Guwahati: Attending the formal procurement of hand-woven items under the directorate of handloom and textile’s SwamirbharNaari scheme, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 13 expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for popularising the Assamese Gamosa (by using the same in various official ceremonies) across the country as well as abroad.
Under the scheme to directly procure hand-woven items by the government agency would be taken up without the involvement of any middleman, said Sarma adding that around 4.8 lakh female weavers from across the State had registered their names on the specific portal (www.swanirbharnaari.assam.gov.in). They would be able to sell their produces through 100 procurement centres being set up for the purpose.
Addressing a distinguished gathering at Ambari in the city, Sarma exuded confidence that the initiative to procure hand-woven items directly from the weavers would prove decisive in protecting the traditional handloom sector of Assam from the onslaught of the power loom industry. Referring to Gandhi’s famous quote ‘Assamese women weave dreams on their looms’, Sarma said the handloom sector had been suffering immensely owing to the markets being flooded with cheaper products produced in the power loom. Stating that there were massive markets for Assam-made handloom products in the domestic as well as the international markets, he expressed hope that the new initiative would help the handloom sector gain the upper hand over the power loom industry. SwamirbharNaari would provide a sense of economic security to the weavers, as it guarantees assured return on their investments in time and resources, added Sarma.
Referring to the Centre’s handloom (reservation of articles for production) act of 1985, which bans the manufacture with power loom of eleven items, as well as its sale, and whose products have been reserved for the handloom sector alone, Sarma commented that the government would ensure the law on handloom are strictly enforced. The government agencies would also launch a campaign to ensure production of items reserved for the handloom sector are not produced by the power loom industry, he added.
In the presence of State Ministers Urkhao Gwra Brahma, Nandita Gorlosa, Ajanta Neog, Parimal Shuklabadya, Atul Bora, Jogen Mohan, Sanjay Kishan with other dignitaries, Sarma also spoke about the mention of the weaving tradition within the present-day geographical boundaries of Assam during the visit of the Chinese traveller Huen Tsang to the region. He expressed hope that granting a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to the Assamese Gamosa would provide a great impetus to popularising the most revered traditional item.
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