State apathy puts TN handloom weavers on border of existence

Statistics show that nearly every second person in semi-urban and rural pockets in the state depended on weaving. As many as 1,600 registered handloom weavers’ cooperative associations exist out of which a meagre 30 per cent function, while other cooperatives are either facing closure or have shut down owing to paucity of funds, according to official sources.

Even private-run co-operatives face similar problems for their inability to `push’ products manufactured by the weavers.

This has resulted in weavers’ migrating to neighbouring districts in several parts of the State or giving up their traditional occupation to switch over to other miscellaneous jobs.

According to Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Associationgeneral secretary M Kumarasami factors like the frequent price fluctuation of yarn and cotton yarn shortage have contributed to accentuating the crisis.

Moreover strictures like compulsory procurement of yarn from cooperative weaving mills have driven the weavers to the wall as they find the quality of yarn from cooperatives much inferior to those available in private mills.

Meanwhile, despite the state government’s declaration of a 20 per cent rebate on all handloom products manufactured through the year and the subsequent rocketing of sales via state-sponsored discount sales for the hanloom industry, a large number of cooptex showrooms were unable to clear pending stocks, Kumarasamy admitted. This was due to the sheer volume of stocks that had piled up due to the stagnation in the market.

It may be recalled the government conducted organisational elections in all the cooperatives recently. Though it was completed with a good intention, many elected members complained that the department officialsfailed to implement the resolutions passed during the meetings, which did nothing to alleviate the condition of the weavers.

In a bid to check and monitor the activities of the day-to-day activities of all cooperatives, the governmnent had nominated special officers for whom Rs 3,000 to 5,000 was fixed as monthly salary. Again, this was a burden on small cooperative units, they said, and added that Chief Minister Karunanidhi had formed a high level committee to study the problems of weavers’ and submit a report for implementation.

The weavers’ expressed concern over the official apathy and revealed that several among them hailing from places like Erode, Nagercoil, Karur, Madurai, had either shifted to other occupations or migrated to metros in search of employment.

The plight in Madurai is no different. The popular `Kodambakkam’ sarees alone accounting to Rs three crore were lying in various godowns for several months. According to officials in the district, a total of Rs seven crore worth handloomcloth were yet to be cleared for sale.

The spotlight now falls on the Karunanidhi government to gauge the urgency of the weavers’ problem and further policies and monitor its implementation if it wills to rehabilitate the community.