5 days ago
National Handlooms Day celebrated in southern districts
District Collector R. Sukumar inaugurated the special discount sale of handloom products at the Collectorate on Thursday in view of the 11th National Handlooms Day.
After inaugurating the sale, he said the 'Be Indian, Buy Indian' movement was launched on August 7, 1905, by Mahatma Gandhi in Kolkata to encourage the Indians to buy handloom products while shunning the imported clothes during the colonial rule. The clarion call had tremendous positive impact in the freedom struggle and fuelled the Swadeshi movement.
Hence, this day was declared as National Handlooms Day in 2015 to enourage the sale of handloom products as women constitute more than 70% of the workforce in this 5,000-year-old industry.
'The products being exhibited here by the handloom weavers are sold with 20% discount and hence the government employees and the visitors to the Collectorate should buy the handloom products to help the weavers,' he said.
The Collector, after honouring three 75-year-old weavers, handed over ₹6 lakh loan with interest subsidy to seven weavers, orders for construction of houses to 11 weavers, and looms to five weavers.
Assistant Director of Handlooms, Tirunelveli, Arockiyaraj, and Handloom Officer Shenbagaraj were present.
In Kanniyakumari district, Collector R. Alagumeena handed over loan of ₹20 lakh to 40 weavers. She exhorted the weavers to do 'ari' work, embroidery, and other handworks to make their products more attractive. 'We are imparting training in these arts. Hence, you should make use of it to reach more customers,' Ms. Alagumeena added.
