View of Bora Village
November 2017
Avani Society
Berinag, India
In November 2015, the Uttarakhand state government announced a plan to distribute permits for farmers to begin cultivating hemp. This cultivation was restricted to strictly industrial purposes, such as textile production. As the hemp that grows naturally in the Kumaon region contains a high THC content (the compound that allows people to get high when smoking), the government announced a plan to distribute specially developed cannabis seeds to farmers with significantly lower THC content. However, despite this recent, albeit qualified, legalization, misinformation and rumors about the legality of hemp abound. Some in the Bora community are unaware that hemp has been legalized at all, while others are hesitant to test the legal “hazy area” and begin cultivating again. Recently, a rumor spread through the community that any household found with hemp seeds or fibers would be fined, so many burned or threw their items away.
- Title: View of Bora Village
- 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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