Guwahati: In the forests of Assam’s Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, conservation typically means patrol routes, anti-poaching operations and protection drives. Deputy ranger Krishna Das is adding something unexpected to that list: art.Das has pioneered what he calls “palmed handicraft” — intricate decorative designs made from Indian Prickly Ash thorns collected from the forest floor, and in some cases removed carefully from tree bark with sharp tools without harming the tree. Each piece is small enough to sit in the palm, but detailed enough to carry entire stories: temples, wildlife figures and cultural icons. One of his standout works depicts saint-scholar Srimanta Sankardeva reading the Gunamala, the sacred scripture he authored.“From various parts of Sonitpur, I collected the thorns and crafted the designs in my quarter. It looked amazing. I felt that people will only feel the need for conservation of trees and forest when it will give them livelihood, and such an art form is an alternative, if proper market linkage is given,” Das told TOI.The idea struck a chord with the state’s forest leadership. Das’s work was appreciated by then forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary last year, and the encouragement pushed him to formalise the concept. He prepared and submitted a concept paper on “palmed handicraft” to the Divisional Forest Officer of the Western Assam Wildlife Division, framing the craft not only as creative expression but as a possible livelihood model rooted in sustainability. “Originally, handicraft production was a part-time activity in the rural areas. It has now transformed into a flourishing economic activity due to higher market demand, with great potential for further growth. The handicraft sector has immense potential for generating livelihood/employment as it can absorb new entrants in the craft-making activity over and above sustaining the existing set of artisans,” reads the concept paper presented by Das.For Das, the project is less a sudden innovation than a continuation of a lifelong habit. An art and craft enthusiast since childhood, he never had formal training, and he could not complete graduation before joining govt service. Still, the impulse to make things never left.Over 15 years with the Assam Forest Department — serving in Hamren Forest Division, Kaziranga National Park and now Sonai Rupai — he came to believe enforcement alone cannot secure forests for the long run. Arrests and crackdowns can stop immediate threats, but lasting protection, he felt, depends on whether nearby communities gain a direct stake in keeping forests standing.“Keeping the conservation angle in mind, I started the art on thorns about seven years ago. And today, I am happy to send a concept paper to take this art form forward,” Das said.His argument is straightforward: if artisans can earn from a craft that relies on a living forest — without felling trees — then conservation stops being an external rule and becomes a local asset. With stronger market linkages and support for small handicraft businesses, he believes rural jobs could grow, migration pressures could ease and protection of forest ecosystems could become more durable.Yet Das also flags the barriers in the handicraft sector that could hold the idea back: its largely unorganised structure, limited access to education, capital and technology, weak market intelligence, inadequate institutional support and persistent quality challenges. For “palmed handicraft” to move beyond one forester’s quarters and into community livelihoods, those gaps would need to be addressed alongside the craft itself.
