Himalayan Times (1962)

Eight

Himalayan Times

Maroh 11, 1962

if ootton is grown in a
particular village, it can

not go lo tho textile-mill
and oome back aa cloth,
for the simple reason that
for the prooess of the
obange tbey have got to
pay something in the form
of export of commodities.
If they do not want to
part with their food pro-
duets, they have to con-
vert their ootton into oloth
in spare time, when they
do that, they maintain
the whole production of
food and they also get
their clothing. Therefore
they are dubly benefited.
Incidentally, the textile
mill owners suffer. They
are sorry for them but
they have (zot to safeguard
the poor vi'lagers They
have a plan tor the bet-
terment of the villagers
and when they can start
with that thing and work
in that way then only
tbey shall find that the
villagers sre self sufficient
in fiod and clothing. If
peoples in the country-
side are starving and going
about ill olad, they are
neither sliming for a
-beauty contact nor are
they following the cult of
nude. 1 hey know how
and what to put on.
Therefore clothing forms
an essential requirements.
But the per capita aver-
age clothing per year ap-
proximately is about 12
yards in the rural areas.
The reasonable standard
of clothing will require

more than HO yards per
head per year. Then the
requirements fall short of
at least 18 yards per
capita. Clothings are in-
adequate and the villagers
are ill-clad.

There are certain fac-
tors which might not be
lost sight of in this con-
nection. Village hand-
looms have made a little
head way against the flood
of cotton-textile industries.
A remarkable expansion
of hanrLjooma is necessary
to feeci the rural require-
ments of elothing The
steep rise of prices should
provide a great stimulus
for village weavers by the
state enterprise It has
great economic importanoe
in employment potentia-
lities and redistribution
of income in the rural
areas. But the neglected
handlooms have been
>sev rly affected and the
weaver* have become de-
pressed. Hosiery arid silk
industry can be encour-
aged iu the rural areas
by the government initia-
tive which is the pre-
requisite factor in their
development. Thus the
hand-loom industry in the
rural areas would repre-
sent a form of activity
where the two major sec-
tions of our economy meet,
the tradiiional peasant
economy and a new socia-
list economy.

Now-a-days, besides
the specialised cas e of

weavers, there is a oonsi-
derabla population of the
agricultural classes who
are willing to take wea-
ving as a subsidiary oc-
cupation. But the gloomy
future faoe* the hand-
loom industry But the
hand looms require small
investments. It is labour-
intensive occupation. It
gives an additional souroe
of income to the villagers.
They are able to work
in their off—time or in
the dull—seasons. The
industry supplies a funda-
mental necessity of life
in the shape of olotbing
by work at home. Out
of every rupee represent-
ing the income of ootton-
mill-comp ny, wages and
salaries > mount to four
annas. On the other band,
in every rupees of khadi
produced, wages alone
oome to ten annas six
pie*. Th re are many who
would nloome in the
country tM»*uch a redis-
tribution of income in the
eoonomy

TRANSPORT AGENCY

For Sale an established
Transport business as a

going concern holding
Railway Out-Agencies,
Civil supplies and general
Carrier Contracts with
goodwill, truoks with li-
cences and godowns etc,
in Darjeeling District.
Interested parties apply-
Box ho. 44, Himalaya:)

Times, Kalimpong.