Khadi, Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Fabric of Compassion’, is making inroads into the US, thanks to the initiative of young and determined president of Odisha Khadi & Village Industries Board (OKVIB) Tejeswar Parida.
Parida, an ambitious BJD youth leader, is trying to popularise Khadi in the Western world as the fabric is simple and minimal. He knows that the West loves simplicity and minimalism; so he invited a team of students from the University of California who visited the OKVIB office here and showed keen interest in Khadi products.
In fact, the Khadi appeal is far more than the latest designer’s products as the fabric has the unique flexibility of keeping one warm during winter and cool in summer.
The visiting American students led by non-resident Odia Professor Annapurna Pandey eagerly collected a number of items including Gandhi Caps, which fascinated them most.
Going for hand-woven Kurtis, shirts, towels and bed sheets, the students were very happy as the handspun products are becoming popular in the West.
Since taking over as the head of the OKVIB, Parida is trying hard to market the Khadi products in various ways. He has been able to generate a positive mindset among his employees, and a large number of artisans are engaged in production of Khadi. He is trying to convince the weavers to make their products acceptable in the global market and make them compatible to their tastes and choices.
There lies a success story, said a senior official in the Department of Industries headed by Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, who is also helping Parida in his initiative to make Khadi popular in the US and Europe. Belgium, Germany, France, Italy and other European nations are in love with Khadi Kurta, shirts and other products.
And the Khadi craze is also spreading to london and other places abroad. “But we have to look into their requirements and produce the products to their liking, said an exporter.