Breaking the glass ceiling; The Tana Bhagat girl who wants to be a fashion designer

Chatra: When Poonam Tana Bhagat (23) obtained her graduation degree in fashion designing from KB Mahila Mahavidyalaya under Vinoba Bhave University (VBU) in Hazaribag late last year, she broke a glass ceiling.Poonam, who hails from the Tana Bhagat tribal community which stays connected to its culture and lives life by the Gandhian principles, became the first girl from her tribe to obtain a fashion designing degree. Now, she is planning to pursue her postgraduation from Benaras Hindu University or some other college of repute in Kolkata.A native of Bachra village in Tandwa, Poonam's father Sundar, brother Kameshwar and sisters Saraswati and Sita bagged jobs in Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) as the family handed over its land to the PSU for mining.Poonam said, "Tana Bhagats lead their lives in a purely indigenous way. Most of the men wear Khadi kurta, dhoti, and cap, while the women wear Khadi saree and are vegetarians. Such is their purity that they eat their own food and avoid eating food prepared or touched by others. So, think how important it is for our community that one of their daughters comes out of the village and studies fashion designing."Talking to TOI, Poonam said her opting for the fashion designing course was coincidence.

"I was more interested in arts subjects. When I went to the college to get admission in 2021, I learnt about fashion designing," she said. Poonam said she opted for the course as she wanted to do something unique.Her batch comprised 30 students, but Poonam became a popular face for being a Tana Bhagat girl as well as for her perfection in studies and given assignments. "Everyone wanted to know how a Tana Bhagat girl opted for fashion designing," she recalled.Now an expert in Sohrai and Kohbar art, Poonam said she wants to promote the two ancient art forms by becoming a known fashion designer. "I am proud to be the first girl from my community to break the stereotype and enter the world of fashion designing. Now, many from my tribe are aspiring to get into fashion studies and profession," she said.