By Arun Lakshman

Chennai, Dec 12 (IANS): The Covid-19 pandemic and incessant rains have badly affected almost all business sectors of Tamil Nadu just like the rest of the country, but the weavers of the state are one of the hardest hit with many ending their lives and several changing their profession.

Handlooms, according to a study by the Tamil Nadu labour department, is the second major job provider in the state next to agriculture but the sector is now dogged by poverty and desperation.

Tamil Nadu based social organization and think tank, Centre for Policy and Development Studies (CPDS), has mooted a proposal to the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre to make handloom cloth mandatory for school uniforms.

A study conducted by the organization, according to its office bearers, has found that there are more than 2.5 lakh weavers in Tamil Nadu and the number of school-going students in primary, secondary and higher secondary classes in the state is around 1.25 crore.

C. Rajeev, Director of the Centre for Policy and Development Studies and a researcher on the handloom industry, told IANS that the "Handloom sector is the second-largest employment provider in Tamil Nadu in the unorganized sector maybe after agriculture and the people who have unique talents in craft, art and making of the cloth are in bad shape. While they were never rich, the sector was surviving as the quality of work from Tamil Nadu was excellent and matching global standards. However, the closure of the sector due to the Covid pandemic and the incessant rains of 2021 have put the weavers in dire straits. Some people died, several quit the profession. The government has to intervene."

He said that according to his study, if the state government makes it mandatory that all the schools buy only handloom cloth for uniforms, there will be a surge in demand and the sector could be lifted up.

Sekhar, a weaver from Kancheepuram famous for its silk weavers, told IANS, "I was earning around Rs 25000 a month prior to the pandemic and my life was comfortable with that money but after the pandemic, everything derailed and we all lost jobs. When the industry was slowly looking up, rains came and again we have suffered. I am seriously thinking of quitting this and try my luck as a helper to a mason or something like that."

The CPDS is conducting an awareness campaign in association with the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (Co-optex) among the weaving community not to quit the profession and to develop an alternative for their survival.

Rajeev said, "Tamil Nadu has 1232 handloom weavers cooperative societies, 133 powerloom weavers cooperative societies and 18 cooperative societies of spinning mills with only 5 now functioning."

He said that these cooperative societies are employing more than 3 lakh people directly and 15 lakh people indirectly in the sector and if the sector is given regular orders from schools, it can be saved.

Mahesh Krishnamoorthy, Tamil Nadu state joint convenor of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, informed IANS that "This is a good initiative and we will also support the campaign leading to schools of the state and the education department turning into buyers of handloom cloth for uniforms. This unique craftsmanship of Tamil Nadu will survive if a boost is given to the sector."

The CPDS has presented a detailed report on the proposal to the state government and is working on the intricacies regarding the implementation of the scheme during the next academic year.

Rajeev said if the schools provide regular work to the handloom workers, they would become more confident. After the school season from February till June, the rest of the time the sector can easily produce different clothing lines that could be tapped into the international market.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin has already roped in the Non-Resident Tamil diaspora to market the state in their respective countries and a 12 member committee with the state industries minister as chairman has been constituted.

The CPDS in its appeal to the state industries minister has proposed a presentation to this panel so that the sector can produce material according to the preference of the consumers in those countries. This, according to Rajeev, can be done after the school year ends in June. From July onwards if the weavers are engaged in producing unique Tamil Nadu style clothelines, the takers will be plentiful and the sector will be reinvigorated.

"For the weavers to be decently employed after the school season, we have mooted the idea of connecting the handloom sector with the Tamil diaspora and the 12 member committee chaired by the state industries minister could be roped in for the purpose. For making these products unique and standing out, we are trying to rope in globally acclaimed designers of the country including US-based designer, Sanjana John who designs clothes for the Oscar film awards," Rajeev added.