Indian Weaver and Farmer.

Farmer the Prince - Weaver the orphan.

In my opinion the above narration is the right description of Indian weavers and farmers.

Successive governments have ensured the narrative that farmers are annadata and weavers are just like any other person.

I would like to highlight that weavers and farmers are two faces of the same coin. In India both the weaver and the farmer come from the same background, both have many parallels or identical conditions that they face for their livelihood. 

The farmer gets empathy and benefits; weavers gets only sympathy with hardly anything to encourage his existence. In my opinion leaders of weavers need to draw the attention of the Govt and it's bureaucracy towards the fact that both farmers and weavers are from the same walk of life, then why burden just the weavers with the Goods and Services Tax.

The economic contribution of agriculture to India's GDP is however steadily declining with the country's broad-based economic growth, but still remains significant to India's socio-economic order.

Textiles plays a major role in the Indian economy, as it contributes 14 percent to industrial production and 4 percent to GDP. There are about 45 million people plus engaged in this industry in some activity or the other, making it one of the largest sources of employment generation in the country, second only to the agriculture industry.

This sector has an advantage of being less capital intensive, minimal use of power, eco-friendly, flexibility of small production, openness to innovations and adaptability to market requirements. It is a natural productive asset and tradition at cottage level, which has sustained and grown by transfer of skill from one generation to other.

The farmer and weavers are majorly from rural backgrounds. One tills the soil, plants his seeds, irrigates when needed, harvests and sells his produce. The latter procures his raw materials, arranges his loom, weaves, adorns the fabric, completes his work and sells his products. Both have to toil, both have vagaries involved that disturb their lives and means of livelihood.

Understanding the Eco System of Indian Farmers and Indian Weavers 

Anything that has to grow in soil needs water. The farmer gets his water needs fulfilled by the benevolence of the rain gods or irrigation done through artificially created channels built by the government. What he has to plant, additives, and so on that go in as inputs are subsidised or available at reasonable prices to aid him in his task.

The weavers does not have the luxury of such heavy subsidies for his raw materials. He also does not have the kindly eye of the govt. or any agency to make things easy for him.

The farmer has a certain minimum price to bank upon which have been set up for him since ages by government depts. or agencies.

The weaver enjoys no such privilege, has to bank upon the goodwill of the trader to whom he sells his product or gives to get it sold and be satisfied with what he gets, which many a time is a pittance for his effort. There are times when the weavers has no customer and he is loaded with dead stock which fetches him next to nothing.

When things go bad for the farmer, there is always some agitation or govt. intervention to tackle his problem of loan repayment. This could lead to easy or relaxed terms, extension of time, and further waiver or write off as bad debt, if there is political climate and govt. approval.

The poor weaver never comes out of his misery simply because he has no godfather to work out any feasible solution for him nor intervene on his behalf to mitigate the conditions. The worth of his craft is acknowledged by one and all, his problems are his alone.

The farming sector has for long been enjoying the advantage of free electricity or in some cases very low rates for the electric power supplied. This has led to misuse and theft of various kinds that have ultimately been compensated for by subsidies from the govt. or taxing other consumers of power supply higher, in the state. The electricity for them has never been grudged for irrigation purposes, but the misuse appalls even the most liberal in views.

Compare that to the case of the  weaver, who is also mostly rural-based finds his time of work restricted to the daylight hours because of electricity, has no free electricity, subsidy or any other 'perks' enjoyed by the farmer.

The agricultural sector enjoys the benefit of all that has been instituted in its favour, by national sentiment, political will or govt. empathy. Policies, schemes, plans, benefits or any other items that favour the farming class get implemented without question.

The Weavers, has long suffered on account of well-thought-out plans and policies,that could benefit them, that do not get implemented and remain merely as agenda on paper. 

The apathy of the govt,the lack of political support, the missing public fervour in its cause, all work against the weaver and his like, making them pawns in the hands of destiny.

The bottom line of today's situation that shows different lines of treatment to two sons of the soil, the farmer and the weaver, favouring the one and merely applauding the other, shows a pitiful state of affairs that would have shocked 

Gandhiji, the Father of the Nation, who in 1919 had put the farmer and the weaver on the same footing.He saw it as the former taking care of the food requirements, the latter the clothing needs.

Weavers are in equally pitiable condition as farmers of this country. And both desperately require support of the government and the entire country now, more so than ever before.

"Would you rather have an overachieving 3-Star, or an underachieving 5-Star ?" 

Compiled by

GaviRangappa S P

Devanga's Vidhana.

Jai Devanga.