HT Bureau
DIPHU, Dec 13: Basapi Teronpi, a celebrated artisan and weaver from Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, has received the National Handicrafts Award for the year 2023, which was presented by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs & Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, along with several dignitaries, held on last December 9 at Plenary Hall, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The Award is presented by the Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India, to outstanding master craftspersons in recognition of their outstanding contribution towards the development of craft. The award is among the highest awards for handicrafts artisans of India. Alongside, another celebrated artisan, Bapukan Payeng from Mokhuti village, Majuli, received the award for the year 2024.
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Teronpi has received the National Handicrafts Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution in preserving and promoting traditional crafts. The award consists of a memento, a certificate and a cheque of Rs. 2 lakhs.
Back at home, the Chief Executive Member (CEM), Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), Dr Tuliram Ronghang, congratulated Sabina Teronpi in his Facebook post, saying, “Truly a momentous occasion for Karbi Anglong! Congratulations to Sabina Teronpi, on being conferred the prestigious Handicrafts Award 2023-2024.”
MLA Darsing Ronghang also congratulated Teronpi, who happens to be his wife, for her success and achievement, writing via his Facebook page, “It is a moment of immense pride and joy as my wife, Sabina Teronpi, has been conferred the prestigious National Award for Handicrafts on Tribal Textiles from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu Ji.”
About Sabina Teronpi: She is a resident of Matipung, Diphu. By profession, she is an LP School teacher teaching at Rongnihang LP School, Diphu. She is the wife of Howraghat MLA Darsing Ronghang.
At the initial stage, Teronpi took training on making dry flowers, dolls and pot paintings from a group of trainers from Guwahati way back in the 1990s in Diphu. By gaining basic knowledge in handicrafts and artisan works, Teronpi started her own venture with a handful of 10 to 12 people, making dry flower bouquets, embroideries, pot paintings, jams and pickles, bamboo and woodcrafts, and several other items.
Teronpi then took up textiles activities, opening up weaving for young girls and women to produce Karbi traditional costumes and fashion clothes.
In 2000, Teronpi formed a society called M/S Matipung Boa Kata Samabai Samity Ltd, and got it registered with the Handloom & Textiles Department and also with the Development Commissioner (Handicraft), Jorhat. Under this society, she trained many local artisans in bamboo and wood crafts and weavers on handlooms. Sabina’s remarkable dedication to Karbi looms and textiles has enriched the Karbi cultural identity and inspired artisans across the district and beyond.
She is an expert in traditional Karbi tribal textiles and particularly skilled in Saphee Lanphee (hand embroidery) craftworks. Teronpi is recognised for her unwavering dedication to preserving, promoting, and innovating traditional Karbi art forms and the Karbi cultural heritage. Her creations are known for vibrant motifs, natural dyes and intricate detailing. Traditional items include the Seleng Pekok, a cotton garment worn over the upper body.
For over two decades, she has worked passionately to uplift indigenous artisans and empower rural women through skill development, earning admiration across India and beyond.
Teronpi has been a regular participant in Karbi Youth Festival at Taralangso, putting up exhibition stalls on Karbi traditional attires since the 1990s. She has also participated in several state and national exhibitions and trade fairs organised by the Development Commissioner (Handicraft), ARTFEED and Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India in New Delhi, Guwahati, Shillong, Arunachal Pradesh and many other places, as well as an international fashion exhibition in Bhutan.
Returning home on December 11 from New Delhi after receiving the award, Teronpi was given a warm welcome and felicitation by her family members, well-wishers, and members of M/S Matipung Boa Kata Samabai Samity Ltd, for achieving national recognition for her dedication and hard work.
She has vowed to work harder to help local artisans become economically stable and reach higher levels. She has helped at least 10,000 local artisans and weavers get registered under PM Vishwakarma and the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) comprehensive schemes, focusing on skill development, market access, financial aid and welfare.
