Himalayan Times (1955)

Six Jilitf!»l«Bc>t aPim«» Ootober 9, 1955

INDIAN HANDLOOM INDUSTRY

^ M. B. TAMANG

A land of history artistio designs of hand- more wni a provide a

enriched by a very long loora utility products the very iarge geid 0f employ-

and old civilisation, India the authority has been ment potential; There can,

is justly proud of its organising a Handloom therefore, be no doubt

glorious pledge to a policy Week" throughout the that this major industry

of giving all feasible en- country and this -'Week" 0f national importance

oouragement towards the " proving year after year an(j mu8t occupy an

development of Cottage more progressively attrac- abiding place in the na-

Industries. The most im- tlTe- What of more tional economy. The ques-

portant part of Cottage happy augury in this tjon for "N0 Doubt" be-

lndustries is the Hand- behalf is the opening of comes, therefore, apparent,

loom Industry. The art a Board at the Centre - The answer is simple,

of handloom weaving in with it* Regional Offices cloth productions by the

India is as old as our in all the important citii s "units 0f Textile Mills are

ancient civilisation. ' The as the measure for effec catering for the needs of

Government of India tive implementation of the a mucn larger population

have been extending libe- P,ftn for developing this jn 0Ur country and the

ral financial assistance for industry in the various position thereof is so pre-

the improvement & en- States. carious that perhaps cent

couragement of the Hand- Handloom is the sym- per cent of the popula-

loom Industry. Although bol of our rural industries tion got used to mill made

it is an age-old art of and the handloom wea- cloth and on the other

our country yet it vir-, vers have a proper olaim hand due to the lack of

tually languished or re- on the support and sym- properorganisation towards

maiued latent, facts whiob pathy of the people. With promoting the popularity

may be attributed to the the help and enoourage- of handloom cloth is the

political reasons in the ment so liberally being basic reason for making

pass and also to the bulk extended by the Govern- the people in the country

of increased consumption ment the handloom indus- ignorant of the beautiful

of mill-made cloth During try has admittedly attai- utility productions of

this post-independence pe- ned a high degree of per- handloom industry. The

riod. the Govt, of India fection in its productions second important basio

as I have stated above both within and outside reason is also due to the

are doing their best and India( for export of some want of marketing facili-

have been able to bring of the choicest varities of ties which gives rise to

about a change in this handloom oloth and piece the resultant problem of

Industry by rapidly pla- goods to foreign countries absence of the quality

oing it on a sound footing like U.K., U.S. A. & Tibet goods in all the places,

and above all to impress etc, they are being impro- The effectual remedy to

more on the public mind ved steadily. The more solve this problem and

with a view to make them the consumption of such to root out the age-old

feel as to the various oloth is improved the fashion of using the mill-