Artisans Call for Government Support on National Handloom Day

Handloom artists on Wednesday advocated for government assistance in marketing their products, increased bank loans, and direct purchases to sustain their traditional crafts. On National Handloom Day, artisans gathered for a programme in the state capital.

Representative image

Artisans Seek Direct Purchases

Artisans highlighted that handloom items would be cheaper if bought directly from them compared to machine-made products. This would also help preserve traditional craftsmanship. Pyare Lal Maurya, a national awardee artisan from Varanasi, emphasized that the market abroad is currently down, affecting his sales.

"The demand for Panja Dari art form is everywhere. If the people of our country start buying hand-made foot-mat instead of plastic ones, or buy hand-made rugs, carpets instead of those manufactured by machine, then there is no bigger market than India for us artisans, including women," Maurya said.

Marketing Support and Platforms

Hukum Chand Koli from Durg in Madhya Pradesh, who specialises in Chanderi art form, stressed the need for more platforms to market their community's works. "If we get support in marketing, then it will help us more," he said. He suggested creating platforms for groups of weavers from states like UP and MP and organising fashion shows to display their works.

Koli mentioned that generations of his ancestors have been involved in Chanderi weaving. He noted improvements in accessing loans and buying equipment at subsidised rates. "We are getting loans on subsidy. I got equipment which costs Rs 2.95 lakh in the market but due to government support I had to pay only Rs 29,500 for it," he shared.

Challenges in Market Access

Kamlesh Kumar Jaiswal from Varanasi, an award-winning artisan specialising in Brocade work, acknowledged the demand for his work but faced challenges in accessing the market. He also hoped for more funds through bank loans. "Our work has demand but we are not aware how to access that market. But government support and PM's initiatives have helped us," he said.

Jaiswal added that increasing the limit of bank loans would benefit the community significantly. "An increment in the limit of bank loans can help us. We get up to Rs 50,000 currently but if this limit is raised to around Rs 3 lakh, it will help the community more," he added.

Handloom Week Celebrations

The celebrations of Handloom Week from August 5 to 9 took place at the Uttar Pradesh Institute of Design and Research under UP's MSME Ministry. During the programme, award-winning artisans showcased some of their finest works, including Chanderi, Brocade, and Rangkat.

Maurya pointed out that if government offices across the country procured items directly from artisans, it would generate substantial work for them. He explained that middlemen increase costs and direct procurement would lower prices significantly.

"For example, a machine-made yoga mat in market costs around Rs 390; we sell the same yoga mat at Rs 160. If items are purchased directly from artisans and not showrooms, then cost will be low and it will benefit artisans more," Maurya explained.

The event saw participation from select artisans across various parts of the country and state. They gathered to celebrate National Handloom Day and discuss ways to keep their traditional crafts thriving.

The artisans' call for government support highlights the need for measures to sustain traditional handloom crafts amidst modern challenges. Their suggestions aim to create a robust market within India itself.