Thousands of weavers in north Karnataka — faced with low sales of produced goods and nearly nil fresh demand — continue to suffer even after lockdown has been eased for various sectors. Worst hit are the small and marginal weavers. Meagre earnings has forced most of them to seek other work or take up petty business.
The Wadagaon-Shahapur area, once described as the Manchester of Belagavi, is now a deserted weavers’ colony. The area that used to be filled with the sound of handloom and power looms, is eerily quiet.
“As the lockdown began, most looms were closed. Now, we are finding it very difficult to reopen, as we have run out of raw material and cash,” said Tippanna Pujeri, weaver from Shahapur.
“Most weavers come from poor backgrounds and the extended lockdown dried up their cash reserves. Three members of our fraternity in Belagavi district ended their lives, unable to repay loans and feed their families,” said Maruti Dhage, a weaver labour leader.
A major reason for the closure of the home industry is that import of yarn, the raw material for weaving, has stopped since February. Gujarat and Maharashtra, the two States that supply yarn to most of north Karnataka have been badly hit by COVID-19 and the closing of borders have made yarn transport impossible.
Maharashtra and Gujarat, along with Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, are also the largest market for saris and other textile goods. But the lockdown has dried up demand and sales. “A weaver has very little control over the demand and supply of his produce or its pricing,” said Sagar Satpute, a young weaver who has two looms at his house in Belagavi. “Usually, an investor, called a Sahukar, buys raw material like yarn and thread and gives it to the weaving family,” he said. Mujahid Rangarez, whose family has been in the business of dying cloth for generations, said the entire chain of workers in the process — yarn twisters, dyeing workers, threaders, and loom mechanics — had been hit by the lockdown. “When the government announces a scheme to benefit weavers, it should take into account all tradesmen,” he argued.
The distress of weavers came to limelight after the death of some weavers. Some local legislators met Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa asking him to announce a relief package for weavers. Abhay Patil, MLA, whose constituency includes the weaving colonies of Wadagaon-Shahapur, urged Mr. Yediyurappa to buy saris produced by weavers directly and supply them to ASHAs, anganwadi workers, and self-help groups.
However, not all weaver leaders support this idea. “Government procurement does not help weavers. It only helps vendors and middlemen,” said Gurulingappa Gombi, president of Hatagar Nekar Samaj in Bagalkot. He feels interest free loans, direct benefit transfers to BPL families, distribution of subsidised ration, and health insurance would benefit poor weavers.
Officials say there are around three lakh weaver families in the State. Of these, around 60,000 are in Bagalkot and around 40,000 in Belagavi district. The rest are in Bengaluru rural, Gadag, Chitradurga, Haveri, Koppal, and Kalaburagi.
CM relief yet to reach the poor
Weavers say the much-advertised Chief Minister’s COVID-19 relief package had not reached them yet. Deputy Director of Textiles Keerteppa Gotur said a survey to select beneficiaries would start this week. The department would open 40 outreach centres to help beneficiaries upload details.
As per an earlier estimate, there are 25,270 families working on power looms and 500 using handlooms. Around 2,000 khadi weavers and 3,000 shepherds who weave woollen rugs are also included in the list.
But till now, the department has got only 700 applications. The new survey will decide the number of beneficiaries.
Weavers, however, are not happy.
To start with, the package was not properly conceived. It promises one-time payment of ₹2,000 per weaving family. It is not a regular payment for the four months of low income. Officials say the government has capped the subsistence allowance to 1.25 lakh families at the State level. This is less than half the number of deserving beneficiaries. It also does not count allied workers in textiles like ginners, yarn twisters, and dyeing workers, said Ramachandra Yadwad, a weaver from Ramdurg.
