JAGATSINGHPUR: Khadi, around which Mahatma Gandhi wove his vision of self-reliance and self-rule for India’s freedom struggle, has lost its sheen over the years. The villagers of Balikuda, who had adopted khadi weaving, are now struggling to eke out a living.
Sources said local freedom fighters, led by late Harekrushna Biswal of Nagapur, had set up Gandhi Udyog Mandir in Balikuda in 1967 to promote khadi and improve the socio-economic status in rural areas. Hundreds of local women were engaged in khadi weaving and the Mandir was once a prominent centre in supplying khadi to different parts of the State. But due to lack of Government support and market linkage, the unit failed to provide employment and livelihood. The industry is slowly witnessing a drop in number of weavers engaged in khadi weaving, as people are opting for alternative professions.
In 1999 super-cyclone, all assets, including ‘khadi charkhas’ (spinning wheels) of the unit were damaged. Later, Khadi and Village Industry Board (KVIB) had sanctioned some funds to repair the ‘charkhas’ and provided yarn and three-month stipend to women who were working there. At present, only 30 poor and Dalit women are working in the unit.
A spinning worker, Manorama Das, said, “We are struggling to eke out a living due to lack of marketing facilities and skill development training. Only `3,000 to `3,500 is being generated per month which is insufficient to maintain livelihood. After spinning yarn, we are forced to provide thread to local wavers for making clothes at low rate.”
Another woman said the market is now flooded with machine-made clothes, which are preferred these days. Small returns and slump in demand in market have forced many to quit the profession. “Neither do we have good market facility nor do we get timely help from the Government to face stiff competition from mill-made clothes and power loom products. We have been demanding that the local administration and the State Government should create marketing linkage, but to no avail. Khadi production in the State is also on the decline,” she said.
Gandhi Udyog Mandir president Sibabrat Das said with many industrialists setting up textile mills, the mass production of fine cloth led to the availability of cloth at lower prices. People began to buy machine-made textiles and thus khadi began losing out to the mill fabric. “We have sought the intervention of the Government to promote khadi,” he added.