New Delhi/Bhopal
For tribal woman, Jodhaiyabai Baiga aka Amma, from Lorha village in Umaria district in Madhya Pradesh, life has not been easy. Orphaned at the age of one year and raised by her brothers, Baiga earned name and fame with her outstanding artistic style over a span of just one decade.
After all, the 84-year-old took up painting only at the age of 70 years, proving in the process that there is no age bar for learning. She learnt painting from Ashish Swami, a well-known art teacher, who ran a studio ‘Jan-gan Tasweerkhana’ in the district. Swami, unfortunately, died during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and could not see his disciple winning the coveted award.
Amma started depicting tribal culture on canvas as a fish takes to water. And from canvas she also mastered her art on paper, clay, metal and wood. National and international recognition followed soon with her work exhibited internationally in multiple countries. The Baiga Art mural painter’s artistic style has often been compared to that of Jangarh Singh Shyam.
“My mother passed away when I was six months old and my father passed away when I was one-year-old. I had three brothers who brought me up and arranged my wedding. After that I lost my husband when I reached 40 years of age. At that time, I had two sons and I was pregnant with a six-month old daughter,” Jodhaiyabai Baiga has been quoted by news agencies.
“After that I had faced various problems. I somehow manage to earn my livelihood by working as a labourer and other works. Later on, my sons became older and they started becoming independent. When Guru ji (Ashish Swami) came here from Mumbai, he told my son to bring your mother here so she would work here and asked my son to do it as well,” she pointed out.
“We both started working there. When Guruji called me then I said I could not work here as I don’t know how to read and write. Then he asked me to draw on the floor with a thin wooden stick and I started drawing vegetables with the stick on the floor. After that he started giving papers and asked me to draw on paper. I gradually shifted to the canvas,” Amma said.
On being honoured with Padma Shri, she said, “I am happy to receive the award. I would like to thank Guruji for the achievement. He has shown this dream to me and it has been accomplished.”
However, Baiga is yearning for a house of her own even as she goes about her daily chores including cleaning utensils all by her own. She says even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him a PM Awas Yojana flat besides the local administration officials but it was never allotted. Officials, however, pointed out that her two sons have already been allotted the quarters besides other government schemes including gas cylinders etc have been given to them.
