Khadi dying a slow death in Uttarakhand

The khadi industry, once a symbol of Mahatma Gandhi's vision of swadeshi, is dying a gradual death in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand due to the apathy of successive governments despite rising demand for khadi in the market.

Successive governments in thestate have not been sympathetic towards needs of the Khadi industry and artisans associated with it, leading to shortage of funds to purchase raw material and decreasing numbers of workers in khadi manufacturing units in the state, according to institutes located in Kumaon region.

Khadi ashram Chanauda in Almora district, established by Shanti Lal Trivedi, a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, which is the lone manufacturing Khadi institute in the district is not in a position to manufacture the required quantity due to lack of money to purchase the raw material.
 

"We are sellingkhadi items worth Rs 5 croreper year against a market demand of khadi goods worth Rs 10 crore but due to lack of moneywith the organisation to purchase raw wool, we are not in position to meet the demand,"manager of Kshetriya Shri Gandhi AshramChanauda Hem Chandra Pant said.

The khadiorganisation used toprovideemployment to over4,000 people in Kumaon region when processors of raw wool, weaversofwool and cotton thread even operated from their homes, he said.

But, the number isslowly declining as Khadi institutes have no money to purchase raw material according to the demands of the market, he added.

"If promoted withpatronage from the state government, Khadi isable to give employment to over 10,000 farmers, sheep herd ownersandthoseworkingatcottageindustry at their homes,"Pant said.

Apart from Shri Gandhi Ashram Chanauda headed by Pant, the khadi industry in Uttarakhand, especially Kumaon, is represented by Gandhiashram in Haldwani, the state run Khadi Gramodyog Board which has itsmanufacturing units in Almora, Nainital and US Nagardistrictsbesides independent khadi weavers.

Haldwani unit of Gandhi Ashram, once well-knownfor its tweeds, printed bed sheets and hosiery embedded saris, is also facing shortage of raw materialand unavailability of workerstowork in its production units spread over Pantnagar, Kashipur, Fatehpur and Jaspur.

Besides, the unit inHaldwanihas anannual turnover of Rs 9 crore at present but it can betaken toRs 15 crore annually, only if it gets rebate money back from government in time.

"We can take the present employment level at 1,800 artisansto 2,500 in a year's time, only if we get ourrebate money from government in time," secretary with the Haldwani unit ofShri Gandhi ashram Suresh Chandra Pant said.

"Besides shortage of moneyto purchase raw material, the Khadi business was first hit up to 20 per cent by demonetisation and then5 to 18 per cent after imposition of GST later this year," Pant said.

According tothe Chaunauda Ashram manager, despite rising demandsfor khadi items manufactured in Almora, the number ofpeople involved in the trade is gradually on the decline over the lasttwo decades.

"Till recently, we had over 100workers in our Chaunada plantand over 450 weaversspread in the villagesof Almora, Bageshwar, Berinag and Munsiyari but the number is gradually decreasing as weare not in a position to give them raw material," said Pant.

According to Chaunada ashram manager, the shawls tweeds and Pashminas manufactured at Jakhan Devi Almora, Thulmas andChutkas (blankets made of local wool) manufactured in Dharam ghar in Pithoragarhand woolen shawls (Pankhi) besides ThulmasandChutkas manufacturedby Bageshwarweaversunder Gandhiashramsare high in demand all over the country.

"What we need ismoneyto purchaseraw material which is justthe double of what we are using today," said Pant.

According to him, even the discount announced by the government every year in Khadi goods from October 2, has not been paid to the organisation for the last 20 years which has also added to the woes of the organisation.

"Rs 65 lakh of our organisation is still pending with Khadi board under the head of discount," Pant said.