The Unlucky Weavers
The Siren
The Morning shows the day
The condition of weavers all across the country is not much different from farmers. Unfortunately, weavers were also forced to commit suicide like farmers. Andhra Pradesh, Bhadohi & Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh registered several cases of suicide in past. Varanasi is supposed to be a key weavers' hub but their pathetic condition could be imagined from the fact that several weavers are forced to take to begging. After, opening of Indian markets for hand-loom products of China, Bangladesh and Pakistan, Indian weavers are burdened not only with debts but with very tough competition. They are unable to compete with the cheap imported products of these countries.
Given the poor condition of Indian weavers who have been known for supplying colourful and fanciful hand-loom dresses to the world, Union Textile Minister Shankar Singh Vaghela had announced that the weavers would be exempted from repaying their loans and the Government would make budgetary allocation of nearly Rs 2200 crore for this. But the Government's interim budget, tabled in Parliament, did not have any such provision. This indifferent attitude of the Government evoked a deep sense of resentment among the weavers. With no policy support from the Government, weavers are increasingly driven to desperation and death.
India is known for its hand-woven clothes and other material for centuries. Uttar Pradesh (Bhadohi & Varanasi), West Bengal, Bihar (Bhagalpur) Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra , Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh , Haryana (Panipat), Punjab(Amritsar), Himanchal Pradesh and J& K have been famous for hand-woven clothes and carpets (kalins). These states were centers for exports for hand-loom clothes and other hand-woven material. Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi recorded nearly 75 per cent exports of all hand-woven products, but in the last six months orders amounting to crores of rupees were scrapped. Similar situation was with Varanasi's famous silk saree and Bhagalpuri silk.
Though, Shankar Singh Vaghela gave clear indication in the last budget that weavers' loans would be waived it could not be fulfilled even in the 2009-10 interim budget even. While the Minister has his own ideas but the Government and the bureaucracy work in different directions on crucial matters like the weavers' uplift. There is a slim chance of any Government relief coming in the way as the session ends on February 26th. While the weavers' hands are busy in skillfully weaving their way to earn for their daily bread, their fallen faces and disappointed looks have only robbed the cloth of its shine.
