The Indian textile industry is one of the world’s oldest.31 lakhs, as many as 36.India is a land of rich textiles. It’s said that it was so fine that Roman emperor Augustus banned its use as a dress material by the women of his court through an imperial decree stating it’s bad for the morals of his people. The weavers are given credit by middlemen and/or traders for the purchase of raw materials like yarn, threads or zari. The master weavers produce masterpieces that not only exemplify an individual’s superb skills but contain centuries-old traditions in a single piece of cloth. Mr Modi’s government talks about skilling India, but seems to be doing its best to destroy one of the most ancient and precious talent-pool of skills the country has. Each state of India has its own hand-woven, hand-embroidered, traditional handloom textiles and sarees that have won the admiration of millions across the globe. Ibn Batuta, the 14th century traveller, noted that among the presents sent by Delhi’s Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq to the Yuan emperor in China were 100 pieces each of five varieties China Polyester cotton stretch Factory of cloth, each category named differently. However, in the past one year, the double jolt of demonetisation and a hastily-implemented and complicated Goods and Services Tax that did not give a tax exemption to handloom, at least in the first round, has dealt a severe blow to the handloom industry. It’s shameful to see the Mahatma’s image replaced by the current Prime Minister’s photograph in khadi calendars, with a minister of the ruling party from a state saying that Mr Modi is a bigger brand than Mahatma Gandhi. The tax on sarees and apparels above Rs 1,000 has made competition far tougher for the handloom sector. For the first time in Independent India, khadi has been taxed under GST. At one stroke, a millennia-old tradition was reversed. It’s the State’s responsibility to create a conducive environment for such craft to survive and thrive. Khadi symbolised India’s pride, entrepreneurship, a move towards self-sufficiency, and a spirit of resistance to the mighty colonial power. Khadi remains one of the most potent symbols of India’s independence from “political slavery, economic bondage and cultural stagnation”.The government’s refusal to grant a tax exemption to handlooms while introducing GST has led to even more miseries for weavers. It’s an intrinsically embedded imagery of the freedom struggle with Mahatma Gandhi. Over 70 weavers are said to have committed suicide in Varanasi due to the vicious cycle of debt and poverty.
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