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Young Bora Man Burning Hemp Crop
November 2017
Avani Society
Berinag, India
Hemp cultivation was banned by the Indian government in 1985 under the “Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act". At the time of the ban, many in the Bora community felt angry towards the government for denying them an important cultural tradition and source of livelihood in their community. In Raduli’s words, “This is our tradition. We do all things with hemp.”
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Details
- Title: Young Bora Man Burning Hemp Crop
- Date Created: November 2017
- Location: Uttarakhand, India
- Type: Photograph
- Photography: Emilie Thevenoz
- Community: One of the primary communities Avani works with are the Bora Kuthaliya, a small caste based in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India. The Bora have a rich heritage and tradition of cultivating and weaving hemp to create bags, rugs, and mats. However, with the government's ban on hemp cultivation in the 1980s, this practice has all but disappeared. Today, with the help of Avani, Bora communities are reviving these traditional weaving skills through new art forms, enabling them to continue making a living in their Himalayan home.
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