Guwahati: Attending the formal procurement of hand-woven items under the directorate of handloom & textile’s SwamirbharNaari scheme, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for popularizing the Assamese Gamosa (by using the same in various official ceremonies) across the country as well as abroad.
Under the scheme to directly procure of hand-woven items by the government agency would be taken up without involvement of any middleman, said Sarma adding tha around 4.8 lakh female weavers from across the State had registered their names on the specific portal (www.swanirbharnaari.assam.gov.in) and 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 powerloom 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 powerloom.
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 an upper hand over the powerloom 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 powerloom of eleven items, as well as its sale, and whose production 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 powerloom industry, he added.
In 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 Chinese traveller Huen Tsang to the region. He expressed hope that the granting of Geographical Indication tag to the Assamese Gamosa would provide a great impetus to popularization of the most revered traditional item.
CM Sarma thanks PM Modi for popularizing Assamese Gamosa across the globe
