In the recent past, i went to Netha Bazar in Karimnagar. I am surprised to see such a good facility. I worked in Gadwal for a brief period. But, i could not see any such facility there. Netha Bazar runs on Saturday in Karimnagar. Saturday is a market day for the near by vegetable market, where many farmers use to congregate for selling their vegetables. Other vendors will be also present.
During my visit there i spoke with the president of the Netha Bazar. He briefed that marketing is the major concern for handloom products. Most of the people are not buying the handloom products. Immediately I purchased 2 lungis and 2 towels.
Many thoughts came to my mind. They are as follows;
1. Our prime minister Minister Modi garu and Minister for Municipal Administration KTR garu has asked to wear the handloom dresses at least once in a week.
2. Telangana Government has been ordering handloom sarees since many years for distribution to women of above 18 years of BPL families in the Telangana state. It is generating a lot of employment.
3. Many Netha Bazars are need of the hour in many towns and cities, where weavers are present in huge numbers.
4. We are unnecessarily purchasing the foreign cloths. Instead of that we can buy the Indian cloths, especially handloom products. It will generate a lot of employment.
5. Government or philanthropic organisations can arrange the solar energy to the machinery of the weavers. It will reduce the production cost of the handloom material.
6. Hindhus use to buy the pots, bamboo products, metals,etc. During the marriage. This has been saving the traditional occupations and creating livelihoods at least to women. A question raised in mind is that why we are not buying the handloom cloths and gifting to our relatives? The readers of this article may follow and suggest their relatives to buy and gift the handloom cloths to their relatives. This habit will rejuvenate the weaving sector .
7. If Purchasing the one saree of bride and one dress of bridgroom is a handloom product, it will also give impetus to development of weaving Industry. But, weaving community people must persue with the marrying families. I feel it will work.
8. When one sector is in trouble in community, other people cannot keep quiet like silent spectators. We need to support the weaving sector by purchasing their products.
9. Educated weaver people must create the awareness on the need of purchasing the handloom products. Need to send the social media messages to the people.
10. North Indians sell the handloom shirts only at 200 rupees. Such new ideas must be followed by Telangana weavers.
11. Gadwal and pochampally weavers and others are successful because of weaving the sarees and selling them at their factories. Other Telangana weavers shall emulate it.
12. India had done it’s first and j second Industrialisation of ancient period with the help of the weavers. Other sectors like jewellery , other metals and pottery helped it.
13. India also produced many kinds of the world famous cloths , till the British period.
14. Balance of trade was in favour of the India till British period, due to the textile sector.
15. Weaving of India lost prominence because of loss of support from Indians. Presently also we need to support our weavers.
16. To rejuvenate the handloom sector, innovation, adoptability to modern technologies is the need of the hour.
17. In the recent years, China purchased the cotton with the higher price, on the lines of British , to increase the Prices of finished goods and cause the loss of employment to Indian weavers. We need to be cautious about it.
18. I have been Purchasing handloom products for my family members. We have more than 40 handloom products altogether. So, I have right to ask my fellow beings to buy them.
Vemulapally Rambabu of Khammam has given following suggestions;
There is a federation for cloth merchants, They must appeal to all its members to allocate some special place ,in case of Big format shops , a section of space, putting sign board’s promoting handlooms,
2) Every govt office should display small sign board , displaying Handloom shops and address, as a good will promotion
3) urban NGOs like Lions, rotary, Vasavi, can sponsor solar power, for individual weaver , with proper presentation (cost, provider, economics) and motivation..
4) Govt office should provide a space in cooridior , weekly once to sell Handloom product , (like every collectrate on Monday having grivenece day).