We can all be the brand ambassadors of Handloom in our own ways : Smt Aparajita Sarangi, Hon’ble Member of Parliament – (Bhubaneswar), Government of India
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Eastern Region organised “Charkha – The Art of Weaving” to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi as a concurrent event of the ongoing virtual exhibition “CII Hastakaari” to promote handlooms and handicrafts of the Eastern and North Eastern states. Today’s (2 October 2020) session saw a panel of eminent personalities from different walks of life all decked up in bright and beautiful handloom attire.
Mr. Santosh Mohapatra , Past Chairman CII Odisha State Council & Chairman, Odisha Craft Council said in his welcome address that nothing could have been more apt to celebrate ‘Gandhi Jayanti’ than organising a session aptly named “Charkha” but also at the same time we have to find out ways to make handloom survive.
Dr. Anita Sabat , Managing Trustee, Odita Trust & Director, Sabat Exports Pvt Ltd, displayed some beautiful Odisha handloom sarees while being vocal for local and stressed on Geographical Indications (GIs) as these are “the invaluable treasures of incredible India”. Weaves of South East Asia like Bali, Indonesia, Thailand etc. are similar to Odisha weaves. Dr. Sabat said that digital representation of these products are much needed. She was the moderator.
Mr. Sabyasachi Mohapatra , national-award winning Odia Film Director, feels that the handloom heritage and industry have huge untapped potential which needs to be explored. He mentioned that it took him long to get national and international accolades for wearing and promoting handloom clothes like Sambalpuri Bandha Kurtas both personally and professionally, as there was a time when using handloom products was not much appreciated. As a renowned and responsible filmmaker, Mr Mohapatra believes that it is necessary to promote the handloom and handicrafts through audio-visual medium be it the film industry or television as they are deemed as the most powerful medium today.
Mr. Sabyasachi Mishra , a superstar in the Odia film industry and also the brand ambassador of the Odisha State Khadi & Village Industries Board, promotes state handloom products and clothing in his movies and his personal life which has inspired the younger generation to get inclined towards these products. “It is my responsibility to take the heritage forward and promote the rich heritage and culture to the best of my capacity”, concluded Mr Mishra as he shared his varied experiences of using handloom products including “Odisha bandha (ikat) masks” in these pandemic times. He said his photos, where he is wearing Odisha handlooms, attract more “likes” on Social Media.
Padma Shri Dr. Aruna Mohanty , Odissi Dancer expressed that it is the costume that beholds the identity of that particular dance form as “No performing arts can be nurtured in isolation and it is the different form of performing arts can be a carrier of our rich tradition and culture “. She pointed out to the intricate handwoven design of the Sambalpuri Bandha saree she was wearing from her grandmother’s trousseau which speaks of the durability of such work.
Mr. Dipankar Chakraborty , Joint Director, North Bengal, Dept of MSME & Textile, Government of West Bengal, while giving a technical perspective, urged CII to facilitate the government to get the weavers connected to finishers to add processed parameters to survive as he thinks “handloom products often lack the finesse to compete with other international products”. He said that a check has to be imposed by the government to prevent powerloom products being tagged as handloom products. “Today there are a lot of schemes by the government which can be availed by the weavers which will give impetus to the production of alternative yarns and new fashion items”, said Mr. Chakraborty.
Smt. Aparajita Sarangi , Hon’ble Member of Parliament – (Bhubaneswar), Government of India, herself an avid admirer of handloom sarees said “Atmanirbhar Bharat is in same lines with the ‘Swadeshi Movement’ started by Mahatma Gandhi to promote indigenous products.” She appraised the gathering that an allotment of 3 lakh crore loans for MSMEs and 1500 crore for MUDRA loans are available which can be utlised by the youth of the weaver’s family which would uplift their financial stability and turn some into entrepreneurs. “The need of the hour is to diversify and experiment with new designs, organise proper orientation training workshops for the artisans and strategise best packaging and right prices for the handloom products”, added Ms Sarangi. Applauding CII for organising such a session, Ms Sarangi said that forward linkage and extensive marketing of products must be of top priority. “We can all be the brand ambassadors of the handloom products in our own ways”, she concluded.
Dr. Sanjay Panda, former Chief Secretary of Government of Tripura & former Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, added that it is heartening to see the younger generation taking interest in handloom and promoting them with such vigour.
Ms. Jayashree Mohanty , Startup & Innovation Convenor, CII Odisha State Council & Managing Director, Luminous Infoways Pvt Ltd, said, “We need to build a mechanism to place the marketing of the products in a proper structure.”
She also gave the vote of thanks.
Snaps from interaction:
