Handloom business in deep crisis
   Date :12-Jul-2019

By Kartik Lokhande:
 
From 2,202 handlooms in operation at the end of 2008, the number has come down to only 578 by the end of 2018
 
Of 413 co-operative societies operational in 2008, 177 went in liquidation and registration of four was cancelled by the end of 2018
 
 
Vidarbha was once known for thriving handloom business providing employment opportunities to thousands of families. However, today, the handloom business in the region has landed in deep crisis. There are several reasons ranging from younger generation not taking to handlooms, to powerlooms capturing the markets. It was in the year 1971 that Maharashtra State Handloom Corporation Limited was formed to serve the cause of co-operative handloom sector and help the artisans. It covered entire state of Maharashtra, and thousands of artisans from Vidarbha region were associated with it.
 
 
 
 
Traditionally, according to the official publication ‘Vastratarang’, almost every household in Central and North Nagpur had handloom that was operated mainly by Halba/Koshti and Muslim communities. Khapa, Umred, Mohadi, Andhalgaon, Paoni, Palandur, Chakara, Adyal, parts of Bhandara, Wardha, Chandrapur, Amravati, Akola, and Washim districts also had a thriving handloom business. The products like Dhoti, nine-yard ‘Paatal’, ‘Gamchha’ etc were popular products. However, over the years, the situation has changed drastically. At present, the handloom sector in deep crisis. As far as Vidarbha is concerned, only 50-60 weavers are engaged in handloom business, and they also are not doing well. Previously, there were total 413 handloom weavers’ co-operative societies.
 
As per the norms, each of these societies had 51 handloom artisans as members. Thus, total 21,063 artisans were associated with co-operative societies apart from other private artisans. As per the official report, Registrar of Co-operatives has liquidated 177 handloom weavers’ co-operative societies as they do not have handlooms. Besides, registration of four other societies has been cancelled. At present, thus, only 232 handloom weavers’ co-operative societies are working and many of these also do not have handlooms operating as per the norms.
 
As a result, said an official, these societies also may go in liquidation. Asked about the crisis haunting handlooms especially in Vidarbha region Dr Madhavi Khode, Commissioner, Textiles, cited four main reasons. She told ‘The Hitavada’ that artisans using handloom had either aged or expired in the 10-year span between 2008 and 2018. During the same period, younger generation of artisans did not take to handloom. Further, powerlooms proved to be better alternatives to handlooms as they could produce more quantity in lesser time and products also were cheaper by around 30 per cent. Also, powerlooms offered more varieties and had captured bigger markets.
 
‘Vastratarang’, a publication of Directorate of Textiles released earlier this year, lists out some remedies also. These include forming central co-operative federation for handloom co-operative societies for supply of raw material to societies, sales arrangement, training the artisans in new technologies, providing life insurance and health insurance cover to traditional artisans above 59 years of age, lifetime pension scheme for master weavers treating their skills as national assets, fabric produced through handloom should be made available to all the Government departments and establishments to support the artisans. Also, to attract younger generations towards handloom, the condition of having at least 51 members in a handloom weavers’ co-operative society should be relaxed to 21 in rural areas and 11 in urban areas, suggested S L Bhosale, the then Regional Deputy Director, Textiles, Nagpur.