Source: IANS

More and more handloom weavers are leaving theirtraditional occupation due to the onslaught of cheaper synthetic fabrics andthe failure to access newer markets, says a NGO working with craftspeople.

"The number of weavers is falling. It has fallen by 1-2million but there are no figures available after 1996. We are trying to get thegovernment to do something," Adarsh Kumar, executive director, All IndiaArtisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA), told IANS.

According to Kumar, many weavers were leaving theirprofession due to "a failure to adapt to new markets.

"Markets have shifted to urban areas and the localmarkets in rural areas have collapsed."

Earlier, people would weave and sell their products throughcooperatives, but with the invasion of cheaper synthetic products they are notable to find a market.

"The cooperatives, the main source through which theysell, have not been able to access newer markets in urban areas," he said.

The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER)carried out two handloom censuses - in 1987-88 and in 1995-96. The 1987-88census put the number of handloom weavers at 4.3 million, while the 1995-96census put it at 3.4 million. Most of the weavers were in rural areas.

Kumar feels that instead of having a separate handloomcensus by the (NCAER), the government should make it part of the survey done bythe main government statistical agencies - the National Sample SurveyOrganisation (NSSO) and the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) - that feedthe census findings into policy making.

"Why not add handloom to their census. We havediscussed such points with the government. The time has come for anotherhandloom survey. But it is too far apart (from the last one). We need one everytwo years."

He said the lack of updated figures affects policies andprogrammes aimed at helping the weavers as "policy makers have to rely onguesswork and anecdotes rather than hard data".

Seemantini Niranjan of NGO Dastakar Andhra said the"lack of a systematic data-base on dispersed traditional industries likehandlooms" has been a major problem.

She said a major contributory factor for the decline is whengovernment marketing apex bodies like APCO (Andhra Pradesh State HandloomWeavers Cooperative) or Boyanika in Orissa fail to pay back primaryco-operatives for the handloom products they have purchased. This leads to thecooperatives being unable to pay their weaver members or giving them regularwork, "which in turn leads to some weavers either leaving the co-operativeand looking elsewhere for work, or leaving the profession altogether and movingtowards cities in search of other jobs".

"Most of the weavers are in debt as in many cases theydon't get money for what they do," Kumar said.But, Seemantini feels that while many weavers are leavingthe profession due to their inability to make ends meet there have been manyother entering the sector "from non-traditional weaver castes". Thisshe says "has reinforced our belief in the viability of the sector".

Seemantini told IANS over e-mail that there should be anagency to translate market information for weavers as "weavers haveincreasingly become distanced from markets, and do not have much of a clue towhat is selling, or what to produce".

"Investments in infrastructure is the need of thehour," said Seemantini, "especially in areas like dyeinginfrastructure, in yarn access, regulating yarn prices. From our ownexperience, we believe that if this is done, the market itself will come to theproducer."

"We first have to invest on getting a marketableproduct which has a strong identity, before wasting huge funds on aspects likethe handloom mark, though promotion is important."

Dastkar Andhra has been closely associated with weavers,helping them with new technologies, in marketing, design, capacity building andpolicy research. It began 15 years ago as an offshoot of Delhi Dastkar butbecame an independent trust working since 1995.

AIACA had recently released a report 'Examining EmploymentFigures on the Handloom Sector', commissioned by it and conducted by the NCAER,in the capital. Syeda Hameed, member Planning Commission, and Laila Tyabji,chairperson of Dastakar, were among those who attended the event.

LailaTyabji said the lack of reliable data collection "reflected the lack of aproactive approach on the part of the government".