prospects by producing attractive handicrafts and useful household items from locally available raw materials at relatively low costs and marketing the finished products.

Basumatary also highlighted the availability of cane and bamboo resources across the Northeast, saying structured training could help rural residents acquire new skills, create livelihood opportunities and generate additional income through handicraft production.

Boro, who will conduct the training, has travelled to several parts of India and countries including Japan to gain experience in making a wide range of cane and bamboo products. His experience is expected to help participants learn different techniques of handicraft-making and explore avenues for self-employment.