How Monpa tribe look up to e-platforms for preserving hand-made paper-making craft

The charms of a metropolis where most of his peers from a hamlet in Arunachal Pradesh have migrated in search of greener pastures hold no allure. The preservation and revival of a thousand-year-old paper-making craft of the Mona tribe are what matters most. The 'Mon Shugu' or the paper of the Mona is sourced from the bark of a shrub called the 'HUGO Sheng', which literally translates to a paper plant. It is made in the picturesque village in Arunachal Pradesh's Twang district, but the craft is on the verge of extinction. Few people know about the existence of this fine-textured handmade paper, and even fewer can make it. The technique has been passed down in families for generations. There are only four to five households in our village that are engaged in this work. The craft has fallen victim to the triple whammy of a small customer base, wafer-thin profit margins, and mass migration of youth, he added. Tasering was part of a group from Must still engage in, making Mon huge. They were here to participate in the seventh edition of the recently-concluded Northeast Green Summit. The summit was organized by Vigor NE Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, specializing in green issues of Northeast India, at the North Eastern Police Academy here. Tasering neighbor, Sanger (57), has been making the Mon Huge since the age of seven and lamented the lack of awareness surrounding the special paper, which is chemical-free, eco-friendly, and has a long life. Buddhist monks and locals in Twang form the major chunk of our customers. The monks write religious texts on this paper, which are then inserted into prayer wheels at monasteries. They only use this paper because it is lightweight and considered pure as no chemicals are used in its making, The father of five said they are finding ways to revive the craft and asserted that things will change for the better in the days ahead. We have recently set up the Traditional Paper and Handicraft Marketing Society to reach out to ministers, government officials, and NGOs to help us save this dying tradition, he said. We are also planning to join social media platforms to promote Mon Huge and also sell our products on e-marketplaces, he added. Agreed, Tasering, the youngest in the group, said he understood the power of social media and if their product attracts people on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, it could change their fortunes overnight. I am very serious about selling our products on social media, he said, adding that a 10-sheet bundle of A4 size printer-friendly Mon huge costs around ₹200 while a one square meter sheet can be bought for ₹50. The price depends on the thickness of the paper, the thicker the paper, the costlier it is, he said, adding that Mon Shugu can be used to make handbags, envelopes, and a base for paintings. Flagged the logistical challenges that might hinder their plans of joining the e-marketplace. We have internet in our village, but the courier service is available only at the district headquarters, he rued.