Once the weaving community under Kusiapala weaver’s cooperative society had got a name and fame in the undivided Cuttack district for manufacturing Dhoti, Gamucha and handloom saree. But now, they are in distress as the Government has failed to provide them any patronage. The State handloom weaver’s co-operative society too has been apathetic to them. This has led to several weavers leaving their traditional occupation.
According to sources, the Kusiapala society was formed by the weavers of Kusiapala, Mahasahipatana, Mangarajpur, Chanchunia, Thakurpatana, Khasapadia, Baburampatana, Balipatana, Talapatana, Haladia, Ghanashyampur, Udayanagar and Gulanagar villages in 1940s. Nearly, 350 weavers earlier registered themselves under the cooperative society. However, over 100 weavers have left their traditional occupation within a decade or so.
There are three types of weaving, such as frame loom, pit loom and modern technology based- Chittaranjan loom. Basically, the weavers of Kusiapala had specialized in frame loom weaving techniques (locally called tanta buna). The weavers knitted Dhoti, Gamuchha, handkerchief, Saree, clothes, bed sheet, towel and mosquito net. They generally take colour , design (bandha) and cotton from the co-operative society and weave cotton items in their looms, which they set up in their houses. After manufacturing, they deposit the products with the cooperative society, which pays them wages, said Nanda Kishore Swain, a septuagenarian weaver of Baburampatana. Everything went as usual until 1999. But the 1999 Super Cyclone, which played havoc in the district, damaged the looms and houses of the weavers. Hundreds of looms were damaged. Earlier, 150 looms were working under the Kusiapala society, but after the Super Cyclone, the number of looms decreased to 60, said president of Kusiapala cooperative society Hemanta Kumar Behera.
During the post cyclone rehab time, house damage assistance and insurance money came to the cooperative society to distribute among the affected weavers. Though the house damage assistance and other financial aids came from the State Government, but over 60 per cent of weavers failed to get the assistance. Many weavers who lost their looms are yet to get new ones.
Since the poor weavers are yet to get their looms and build their houses, they have not been able to resume their work. They have appealed to the district administration to come to their rescue several times but to no avail. Another major problem of the weavers is the meager wage of the weavers. “We get Rs 12 to knit a Gamuchha, Rs 25 for a Dhoti and Rs 40 for a Saree, which is too meager,” alleged Shantilata Das, another weaver.
If a weaver toils from morning to evening, he gets a maximum of Rs 100. However, if he is a daily labourer, he manages to get Rs 200 daily. This is making the weaving profession too unattractive, said Kusiapala weavers’ cooperative society president Behera.
District Collector Durga Prasad Behera stated that he is aware of the problems of the weavers’ community. Steps will be taken for providing financial aid to them, he assured.