Jaleswar: Poor promotion and the absence of fresh technology coupled with shortage of raw material have pushed the tussar silk craft of Makidia panchayat in this block of Balasore district to the brink of oblivion, a report said.
Earlier, tussar products of Orissa had a global market including countries like China, England and Thailand. The expertise of the state artisans can be gauged from the fact that they used to stuff their product in a hollow bamboo culm and export them to other countries.
On the other hand, the residents of Makidia had the distinction of weaving top grade tussar fabric. However, it is now a dying art due to lack of encouragement, introduction of new technology for its refinement and marketing facility.
Makidia village is surrounded by Subarnarekha from three sides and a home to 320 families. About 300 families had their own handlooms and adopted weaving of tussar silk as their occupation since generations.
They used to boil the single-shell cocoons and extract silk yarn from them to weave saree, dhoti, bed covers, shirt pieces and scarves. Of late, the artisans failed to get the worth of the amount of time and labour they invest to weave a piece of cloth.
“We need three days to extract silk thread from the cocoons and another four days to weave a full length saree which is sold at maximum of Rs 2,800. Considering the cost of raw material, it is difficult to eke out a living from this profession,” a master weaver of the village said.
Discouraged by the profitability, many youths stayed away from weaving and started vegetable cultivation on the banks of Subarnarekha to support their families. Many villagers also migrated to other states to work as labourers, it was learnt.
Apart from the lack of skilled hands, shortage of raw material forced youths to turn to other professions, another villager said.
Though Makidia Tantubaya Sahayog Samiti, a weavers’ cooperative society, had been formed in the 50s to support the artisans, it didn’t last due to management flaws.
However, a few more societies were formed a couple of years ago and some skillful weavers started working under the guidance of master weaver Satyanarayan Das to keep the art alive.
But the weavers still struggle to meet both ends, it was learnt.
The villagers demanded introduction of new technology to colour the yarns locally and conversion of handloom to power loom to increase the profit of the artisans. PNN
