The Cotton Industry of West Bengal: Problems and Prospects

By Subhasis Chakraborty 

The cotton industry of India traditionally, after agriculture, is the only industry that has generated huge employment for the working class in cotton. This industry continues to be the second largest employment generating sector in West Bengal as well as India. It offers both direct and indirect employment to over 35 million in the country. The archaeological surveys and studies found that the people of Harappan civilisation knew weaving and the spinning of cotton four thousand years ago.¹ Therefore, the products generated by the cotton textile industry was highly famous all over the world which was done by mainly the rural weavers. But this industry faced problems in the colonial period. During the late 17th and 18th century at the time of industrial revolution in Europe, India became the chief source of raw material and at the same time marketplace for the power loom generated products of England.² Thus the colonial ruler ruined the traditional Indian weaving industry. But the weaving industry rejuvenated during the Swadeshi Movement. Bengal’s cotton industry has been famous since time immemorial and its mention in a number of historical documents testifies its glorious tradition. The British came to India much before the Battle of Plassey and, at the time, cotton textile was a very high profit generating tradable commodity.³ During the British rule, cotton textile constituted an item of the export basket of Bengal as well as India. The British East India Company traded in Indian cotton and silk fabrics which included Daccai Muslins. The popularity of Bengal’s textiles affected cotton textile industry negatively and thus, its use was completely banned in 1757, when the British seized the total administrative control over Bengal as well as India.

After the Indian independence, withstanding the trauma of partition, weaver families who migrated to West Bengal in the 1950s have helped to keep alive a priceless heritage of the weaving techniques inherited over generations. Their styles have amalgamated with that of the local weavers and, in turn, enriched the weaving traditions. The handloom industry in eastern region has had its ups and downs as well, but Bengal handlooms have survived the jerks better to become a household name among connoisseurs of textiles.⁴

West Bengal have its rich tradition of its cotton weaving. It is a part of its cultural heritage. The textile products of Bengal have attracted not only national but also worldwide attention and bear the timeless legacy of our cultural heritage. The cotton weaving areas of this zone are Nadia, Burdwan, Murshidabad, Bankura, and Hooghly.⁵ Tracing the origin of the handloom industry of Nadia is a distinctly different task. It can be said that the art of weaving commenced in Santipur even before the arrival of Chaitanyadev. Sari weaving became popular in the latter half of the seventeenth century during the ruling king Rudradev. During the Mughal rule, the production became systematic and well organised and the weaving products were exported to Afghanistan, Iran, Greece and Turkey.⁶ The products had unique specific proposition in the market for its quality of yarn which was beyond the scope of the mill and could even counterfeit the imported cotton yarn of Manchester.⁷

The cotton weaving industry of this region received a great impetus after the Indian independence due to the immigration of population in the form of traditional weavers from the adjoining country of Bangladesh. Fulia is famous for ‘Tangail’ sarees.⁸ This form of weaving evolved at a much later date compared to that of ‘Santipuri’ sarees at a place called Tangail in Bangladesh. After partition of Bengal in 1947, many weavers of Tangail lost their home and weaving profession and migrated to West Bengal and took refuge at Fulia in Nadia, Samudragarh and Dhatrigram in Burdwan district. They began earning their livelihood here with the help of their traditional weaving skill, credit from money lenders and nominal government support.⁹

At a later stage, the State Government set up a rehabilitation colony and provided some financial help for buying cotton and yarn. However, the measures were not sufficient to rehabilitate all the refugees, some of whom ultimately took shelter in the money lenders’ houses. With increasing pressure, the moneylenders bought the surrounding lands at cheap rates and settled some weavers. Others distressed by houselessness, and starvation resorted to meetings and processions to mark their protests. These sent strong messages to the government who came forward to provide bank loans to the weavers. Later the weavers organised themselves in ‘Samitis’ and released themselves from the shackles of the moneylenders. The art of weaving flourished in Nabadwip since independence, started by the Nath and Debnath families migrating from Dhaka, Pabna and Tangail during partition. The migrating people of this area weave ordinary handloom saris; they started specializing in Jamdani sarees. At present both cotton and silk Jamdani saris are made in this region.

In the annals of Indian handloom saree, Santipur, Fulia, Dhaniakhali, Haripal in Hooghly district, Bankura are the names to reckon with. Their fascinating story is also in a nutshell the story of Bengal handloom sarees.¹⁰ There was a strong sense of identity among the Santipuri weavers. They united to agitate against the stranglehold of the Dadni system of The British East India Company and even took their grievances to colonial courts during the 19th century. In the decades leading up to independence, Santipur saw gradual inflow of techniques like the Barrel Dobby facilitating the conversion from Throw Shuttle to Fly Shuttle (1920s), the Jacquard Machine (1930s), and sectional warping and sizing that allowed production of warp yarns long (1930s). The demographics of weaving areas of West Bengal went through a sea-change after Partition.¹¹

The ‘Neelambari’ saree was the first product that made Santipur famous. The USP of the Neelambari lay in the fineness of the yarn and dyeing quality. Very fine hand-spun yarn of 250-300s was used for weaving, resulting in a powder fine texture. A heavy mix of fine weaving and subtlety of design, the Neelambari was the last word in sophistication. Today traditional handloom sarees woven in Santipur have 68s to 80s counts cotton yarn in the warp and the weft.¹² Cotton and silk yarn is used as warp in the broder, and so is zari. Jamdani and Tangail are the two pioneer sarees in the field of heritage handloom products of Bengal handloom.

Jamdani – the great characteristic of fine art in hand weaving – derived from a Persian word ‘JAM’ meaning a ‘cup’ and ‘DANI’ denotes the ‘container’.¹³ Jamdani style of weaving flourished under the benign, rich and enlightened patronage of kings and emperors. It may be considered as a textile of excellence for its super fine qualities in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Excellence in weaving lies in the virtuosity of forms drawn from the social, religious and natural environment and translated through a particular technique and the weaver’s sensitivity to create a new art form.¹⁴

Tangail originated from Tangail, a district in present-day Bangladesh. Previously it was named as Begum Bahar where silk warp and cotton weft were used. Later on, both cotton warp and weft came in vogue. The weavers are mainly from the ‘Basak’ community who migrated from Tangail district before the partition of Bengal and settled in different parts of Burdwan district.¹⁵ At present, silk Tangail sarees have been revived. The techniques of drawing and weaving of extra weft for figured Tangail sarees are more or less identical to Jamdani sarees. Unlike Jamdani, two plain picks, instead of a single pick, are inserted after each extra weft meant for figures designed.

Silks of Bengal were much appreciated the world over since ancient times. The most well-known Bengal silk saree is Baluchari saree – a production of exclusive design and fabulous weaving techniques. A revival in recent times of Baluchari and another outstanding traditional Bengal saree, Daccai, has led to a nationwide and worldwide popularity and interest in Bengal silks. The Daccai Jamdani is a fabric on which designs are woven in inimitable style. Handloom still remains the great employer of rural Bengal, as 3.5 lakhs handlooms exist in West Bengal till date. Santipur, Fulia in Nadia district, Dhaniakhali Begampur in Hooghly district, Samudragarh, Dhatrigram, Katwa, Ketugram in Burdwan district, Bishnupur in Bankura district are areas where the handloom industry is concentrated.

The handloom textiles have been recognised for the weavers’ unique creativity and their comprehension of colour, texture and function, the weavers’ capacity for rapid adaptation and production of yardage in a variety of designs. Indian handloom designs take their inspiration from nature and the products of various regions reflect the colours of the flora and fauna of that area. As per the Third National Handloom Census (2009-10), 43.31 lakh persons are engaged in weaving and allied activities in the handloom sector.¹⁶ The Indian textiles contribute 12% to the industrial production, 2% to the GDP at the factor cost, and 11% of total manufacturing exports. In contrast, the handloom sector which employs 43.32 lakh weavers on 27.83 lakh handloom household units contributes only about 11% of total cloth production.¹⁶ If the Government decides to support the handloom sector, it will promote significant economic development.

Present Condition

The handloom sector plays an important role in the economic development of the rural poor in the state. It contributes significantly by generating more employment opportunities and providing bread to the rural poor. But it is very unfortunate that despite of various Government schemes, this industry suffers from various problems. The surprising fact that though there is enough demand, the productivity and also the number of weavers is decreasing day by day. Forty to fifty years ago, a weaver earned double of what a teacher or government employee did, but the situation has completely changed at present. The new generation is unwilling to accept weaving as a profession. 90% of the working weavers are around the age of 45 or more which is one of the main causes for low productivity.¹⁷ According to the weavers, they realised that it is more profitable to join work under the MGNREGA scheme rather than weaving clothes.

Problems of the Cotton Industry

A look at the handloom industry over the years reveals that the sector is facing¹⁸ a number of challenges like obsolete technology and traditional production system, gradation of skills, etc. Besides, it suffers from disadvantages like unorganised techniques, high price of hank yarn, inadequate availability of inputs like standardised dyes and chemicals in small packs, inadequate training for up structure, weak financial base of the weavers and bureaucratisation or politicisation of weaving cooperatives. The main problem of cotton textile industry is low productivity; the number of weavers is reduced day by day. The next generation are not willing to accept weaving as a profession due to the uncertainty of the industry. Another challenge of the industry is that when customers evaluate products, they are forced to make a variety of tradeoffs. Rarely do they find a product with the right performance and correct design feature set at the best products.¹⁹ The customers want good products and no customer wants to overpay. Regardless of the product category, it is the customers’ perception of value that will determine which vender gets their business. For this reason, it is important for companies who manufacture and price products to understand how much their products are worth and focus on understanding how much possible features or performance improvements might add to the worth of the product.²⁰ Currently, the research and development activities are insufficient for the Indian handloom sector due to the poor financial condition of the weavers. This results in the lack of new designs, according to the market trends. However, the major and fundamental challenges are lack of innovative designs and inadequate fashion marketing intelligence and feedback. While handlooms have been losing the low-end market to the power looms, it has been gaining new ground in the high and mid-range markets with its creation of new niches. Other problems are lack of availability of market information, lack of awareness about the product features, insufficient promotion and advertisement of handloom, lack of quality standardisation, and tough competition.

The cotton industry, especially the weavers, is highly dependent on the female member of their family, because the weavers cannot use the yarn given from the co-operatives or the Mahajans directly as this raw yarn need to be processed though different steps which are done only by the female members of the family. But the tragic story is that these female members of weavers’ family are completely deprived of any kind of wage from any source.²¹

This handloom industry is a very labour-intensive industry. After obtaining raw materials, the weavers have to follow several processes such as Noli Bata, Sana Gantha, Tant Fitting, Palui Anta, etc. Sometimes outsiders or professional labourers are appointed to conduct this process. It takes at least 20 to 25 days before the actual weaving is started. But neither the co-operatives nor the Mahajan take this cost into account. Another problem is that from the production performance of the societies, it is clear that they have no self-sufficiency in respect to capital. They are dependent on government loan for their production. Their production status is almost in a stagnant stage.²²

The co-operative societies are indifferent in enlarging their marketing sphere. They are mainly dependent on retail sale. A survey reveals that there are no sales outlet in the Dhaniakhali, Santipur, Fulia, Bankura and Burdwan where only the branded sarees are sold. They join the government expos, melas and exhibitions as they gain some benefit from these. They have no activity to boost the marketing of their products. Dhaniakhali and Haripal Tant sarees are famous for their coarse texture. These are mainly used by the housewives for daily use, as the price of these sarees is low. However, with a change in taste and demand for other types of clothes such as salwar, kurta, designer ware, etc., the demand for handloom has reduced.

There is no innovation in designs of these handloom products, as the weavers hold on to the traditional designs. The handloom societies have no CAD trained designers. They provide the designs from their own perception. The branded sarees are identified by a particular design, but in the name of the branded sarees a group of greedy merchants produce low quality sarees from other handloom centres which is not only affects the reputation of the branded centre but also creates a tough competition in the market. The government and the weavers’ co-operatives are inomcpetent to stop these parallel activities. Sometimes he government organisations like ‘Tantujo’ create economic crisis as they do not pay the money after purchasing the products from the co-operatives. And increasing rate of the raw materials is another serious issue facing this industry. Also, the wage rate of the weavers is not increased accordingly, due to tough competition with other sarees produced from power loom. 

Prospects of Cotton Textile Industry

While the handloom textile industry of West Bengal suffers from various problems, the industry can overcome these problems by adopting the following measures:

1. The government and the co-operatives should take very strict measures       to stop those parallel activities which affect the reputation of the branded sarees.
2. Societies should implement proper plan, policies for the weavers so that next generation of the weavers is attracted to accept weaving as profession.
3. In the age of the internet, if the government and the society take proper measures to sell their products through online retail shops, they can reach a vast population and this way the industry can enlarge their market sphere.
4. The government should take initiatives to protect this traditional industry from extinction by giving training to the weavers in using new technology, arranging various melas, and exhibitions so that the weavers can reach the population.
5. The weavers’ co-operative societies should try to establish their own centres not only in the big cities but also in the local areas. Co-operatives should restructure their wage system and take the female members of the weavers’ families into consideration to boost the industry.
6. Contemporary designs and fabrics should be introduced instead of traditional design. Introduction of new types of dressing materials, except sarees is also prescribed.

It is commonly believed that the handloom sector survives with the help of various schemes and financial support from the government. This is generally true as the marketing is very conventional in the handloom sector.²³  In addition, handloom production and marketing are still labour-intensive activities. As an industry, the handloom sector can’t always survive like this and the following processes must be kept in mind to revive the industry:

1. Opportunity identification
2. New product development
3. Customer retention and loyalty building

Conclusion

The symbolic relationship that existed between handlooms and its marketing is the best option to meet the challenges as the designers understand that the future of their profession lies to a great extent in the selection of fabrics. They have yielded new aesthetics, tactile qualities and performance capabilities to fashion. Only a designer can relate handloom design with the fashion industry to produce collections which show innovative fabrics, impeccable craft and attention to detail.²⁴ This collaboration would help in the development of this sector.

Lastly, cotton handloom has shown demand because of the beautiful designs, quality, fine texture, exact size and an attractive fret works of the products. These handloom products cannot be produced in the power loom industry. Though the handloom weaving industry has many strengths, there is a seed of crisis inherent in the sector which comes from power loom. This can be traced to two major factors: the poor performance of the co-operative sector and the poor economic condition of the weavers. However, both the central government and the state governments have become quite active now in order to rejuvenate this declining sector, by providing a number of schemes for handloom production and marketing. Trough, the Ministry of Textiles, Office of the Development Commissioner (Handloom), the central government has implemented a number of schemes such as Integrated Handloom Development Scheme, Hank Yarn Subsidy Scheme, marketing and design support, health and life insurance scheme, etc. The West Bengal government also intends to highlight the handloom sector through projects like Biswa Bangla to rejuvenate Santipur, Fulia, Dhaniakhali weaves, etc. in the form of a Handloom Hub. We hope that this handloom centre will help the sector to transcend its present condition by overcoming all its problems and recover its past glory.    

Photo: yarnsandfibers.com

References

1. Mitra, Debendra Bijoy: The Cotton Weavers of Bengal 1757 – 1833 Farma KLM Kolkata 1978, p. no 37-39
2. Das, Sujit Kumar : The Warp and Weft: An Enquiry into the Handloom Industry in West Bengal, K P Bagchi, Kolkata, 2001, Introduction part.
3. Chattopadhayay, Kamaladevi: The Glory of Indian Handicrafts, Clarion c.36 Connaught Place, New Delhi Books.
4. Hossain, Hameeda: The Company Weavers of Bengal. The East India Company and the Organisation of Textile Production in Bengal 1750-1813, Oxford University Press, 1988, p. no. 54-65.
5. Mitra, Debendra Bijoy: oppo. cit. p. no 34-37
6. Amalsad, D.M.: Organisation of the Cotton Handloom Industry, Orient Longman, Calcutta, 1977, p.no. 54-76.
7. Baines, Edward: History of the Cotton Manufacturer in Great Britain : with an Early History in the East and all the Quarters of the Globe H. Fisher, R. Fisher and P. Jack, London, 1835 p. no 17.
8. Das, Sujit Kumar: 0ppo. Cit, p. no 71-72.
9. Directorate of Textiles, Handloom, Spinning Mills, Weaving & Handloom Based Handicrafts Division, Government of West Bengal, 17.08.2017.
10. Dutta, Sutapa: “Problems and Prospects of Cotton Industry in Dhaniakhali Block of Hooghly District”, The Journal of Indian Social Review, June 2013, vol. I, Number II.
11. Mitra, Debendra Bijoy: oppo. cit. p. no 87-90.
12. Report of the co-operative societies of Nadia district.
13. Directorate of Textiles, Handloom, Spinning Mills, Weaving & Handloom Based Handicrafts Division, Government of West Bengal, 17.08.2017.
14. 14.Ibid.
15. Das, Sujit Kumar: oppo. cit. p.no.105-107
16. Strategic Plan (2011 – 2016) of the ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India 2011.
17. Sarkar, Sharmistha: “An Overview of Cotton Textile Industry at Dhaniakhali Block of Hooghly District”, LOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Vol. 20, Issue ii, Ver. V, Nov, 2015, P. No.50-51.
18. Rakhin, K. V.: Traditional Handlooms of India: The Role of Designer into Market Opportunity Recognition in the Globalisation Era, International Research in Management & Technology, vol- 4, April 2015.
19. Rakhin, K. V.: Traditional Handlooms of India: The Role of Design into Market Opportunity Recognition in the Globalisation Era, published in International Journal of Emerging Research in Management & Technology. vol. 4, issue 4, April 2015.
20. 20.Shaha, N. V.: Problems and Prospects of Handlooms Industry in India, Tactful Research Journal, Vol. I, Issue11, 2013.
21. Sarkar, Sharmistha: oppo.cit.
22. Annual Reports of the Weavers Co-operative Societies of different districts of West Bengal in different years.
23. Kolter, Philip R.: Marketing Management, 11th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2002.
24. Mukund, K. and Syamasundari, B.: Traditional Industry in the New Market Economy: The Cotton Handlooms of Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi, pp. 23-34.

Bio:
Dr. Subhasis Chakraborty is an Associate Professor, Dept. of History, Arambagh Girls’ College, Hooghly, W.B. He has received his doctoral degree from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He has published papers in journals of national and international repute. Email id: subhasis224@gmail.com.

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