Surat, Aug 7: India is the only country that still creates textiles coming from the genius of its master weavers having a great combination of creativity, focus, patience and concentration. Despite such obvious and impressive strengths, India has not been able to ensure sustainable and satisfactory livelihoods for handloom weavers.
Hence, with an objective to encourage the artistry of the weavers, acknowledge their contribution & augment their pride in representing the Indian textile culture, the first-year students of IDT have crafted a 3*2.5 ft handmade loom using cardboard & jute ropes & have tried to weave a piece of fabric with colourful yarns. Its display was conducted at a city-based designer clothing store, Asar Graceful Lifestyles. The entire process was a 2-day affair under the mentorship of Ms. Aarushi Upreti and the students correlated with the efforts, the hard work & sweat put in by the craftsmen while creating masterpieces.
The director of IDT, Mr. Anupam Goyal addressed, “We always talk about crafts & beauty of the final garment but we never talk about the problems faced by the craftsmen, like long work hours and strenuous activities put weavers at risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), predominantly low back pain, etc. The handloom industry is the second biggest income generating source in India after agriculture. This Industry can generate and sustain employment for millions of people. Also, in these days of energy crisis and global warming, it is essential to encourage the eco-friendly handloom industry. Hence we urge the government to focus on strengthening the existing skills of the weavers of India!”
This handloom day, let us aim to protect this heritage and keep alive the richness and diversity of our country.
Vijay Singh
