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Benarasi weavers caught in limbo

EjazR

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May 3, 2009
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Benarasi weavers caught in limbo

Bihari Benarasi saree weavers are regarded as stranded Pakistanis, as they are the descendants of Muslims, who lived in Bihar, the Hindu dominated state of India. These Indian Muslims migrated to the then East Pakistan after partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. The Benarasi weavers here today are mostly located in the Mirpur area of the capital city.

The Benarasi Industry was set up in Dhaka in the 1930s. In the '40s a significant geo-political change in this subcontinent forced a large number of Muslim population to migrate from one region of India to another in both the wings of Pakistan. A large number of them packed up their looms and came with high hopes to Dhaka to survive with dignity and start a new life in a new country; their second and third generations are still living in Mirpur area and fighting hard against manifold problems.

The craftsmanship and artistic quality of Bihari weavers gave them a new economic identity. According to Bangladesh Handloom Board, the migrant community set up the Benarasi Industry in Mirpur area of Dhaka in 1950. Consequently, the weavers started to weave Jamdani and varieties of Katan and other gorgeous sarees: these hand-made products soon got the approbation of the elite, especially the fashion conscious women.

Currently, a number of factors are threatening the very existence of the industry. The Benarasi industry in Bangladesh is still dependent on handlooms, while the Indian Benarasi industry is using power looms. The technological advancement gives India a competitive edge over Bangladesh-made Benarasi sarees. Meanwhile, the local industry is languishing for the lack of technological advancement, lack of patronage and other social as well as economic factors.

The Benarasi market in Mirpur, which had originally started with five or six shops roughly 25 years ago, has grown in size, but the mushrooming of shopping malls in more recent times is not only compressing it in terms of physical area, but also in fashion competitiveness, forcing many of the weavers to leave the profession despite having ties with this industry for generations.

About 10 to 15 thousand weavers are involved in this industry where the sarees are designed, hand woven and marketed -all locally by traditional weavers and traders for generations.

Khalid Hussain, a local explains, "It is very unfortunate that we are weaving only traditional designs. We don't have qualified and modern designers. So the demand of the Benarasi craft has been decreasing among the city-based customers. One of the other reasons is the availability of cheaper and more ornate Indian Benarasi sarees."

Manju, a 65 years old weaver and entrepreneur said, "Accommodation problem is most severe in the Mirpur Bihari Polli, we use our homes for dual purposes; living and weaving sarees under the same roof. At night we sleep, but the home becomes a factory in the morning. The gorgeous sarees are made in small rooms with no ventilation or proper lighting facilities."

Although every political government had committed to reviving and protecting the Benarasi industry and the weavers, there has been no apparent reflection of it in action. The Benarasi weavers alleged that Bangladesh Tant Board allocated Tk 4.5 million for 244 looms for distribution among the weavers, but no genuine Benarasi weaver had received the fund. They face manifold problems in the absence of a strong trade union. They do not get financial support from the government, or bank loans, or access to international markets, or NGO support.

Md Selem, a weaver and entrepreneur, said that the question of citizenship was another major problem of the community.

Urdu-speaking people's Youth Rehabilitation Movement (PYRM) filed a writ petition with the High Court in November 2007 demanding voting rights. On May 18, 2008, the Court ordered the Election Commission to enroll those born after 1972 as voters. Despite achieving citizenship and voting rights, the new generation of this community is not enthusiastic about continuing in their ancestral profession.

"There has been no change in our life despite getting ID cards and as voters. We can't even apply for a passport on the plea that the passport authority has been instructed not to issue passports to the so-called Biharis," Khalid lamented.

Manju, said, "There is a big problem of the middle men. These people deprive the weavers of their share of profit."

Some weavers claimed that the taste of customers change over time, but the Benarasi weavers have failed to cope with the dynamics of time to fulfill the demands of the customers.

Both Parvez and Shahabuddin, weavers of Mirpur Benarasi Polli, said that the availability of cheap Indian Benarasi sarees with better designs in the market are causing the downfall of the local Benarasi.

"Some shop owners and customers prefer novel designs, and they are mostly Indian products," Manju said and added, "Some Bangladeshi weavers in Manikgang, Sirajganj and Tangail are producing low quality and low cost Benarasi sarees along with other varieties."

According to Md Sadakat Khan, president of PYRM, the rehabilitation of Benarasi weavers is the fundamental issue of the community. He opined that if the weavers were settled in a particular area, it would be easier for the government and craftsmen to deliver services. Though an area was allocated for them at Bhasantek, corruption, mismanagement and influential political groups stalled the government's positive approach to the community.

Presently, the plots are being allocated to government and non-government agencies. He further complained that corruption is prevalent in the allocation procedure, as rich people with no background in Benarasi craftsmanship are getting the plots through malpractice.

The Benarasi weavers hope that the government initiatives to export Benarasi sarees would expand the market and resuscitate the industry. Similarly, the NGOs, banks and other financial institutions should assist in promoting the products made by the local weavers and provide loans and offer skill development programmes for reviving this glorious craft industry.
 
I do not think that the Biharis are not looked after and their handloom industry is not patronized just because they are Biharis. They are equal citizens of Bangladesh. I think, every old industry gets stagnated at some point. Same may have happened to the Benarasis made by the Mirpur Biharis.

Their organizers must seek govt assistance in order to reinvigorate the sick industry. Instead of handlooms, power looms should be introduced, and instead of using their homes as factories, they should be given jointly-owned lands where factories can be built. Biharis are hard working people. They should be given equal opportunities.
 
GOI and UP Government should help them.

hahahahahaha......
I will buy BD benarashi over Indian benarashi in any day. Indian benarashi discolors within six months but BD benarashi looks as new in six years.. Even though they came from India origianlly but they incorporated and learned a lot from our local Jamdani traditions..

Go and help your own weavers dude..
 
I do not think that the Biharis are not looked after and their handloom industry is not patronized just because they are Biharis. They are equal citizens of Bangladesh. I think, every old industry gets stagnated at some point. Same may have happened to the Benarasis made by the Mirpur Biharis.

Their organizers must seek govt assistance in order to reinvigorate the sick industry. Instead of handlooms, power looms should be introduced, and instead of using their homes as factories, they should be given jointly-owned lands where factories can be built. Biharis are hard working people. They should be given equal opportunities.

Its all about competition.. While as they are saying struggling the Bengali weavers are making Benarashi in huge volume. I saw in TV that a full viallge in Rangpur turned Benarashi Palli and they are producing in industrial scale. Biharis need to take the business outside of their home and do it in industrial manner only to survive in competition.
 

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