“Michelle Obama visits National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum; “Michelle goes shopping for handlooms.”
These 9th November 2010 headlines of national dailies speak volumes about the importance of handlooms in the 21st century and underline the fact that the first lady of the US spent a few hours shopping for Indian handicrafts and handlooms. She must have been aware of the rich heritage of Indian handlooms. Most of the newspapers covered the visit in fine detail, together with photographs; this accidental publicity will go a long way in popularising the Indian handlooms domestically and internationally. Given the wide and exciting range of handlooms, it is not surprising that the rich and beautiful products of the weavers of India have been called “exquisite poetry in colourful fabrics.” India has a wide variety of handloom designs and patterns: Ikats from Andhra and Orissa; Phulkari from Punjab; Madras checks from Tamil Nadu; Jacquards from Uttar Pradesh; Daccai from West Bengal; Brocades from Banaras; Pashmina and Shahtoosh shawls from Kashmir; etc.
Why handlooms are needed in the 21st century?
The handloom sector is the second largest rural employment provider after agriculture and provides livelihood to about 65 lakh weavers and craftspersons in rural and semi-urban areas, three-fourths of whom are women. Handlooms comprise the largest cottage industry in the country. The weavers generally belong to socially and economically weaker sections of society. Hand-weaving allows many women to work from home while taking care of children and elders. The handloom sector is ushering in rural prosperity and women’s empowerment. The weaver cooperatives (e.g., KVIS) empower the villagers and also work for the removal of social evils like dowry, child marriages, etc. The demise of handlooms will lead to large-scale unemployment among weavers, yarn growers, and intermediaries, thus putting the burden on the government to provide alternate employment avenues.
India is among the few countries (the others being Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) that still have a booming handloom industry. Many foreign nationals still associate India with handlooms, and some of the handloom centres are popular tourist spots. The rich legacy of handlooms should continue even in the next century; it is an asset and not a liability. The handloom sector is eco-friendly with little impact on the environment and, thus, can go a long way in reducing the carbon footprint and can be part of sustainable development programmes.
The challenges of the 21st century
Challenges are galore in the input supplies, production, and marketing of handlooms. The modernization and mechanisation of the textile sector have left the handloom industry way behind in the race, while the powerlooms and textile mills have taken a huge lead. The handloom sector is highly decentralised and dispersed, so it suffers from technological obsolescence and marketing handicaps. So the handloom sector faces uneven competition from the organised and technologically advanced mills. To further complicate matters, the WTO agreement promotes free export and import, which deters the government from giving subsidies and incentives to the weavers. When the handlooms are sold in upmarket hotels to city dwellers and foreigners, the individual and institutional intermediaries eat away a large chunk of profit, leaving the weavers in penury. The raw materials like yarn, cotton, and dyes are generally not available in rural areas, so the weavers have to go to the cities to get them.
How handlooms can take the giant leap in the 21st century?
The quality and productivity of the handlooms should be improved by imparting new skills, designs, technology, and improved looms to the weavers. The Indian government should continue to provide subsidies and credit support to promote handloom weaving, notably to weavers’ cooperatives, provide raw materials to weavers near their workplaces, and commercialise their creations. Handlooms are much in demand both domestically and internationally. Presently, they are available only in a few places like museums and hotels, and steps should be taken to make sure they are widely available in markets, malls, Khadi Bhandars, etc. More international fairs and handloom fashion shows can be organised that showcase the handlooms in foreign countries, where weavers can bag export and/or institutional orders. Handlooms can be peddled as upmarket products with finesse and gloss that suit the upgraded image. The new century needs new and chic handloom designs, which can be generated by NIFT, NID, and handloom R&D centres. Organic clothing is the new buzzword, and the use of organic cotton and yarn, natural dyes, and vegetable colours in handlooms can make the sector take the lead in international markets. The middlemen (both individuals and institutions) should be removed, and weavers should be provided direct access to the markets. Awards like the Sant Kabir Awards should be promoted so as to motivate innovations in the sector.
As the ancient proverb says, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. “Let’s take the right steps so that we have a healthy handloom sector, empowered weavers, and a self-reliant India as the nation marches into the new century.
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