CHENNAI: No account of India’s struggle for independence can afford to ignore the role of handspun fabric as a tool to resist the British monopoly on the textile industry, and neither could post-Independence India afford to ignore the role of its armed forces in safeguarding its borders.
As the country completed 75 years of independence, the Rotary Club of Madras Pallava, along with Thari Aadayagam, observed the occasion by paying tribute to retired army soldiers as well as the many weavers who keep India’s handloom tradition alive.
The event, held at the Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers Association (AIEMA), began by felicitating chief guest Rtn Nandakumar, district governor, along with guest of honour Captain M Jalendran, Kargil war veteran.
Rtn S Shanmugam, founder, Thari Aadaiyagam, said “Thari has been in operation for the past four years and has been promoting handloom products in Tamil Nadu by procuring them directly from the weavers and selling them through our store in Ambattur. Whatever profits we earn from this we distribute among the weavers.” He went on to valourise the sacrifices of the country’s armed forces.
Captain Jalendran thanked the Rotary Club for the initiative taken to honour the country’s retired soldiers. He also paid tribute to the many sepoys who rose in revolt against the British, citing such instances as the 1806 uprising at Vellore and the First War of Independence in 1857.
Last to take the dais was Rtn Nandakumar, who highlighted the humanitarian schemes taken up by the Rotary Club. “Of the many focus areas of the Rotary Club, one of them is peace and conflict resolution. As far as the Rotary is concerned, we refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. We try to forge a way ahead through conflict resolution,” he said.
The event concluded with a rendition of the national anthem, after which kits containing products from Thari’s handloom units were distributed among the audience, many of whom included families of retired army cadre.