Tribals Preserve
Goan Craft

Coconut is used widely in Goa, but it’s only the tribals such as Gawdas who still weave mats out of coconut fronds. The Gawdas are a tribal community living in Cotigaon forest of south Goa. Devidas, the correspondent of this video belongs to the community.

As forest-dwellers, the Gawdas rely heavily on all forest produce such as coconut. They use coconut in their daily food as well use coconut oil as a cooking medium. They also use coconut in their religious ceremonies, besides making handicrafts out of coconut frond and fibre.

However, while they sustain themselves on the coconut, the Gawdas also help preserve the trees. They believe that the coconut tree is the ‘Kalpvriksha’ or the heavenly tree that grants any wish or desire formulated under it. So, cutting a live tree is considered as bad omen, almost a sin by the Gawdas. Besides, their preference of natural products like coconut leaf mats over plastic products keep the use of plastics at a minimum.

Devidas, who uses the coconut mat himself says this huge consumption and use in his community is greatly contributing to Goa’s agronomy.

He also feels that the by handmade products such as mats can also support the state’s booming tourism sector as well, if the govt and private vendors start retailing the products in their showrooms, and promote them in the market.

As of now, the mats are used for using in individual homes. But Devidas thinks the tribals, especially those who are losing their livelihood due to mining and implementation of the forest act, can be encouraged to take up coconut mat making as a method of self-employment.

Devidas Gaonkar
I am a tribal from the Velip community. Tribal people are self-dependent – we need to buy very few things from outside. People usually think of us as jungle folk, wearing no clothes and living by hunting. We are not given much respect. They think we live like animals, but this is not true and I want to show the truth through the videos I make. The government neglects tribal communities, except during the elections when they want votes. As there are reservations for Scheduled Tribes, many tribal people have taken up government jobs and do not keep their tribal identity. Tribes are slowly mixing with the general crowd and we are losing our ways. I wish there was some way we can preserve our traditions, because they are powerful and they keep our history. Development in the outside world has affected the tribals too – illegal mining is destroying our environment and our livelihoods. I had to drop out of secondary school because there was no money. But I loved reading and painting, and I learnt how to make crafts from polystyrene so I started earning a little on my own. Then, during a workshop, I met a journalist. I started writing articles for the local newspaper in my village. I want to excel in writing and video-making, this is my passion.

Devidas Gaonkar has produced 24 stories for us.

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