Traditional handloom sector struggling for survival
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 29, 2022 -

HAND-made handloom products are being used since time immemorial but its historical relevance and economic significance in general become one of the dominant issues of discussion and debate only when festivals are round the corner during events for exhibition and sale of the locally produced handloom and handicraft items.

Similar to the civil societies' outcries against arbitrary hiking of prices of consumers' items by traders taking undue advantage of the shopping spree, concerned citizens, including from the intellectual circle; give emphasis on the importance of sustaining the indigenous handloom goods and presenting indigenously produced items as gifts and using locally available edibles for festive occasions.

Without an iota of doubt, relevant government departments have been endeavouring to promote and sell local handloom products through conduct of exhibitions in connection with grand festivals such as Ningol Chakkouba, and anniversary celebration with the sole objective to facilitate the people purchase handloom items of their choice under a single roof.

However, all such initiatives seem to be neither having any major impacts on the masses nor the consumers interested in purchasing the local goods.

The general reluctance to shop for local handloom products has little to do with skilfulness of the weavers or their produce but it is the pricing that appears to be deterring the prospective buyers.

For instance, only those in the creamy layer use the costlier hand-woven women's apparels as gift items for Ningol Chakkouba while for the rest the choice is limited to relatively cheaper electrical items or cloths and utensils of necessity available in the market.

Therefore, government agencies like the Manipur Apex Handloom Weavers & Handicrafts Artisans Cooperative Society Limited (AWAS), which has been organising Ningol Chakkouba Handloom Exhibition for the last many years, need to not only vigorously promote the traditional handloom sector but also ensure the artisans have convenient access to raw materials at affordable rates.

In case of availability of raw materials at subsidised rate there might be increase in the production volume and intense competition among individuals and societies actively involved in production of handloom and handicraft goods, which will eventually help in maintaining the price level.

If there is lack of enthusiasm among the buyers owing to the price factor then it is obvious that no amount of government efforts and initiatives to promote the indigenous products would reap fruit for the medium class families, who make up majority of the population, will naturally opt for the cheaper mechanised products.

In such a situation, the local products would be in no position to compete with the consumer items brought from outside the state and the clarion call by the concerned intellectuals would be seen as merely a speech of formality.

As such, the government authorities ought to accord importance to proposals being made by prominent citizens and organisations for framing specific policy for prevention of imminent invasion of power looms into the traditional handloom sector of the state.

It is equally important that financial assistance be extended to encourage formation of more weavers' groups rather than patronising only the established ones.