Rasulpur: Covid pandemic has dealt a blow to weavers in the tussar hub Gopalpur village under this block in Jajpur district as the state and country celebrate the National Handloom Day, Saturday.
Many families have stopped weaving altogether. The screeching sound of a loom is rarely heard in this village.
Some of the weavers have left for other states to work as migrant labourer abandoning their traditional occupation while a lot of them work as daily wagers under the poverty alleviation project Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantees Scheme (MGNREGS).
The National Handloom Day is celebrated every year August 7. Every year, weavers’ cooperative societies celebrate the day by organizing functions in the village. In this function, talented weavers are felicitated and given awards for their work.
The celebration of National Handloom Day holds no significance for them as they struggle to eke out their living. The Covid restrictions in the state have pushed them to the hilt, so much so that they are struggling to earn something to manage their family.
The weavers alleged that the state government, which could have otherwise come to their rescue, has abandoned them. As a result, Gopalpur village — the tussar hub of the state — is losing its sheen.
Sources said the state government imposed the lockdown and shutdown all over the state following an increase in Covid-positive cases from March, 2019. The lockdown and shutdown affected the normal life in the state following which weavers failed to get raw materials for their work.
They also failed to sell clothes as customers stopped visiting the village. The weavers also failed to get new orders as clothes worth over Rs1 crore were lying unsold with the weavers cooperative society. The clothes manufactured from their automatic looms also remained unsold as no one evinced interest to buy those clothes.
As a result, the weavers lost their livelihood. Later, a flood in Brahamani river aggravated their problem as hundreds of looms were washed away in the floodwaters. The raw materials and clothes they had stored in their houses also got damaged.
The government announced compensations for them but all affected weavers did not get them. This affected their survival as over 10 weavers left for Surat, June 10, the same year. The weavers wrote to the state handloom and textile department and the state government but their pleas were never addressed.
The state government later announced Covid assistance for the weavers community but many of them were allegedly deprived of the benefits.
Ashok Kumar Guin, manager of Maa Tarini Weavers Society, said the pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the weavers community. Many families have forgotten their traditional occupation and are doing odd jobs to earn a living. In this situation, it is an irony to celebrate the National Handloom Day in the village, he added.
Ramesh Das, head of Sri Vishnu Weavers Cooperative Society, admitted that they were no more in a position to provide work to the weavers due to pandemic and other issues. This has deprived them of earning a livelihood.
Senior weaver Makardhwaj Gunin blamed the apathetic attitude of the textile department for their problem. He alleged the state government has announced bailout packages the farmers, construction workers and MGNREGS workers but nothing for them.
PNN