Dhaniakhali handlooms on the decline
Among the traditional handlooms in Bengal, Begumpur handloom, Santipur handloom, and Dhaniakhali handloom sarees have earned worldwide recognition.
The Dhaniekhali handloom industry, which is already running at a loss due to various unfavourable factors, has been badly affected by the lockdown. The lockdown has completely crippled the Dhaniekhali handloom sari business. The handloom weavers are now in a critical situation.
Even after the lockdown period ends, the revival of the Dhaniekhali handloom sari business is uncertain. Tarun Kumar Bhar, a handloom weaver from Samostpur village in Dhaniekhali, said, “At present there are nearly one hundred weaver families in the village who completely depend on the handloom sari business for their livelihood. Due to number of unfavourable factors, the Dhaniekhali handloom sari is running at a loss but the lockdown seems to have put the final nail on the coffin of the business.”
“We had woven out quite a good number of handloom saris for the upcoming seasonal, social and religious festivals but with the total shutdown of the entire business, the wholesale dealer is not ready to buy those saris from us. The co-operative usually provides us with the yarn which usually comes from Gujarat and Maharastra but due to lockdown all the supply of yarns have stopped,” said Mr Bhar.
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He added that the colour, dye and chemicals usually comes from China but now things are different.
“We have no idea at present about the availability of the raw materials required to weave out a sari. We have been provided little rice and other food stuffs which is not enough to satisfy the hunger of all the family members. It is our appeal to the state government to extend financial help for our survival.”
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