Preface
The Institute of Objective Studies, since its inception, has been alive to the issues of poverty, social deprivation, economic inequality, and unequal availability of social and economic opportunities, particularly to the economically weaker sections of Indian society such as minorities, tribal groups, downtrodden, and scheduled castes. The Institute has so far published quite a good number of research studies in these areas. This is a reflection of the fact that these subjects have received a high degree of priority in the research programmes of the Institute in various years. However, it does not mean that the Institute's interest in these areas has diminished in any way. On the contrary, these subjects are receiving increasingly more attention in the research programme of the Institute. Its latest publication on the plight of weavers proves the point.
Weavers, as a class, are a weak and vulnerable part of the Indian society. They face a three-sided onslaught, from market pressures, changing tastes and fashions as well as from continuous advancement of technology. The weavers provide one of the oldest and prime needs of humanity, i.e., clothing. This need has been invariant with the changes in times. Humans required clothes for thousands of years to protect themselves from the vagaries of weather and environment, as well as from designs of fellow human beings. Man requires clothes even now. However, the technology producing the clothes has witnessed a sea change, from handlooms to power looms and now to automated and computerized plants. Before India underwent a period of deindustrialization with the advent of colonial era, the textile industry was at its zenith. Indian cloth was known for its quality and refinement. Folklore has it that muslin (malmal) made in Dhaka and Murshidabad was so fine that several meters of cloth could be put in a matchbox. The industry could not survive the onslaught of mechanized production from the mills of Manchester and died a slow and painful death.
However, the tradition of weaving survived. It got a shot in the arm when, during the freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi sponsored the case of Indian handicrafts, and the Indian National Conference pledged to give small-scale industries and Indian handicrafts their due place in the national economy. The weavers of Bihar, led by the Momin Conference, an ally of the Indian National Congress and Jamiat al Ulema-i Hind, played a significant role in the struggle for freedom. During the Five Year Plans, small-scale industries and Indian handicrafts were given a prominent place in the scheme of industrialization introduced in the Second Five Year Plan. It was thought that with their labour intensive nature, they would help solve problem of unemployment for India's teeming millions. National commissions were appointed to protect the village industries and hand woven cloth (khadi). However, the high hopes associated with village industries including the weaving industry were not realized in full measure. Nevertheless, the industry continued to survive providing employment to hundreds of thousands of workers. It was allowed to exist and the state provided support for its continued existence. The second bigger and probably stronger onslaught came against these industries through the policies of liberalization and globalization. After 1990s, when changes in economic policy were introduced in India, Indian economy was opened up to the world market. Imports were liberalized, albeit in the name of promotion of exports. The so-called License-Quota Raj was abolished; many laws, which were conceived to provide control over 'the commanding heights of the economy', were repealed; and imports were liberalized as policies of import substitution were abandoned. All these hit the weaving industries quite hard.
The present study was sponsored by the Institute of Objective Studies in view of the above scenario in mind. It was assigned to Mr. Ashok Kumar Sinha, who is a qualified and competent development professional. The study, along with the secondary data is based on the primary data, which was collected through empirical work and field study in the Ambedkar Nagar and Varanasi districts of Uttar Pradesh. It is based on several sections. Section One provides an introduction to the study. Section Two gives background of the study, which is mainly based on the secondary data. Section Three is devoted to an understanding of the impact of globalization on the weavers' community. Sections Four and Five are devoted to the analysis of government's initiatives to improve the conditions of weavers and to what extent they are able to benefit from these schemes. The last Section gives the summary and conclusion. Thus, I believe, that the study has covered quite a substantial ground. I hope it shall contribute to the study of problems of weavers' community in India and help our policies in this regard to be put on a more rational basis.
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