POCHAMPALLY : As compared to other weaver clusters in the Telangana state, the youngsters among the Pochampally weavers are interested in getting back into the profession. If not as weavers, they are embracing technology and looking at alternative marketing options and hence promoting the weaves to an extent.
Bomma Sushma is a 25-year-old who belongs to a family of weavers. While most of her contemporaries have left the profession and have come to the city, taking up odd jobs for survival, Sushma spends her time in one of the little shops selling the local weaves. The family has stopped weaving, but they direct other weavers, help them with materials while she markets and sells them.
“We don’t even get `200 per piece when we sell sarees in the store. I do a lot of business through WhatsApp where I send the latest designs and courier them. I spend an extra of `50 for the delivery and that’s it,” Sushma said.Meanwhile, those who have been working with weavers for a long time now state that Pochampally is one of those clusters where more youngsters are interested to involve themselves in the process.
“A lot of young boys and girls have returned home as there are not many jobs available. The skill comes naturally to them and we feel that a digital space like this will open more avenues,” said Kalpana Dayala who has been working in these spaces for close to a decade now. She also added that there are hardly any weavers under the age of 40 in weaving clusters in the state, like Gollabhama and that is a serious concern.
KTR inaugurates first digital resource centre in Pochampally Enabling the local weaver communities towards creating a sustainable weaving eco system, handlooms and textiles minister KT Rama Rao inaugurated the first digital resource center at the tourism complex in Pochampally on Saturday. The set up has been created in association with Microsoft, which as part of its CSR will be offering technical support in digitally empowering the weaver community.
Five weaver community clusters - Gadwal, Siddipet, Gollabhama, Narayanpet and Pochampally - have been identified by Microsoft, in association with Chaitanya Bharathi, a non-profit organisation and the process of setting up the digital centre started last year. The objective is to rebuild the handloom eco-system while merging it with technology that can be utilised at various levels. “We wanted to establish and make the weaver community believe that this profession is sustainable and we would like to enable more from the younger generation to believe that it is lucrative,” said Chitra Sood from Microsoft.
The digital centre is equipped with wireless internet, and computers and duration of the training module is yet to be designed. “Weavers will make the best use of technology and will eventually also be able to understand the demand and create a market on their own through the internet,” added Sood. Rama Rao pointed that this kind of intervention is necessary, considering that the art form is on the verge of dying. “Once we tie this up with promoting digital literacy, we will be able to show more youngsters that weaving is also a career option. They can look at ways in which it can be trendy while also looking at making them organic and taking this art form to a global level,” said the minister.
He also suggested that ventures like Microsoft should take this kind of design to other weaving clusters in the state. Designers from the National Institute of Fashion Designing are engaged in the training process, exposing them to the latest trends and people young and old from the community will be trained. Re-introducing and usage of organic colours and weaves will also be part of the programme.