UDUPI: Chandrahas Shettigar, the president of Thalipady (Kinnigoli) Weavers’ Co-operative Society in Mangalore, had won the state award for creative pallu for 2008-09. He had learnt the tricks of the trade from his father, who had learnt it from his forefathers.
However, due to crippling debts the industry is facing, his two sons are not interested in learning the craft of weaving. The situation is same in almost all the weavers’ families. Given the present scenario, Shettigar predicts hardly any weavers will be left after a decade. He fears that the craft may die.
His apprehension is not ill-founded. One of the famous products of the weavers — 100-numbered saree — has already become a casualty. It is not being made anymore.
Today, co-operative societies in Dakshina Kannada are neck deep in debt. Sample this: The assets of weavers’ societies in Mijar and Brahmavar are being auctioned to raise money to pay the debt. Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Weavers’ Service Co-operative Societies Association had taken a loan of `1.69 crore to procure raw material and create market for handloom products. The association had taken the loan at 13 per cent interest. Due to mounting losses, it failed to repay the monthly interest of `33 lakh. They are now forced to pay penal interest. (See box Grim present, bleak future for more.)
Worst phase
Handloom cooperative societies have been in existence for seven decades. Today, they are going through their worst phase. All eight societies are tottering under heavy debts, penal interest and slump in production. Weavers’ societies do not have a lobby to fight for their rights. They are facing the prospects of shutting shop.
Notwithstanding a dozen schemes of as many departments, the interests of weavers lie ignored. All eight co-operative societies of the weavers, including four in Udupi district, cut a sorry picture today. Due to its bleak prospects, the industry has failed to attract fresh talent. The craft is staring at a slow death.
Demand abounds,
weavers not
Managing Director of Mangalore Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society, Jayanth Shettigar, says despite cheap imitations from Tamil Nadu, there is a demand for genuine handloom products. “There is a big market for such sarees but we cannot meet the demand,” he says.
Handloom-spun sarees, marketed by the eight societies of Dakshina Kannada region as “Udupi handloom products”, get sold like hot cakes in northern parts of the state. They cost slightly more than the local handloom products but have loyal buyers, just like Kanjeevaram sarees.
The demand exists. However, not many are interested in pursuing a profession wherein societies are in debt and workers are underpaid (Shettigar puts a weaver’s daily earning to around `60).
What weavers want
Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Weavers Service Co-operative Societies Association has submitted a memorandum to all the elected representatives to urge the government to bail out weavers’ from the debt crisis. Their demands are:
n ;One-time settlement scheme to clear the loan in SCDCC bank to free the societies from the burden of debt.
n ;Declare handloom sector as a cottage industry and provide exemption in paying auditor fees
n ;Make it compulsory for banks to release loans to weavers at three per cent interest. (Though the government has directed co-operative banks to do so, banks in Dakshina Kannada are yet to follow the order).
n ;Ten per cent rebate from Centre on handloom products, to increase production and attract more people to work in handloom sector.
The weavers blame the government’s apathy for the sorry state the industry is in today. Whether or not it will come to their rescue and re-establish the craft’s glory of yore remains to be seen.
Until some concrete steps are taken Shettigar is rightly worried, that the craft may die.