They struggle to weave the fabric of their lives

BELAGAVI: Traditional yet fabulous Shahpur silk sarees have no takers now. Coronavirus has taken the shine off them. The decades-old powerloom industry in Belagavi which has been producing these sarees is in a deep crisis owing to the lockdown.“Lakhs of sarees are dumped in the godowns as both retail and wholesale businesses are shut down. The powerloom owners are unable to get returns on their huge investments on the production of sarees nor are they able to pay wages to their labourers. About 40,000 labourers are working on 25,000 powerlooms to produce sarees of different qualities in Belagavi city alone,’’ says noted weaver Shrinivas Talukar from Khasbag, Belagavi.

On an average, while one Shahpur silk saree costs between Rs 400 and Rs 500, the powerloom owner gets an average profit of Rs 200 while the labourer gets Rs 100. At least three to four sarees are made on every powerloom each day. Owing to the shutdown and lockdown, owners are already into a huge financial loss and labourers are struggling to survive without the wages. Thousands of labourers are dependent on powerlooms for many decades now and are waiting for the government to help them.

“The government is extending some financial aid or subsidy to the owners of powerlooms but the labourers are left to fend for themselves. Most labourers like us have taken small loans when we started facing problems due to the lockdown. We are unable to repay them with no other source of income for us now. The government should help us come out of the crisis,’’ says Parvati, a woman labourer from Wadgaon.

Another woman labourer Kalavati from Wadgaon has appealed to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to waive their loans. “With powerlooms falling silent, the owners are not in a position to pay wages to us at this juncture,” she says.Parashuram Dhage, a noted weaver and a powerloom owner, says that the weavers engaged in producing sarees on powerlooms and handlooms across the State will suffer losses running into hundreds of crores if the situation continues.

Every weaver in Karnataka including Bengaluru, Belagavi and Bagalkot are unable to sell large stocks of sarees stored in their godowns. “A weavers’ delegation has already contacted many ministers and officials and apprised them of the crisis. We are an unorganised sector and we expect the government to announce a relief package for us and the labourers depending on us immediately,’’ adds Dhage.

Another renowned weaver from Belagavi, Narayan Kamkar, is sitting on a load of thousands of unsold Shahpur sarees produced on his large number of powerlooms at Wadgaon. “Unless the government comes up with an effective financial package, it is difficult for the powerloom sector to bounce back,’’ he says.

Former MLC MD Laxminarayan, State leader of weavers, says that to help labourers working in the powerloom sector, a delegation headed by former CM Siddaramaiah had urged the CM to release an immediate compensation of Rs 10,000 to each of the labourers’ families.

“We have about 6.5 lakh labourers working in both powerloom and handloom sector in the State for whom we have demanded an eight-point package from the government. The CM has agreed on our demands but is yet to implement it,’’ adds Laxminarayan.Former minister Umashri who has been working to bolster the textile sector in the State for several years now says the government has to work out measures for the welfare of both the powerloom sector and the labourers depending on it.   

About  40,000 labourers work on 25,000 powerlooms to produce sarees in Belagavi city

 While one Shahpur silk saree costs from Rs 400 to Rs 500, the powerloom owner gets an average profit of Rs 200 while the labourer gets Rs 100