Make handloom tradition centrepiece of fashion: PM Modi

07 Aug '15

2 min read

There is a need to re-orient fashion and design education in India, and make the country’s handloom tradition the centrepiece of fashion for India and the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

The handloom sector has inherent strengths that need to be marketed, and the scope of online sale of handloom products needs to be enlarged, Modi said at the University of Madras in Chennai during the launch of the National Handloom Day.

At the event, Modi, accompanied by textiles minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar, unveiled the logo of the Indian Handloom mark/brand. He presented the Indian Handloom mark to three recipients—the Tangail saree, the Tanchoi saree and the Salem silk dhotis.

Urging people to increase the use of handlooms in their daily lives, Modi said handlooms constitute only 15 per cent of the clothes people use as of today. If this use be increased by five per cent, then the handloom sector will grow by 33 per cent.

To boost the growth of handloom sector, he said there is a need to popularise handlooms among the youth. He suggested that at least ten films should be produced in a year, where only handlooms are used.

Modi also conferred the Sant Kabir awards and National awards for 2012, 2013 and 2014 to handloom personalities.

August 7 was chosen as the date to commemorate the National Handloom Day as it was on this date in 1905 that the Swadeshi movement was launched.

“Observance of National Handloom Day would generate awareness about the importance of handloom industry as a part of our rich heritage and culture, promote handloom products and lead to increase in income of weavers as well as enhance their confidence and pride,” said an official statement.

Over 43 lakh people are engaged in handloom weaving and allied activities in India as per the last handloom census. This industry is a source of livelihood to large section of rural population particularly women, and below poverty line (BPL) families.

It is estimated that nearly 95 per cent of the total global handwoven fabric is produced in India. (RKS)

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