Thiruvananthapuram: Survival is no easy task, when you are staying firm and true to practices that are almost an anachronism in the present times. The Kalamachal Handloom Workers’ Co-Operative Society, which began its journey in 1956, as one of the earliest such societies in the state, has managed to survive, at times even raking in profits, despite the dwindling fortunes that have hit the industry since the turn of the millennium.
Located to the interiors of Vamanapuram, around 30 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, the society had in its heydays in the 1990s, close to 2000 people working for it. It was during that period that the Society won the Central Government’s award for the best managed primary co-operative society. The number of workers has now come down to less than 200, but the regular clientele ensures that the sales have not.
“Our sales are mostly in the local market. During the festival season, we give 20 percent rebates as per the Government’s order. Buyers come from far off too during the season to buy from our depots here and in Nedumangad. We end up selling much of our products before the rebate deadline, as it happened during this Onam. But, over the past few years, the rebate subsidy from the State Government has not been reaching the society, which has hit our profits,” says S.Mohanan, Secretary of the Society.
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Last year, the Society had total sales of over Rs.1 crores, and a profit of Rs.4 lakhs. According to the society members and workers here, things were fine till 2000, when the Central Government’s policies on handloom began to undergo a change.
“The Government had listed 22 products to be exclusively produced only through handlooms, to protect this industry against the onslaught of the big powerloom industry. However, this was later reduced to just 11 products. Now, even if the list exists all products are produced through powerllooms. They flood the market and we cannot match their productivity. Though several memorandams and protests happened, nothing much has changed,” says Thulaseedharan, a former President as well as worker of the society.
The lack of new workers in the field has been another concern, as there is no young crop to take over. Out of the 200 workers now, 50 work at the society’s handloom facility, while the rest work from the looms set up at their homes. They wages are as per the quality of the yarn. Weaving a kilogram of the highest quality yarn, denoted as ‘100’, gets the worker more than Rs.900. On an average, a worker can get only around Rs.400 per day.
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“Many of the workers prefer to go for the MGNREGA works, as it pays more, with lesser effort. For this, you have to work all day and get the yarn for the next day ready at home, during the night. After MGNREGA came, the Government had announced an income support scheme, which arrested the outflow of workers,” says Lilly, a former worker, who now manages the Kalamachal shop.
Due to the effort and the quality of the work, the society cannot afford to sell their products at lower prices.
“Our dhotis are priced at Rs.500 – 700, which is quite high when compared to other products available in the market. Reducing further is not an option. But, thankfully, we have the clientele to survive. The Government has enough schemes and funds for the sector, but it should ensure that these are spent fruitfully, which is not the case right now,” says Thulaseedharan.