High prices and a bad attitude are pushing khadi beyond reach
High prices and a bad attitude are pushing khadi beyond reach
Time seems to have stood still in the Khadi and Village Industries Emporium at Fort. Everything seems as it was decades ago, just like the main product it sells the khadi fabric. The sprawling store has more staff than patrons.
The staffers still have a disinterested look, sending subtle, invisible signal of intimation to rare shoppers of not making them work too hard. They perk up only when one of the senior heads of the emporium walks in, only to settle back into inertia the moment he exits.
Perhaps that would change on October 2, when all the khadi emporiums start a month-and-half-long Gandhi Jayanti sale. Probably that's when the shoppers too will walk in to make the most of the discount on offer.
Some questions, then: Has this organic, eco-friendly, indigenous produce become an alien in its own land? And are there no takers for what was once considered the poor man's fabric? The reasons are many and equally varied.
But some facts first: The Khadi and Village Industries Commission shows an increase in not only employment (over 103 lakh rural workers) but also increased sales (Rs 22,620 crore).
While designer Devieka Bhojwani, who had pioneered the Swadeshi label of khadi ensembles in 1985, doesn't refute the official figures that the government has put out, she claims that production of khadi has dwindled.
"The reason for the fall in production is that not many people are buying khadi. When the weavers find that not much income is generated from the hours of spinning and weaving, they move onto other occupations. If there is no demand, production shrinks and prices automatically go up. In many ways, it's our fault. We haven't bought enough khadi to give back enough employment."
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Designer Ritu Kumar, whose last couture collection had an Anarkali khadi ensemble with a matte look and gota work on it, agrees that khadi has become expensive. She blames the high maintenance that the fabric demands.
"Earlier we didn't have mill-made fibres in India; khadi was the only fabric available then. Then synthetic fabrics started being made.
And you could buy a saree for Rs 200 and wash and use it for the next 10 years without much ado. A khadi saree with border would cost Rs 400. Khadi doesn't drape well and you have to mostly dry clean it; those who could not afford that opted for synthetic materials," says the designer.
She agrees that khadi has a rustic appeal but says that the regular woman prefers synthetics because they are non-fuss fabrics.
Middleman blues
Designer Nikasha Tawadey, who often works with the fabric, is sore about the middleman who, she claims, is the reason khadi has become expensive.
"The man who is the link between the weavers and the retailers or wholesalers makes the most cash. I have travelled to these villages and seen that it's difficult to break the middleman's stronghold. Besides, most weavers are uneducated and don't have access to retails in cities. In fact, in far-flung areas like among the adivasis of Orissa, language also becomes a problem," she says.
At the same time, the impression that khadi is not very fashionable also eats into its market value. "Khadi is dying a slow death.
And though I enjoy khadi a lot, there aren't many takers. It's such a versatile and beautiful fabric. In the West, a handmade fabric is an epitome of beauty. If Roberto Cavalli or Armani were to bring out a collection in khadi, we would all suddenly think that the fabric is cool. We need to take pride in what we have," says Nikasha.
Devieka echoes Nikasha's feeling. "The word eco-friendly has become the dominant word in the world. We have the most eco-friendly product in our country and we are doing nothing about it. It's a shame," she says.
'Khadi is under priced'
Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee has been working on reviving several old textile art forms, one of them being khadi. He recently announced his bridal collection of khadi sarees.
He feels, "In today's context, khadi can never be the poor man's fabric. Handmade fabrics are going to become more and more expensive because their production capability is low. I think at one point of time, when the whole world was slow, khadi was relatively cheap. But now, since fabric is being produced at the drop of a hat through technology, a fabric that takes so much manmade labour is obviously going to be expensive. I feel khadi is quite under-priced in India."
Though he does point out that the main problem with khadi is that it's not been able to change its perception in the eyes of the common man's eyes.
"Government-sponsored agencies don't have the power to promote the fabric. It's upon us to promote it because as a designer one has that power. It's our responsibility to change the perception of khadi in India," says the designer who says he wears khadi all the time.
Designer khadi too expensive?
Sabyasachi argues that when one doesn't mind paying Rs 120-150 for a metre of power-loom-spun georgette that is perhaps made in China, why curl up one's nose for khadi fabric that costs Rs 70 or so per metre?
"See when I make something in khadi, you don't have to buy it from me because you may feel it's expensive.
Though when
I make it, there is a lot of value addition that happens to the piece. But you would be enchanted by the piece enough to go to a khadi bhavan, buy a fabric and stitch an outfit for yourself. And I am not working with the fabric because I think it is social service but because I truly believe in it," he counters.
On why khadi cannot be associated with the fast fashion movement, Sabyasachi says, "Khadi has always been a handmade, slow process. So to be over-ambitious about the scope of khadi is also being stupid. The moment it becomes so locally available and the procurement becomes easy, you lose the charm of khadi."
Reaching outu2026or not
Bodies like the government-run Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), which has been in existence since the last 52 years, and independent ones about 35 in the state of Maharashtra alone u2014 have been reaching out to villages to provide employment.
Giving statistics, Jaywant Matkar, who is the convenor of the Khadi Samiti of the Akhil Bharatiya Sarva Seva Sangh, says that even today the weaver gets only Rs 20 to 30 for a day's work.
Off the record, a KVIC official says that there are plans to increase the weavers' wages to Rs 100 to even Rs 200 per day, but Jaywant, who looks after the khadi production at the independently-run khadi samiti, rubbishes it.
He says, "We follow the KVIC work chart in payment of money, but what KVIC claims is impossible. The government is not paying attention to this craft form. Though, when Pandit Nehru constituted the Khadi Gram Udhyog Commission, the idea was a sincere one. Not so any more."
Even so, he goes on to add that the state shows a sale of Rs 14.5 crore every year, out of which about Rs 10 crore sales are generated through the Khadi emporium
at Fort.
Gandhi blood and khadi
Usha Gokani, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, says that the Khadi and Village Industries Commission now hold no meaning. "From what I hear, KVIC is not functioning too well. Though the commissioner, Kumud Joshi, is a good person, she is very old now.
And she may not be able to change the attitude of many towards the fabric. Besides, the khadi bhandars are making good money but the actual spinners and weavers are not making any. Also many states don't even encourage khadi."
She gives the example of Andhra Pradesh, which used to produce one of the best khadis. "The production is falling in that state now because the children of weavers don't want to work for less money."
We tried to get the KVIC side of the story over one whole week. An appointment with the publicity director was not kept from his side as "Sir had to leave for Delhi urgently.' Others, too, were either not in the office and touring, in a meeting or unwell. Emails drew a blank too.
What the Gandhians feel
Vasant Pradhan
Has been wearing khadi since 1948
I agree that khadi has become expensive but it has still not lost its charm. Though it doesn't get the respect it should. If a product is fashionable, there is a clientele. But the common man will not wear khadi because if it's not washed or ironed properly, everyone will ignore him. Earlier, that was not the case... khadi was worn to show nationalistic pride. I feel immense satisfaction in wearing khadi. I have not lost touch with the tradition.
Daniel Mazgonkar
Has been wearing khadi since 1955
Gandhiji used to say, 'There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed'. He was so right. The concept of rural villagers spinning khadi was to provide employment. It's true that khadi has become expensive, but there are cheap khadi fabrics too. With industrialisation and textile mills, khadi wouldn't be able to stand the competition.
Spinning a yarn
It felt like a date with history when I set out to meet Dr Madhavdas Thackersey I say history because the 90 plus Gandhian still spins his own clothes on the charkha he has perched on a stool in his bedroom. It's the day I get to spin a few yarns myself.
When we enter his room, the charkha looks nothing like I had imagined! It resembles a crude machine made not of wood but of metal.
If it weren't for the spools of cotton rolls mounted on it, perhaps I may not have given it a second glance. To my exclamation, 'Is this is a charkha?!' Dr Madhavdas laughs and says, "And a very simple one at that too. If you want to see the ones Gandhiji used, hop across to Mani Bhavan."
He sits on the chair and starts rotating a handle on the right hand side. And the raw cotton spool spins out, super fast, the finest threads on two bobbins attached at the base. Dr Madhavdas urges me to try my hand. All I have to do is spin the handle, and the bobbins get filled with threads. Not as historic as I thought it would be! But still, it was cool. 'But what about breakage?' I want to know.
Dr Madhavdas says that happens occasionally. One just needs to reattach the raw cotton spool through holding points on the machine and reattach it to the bobbin. As simple as that.
An electric charkha costs Rs 4,000 while a non-electric one comes for Rs 3,000. "On October 2, Mani Bhavan asks us Gandhians to come and spin the charkha. I go every year but I am the only one sitting there spinning. No one comes. Last year I also got my photograph in the newspaper," says the diehard Gandhian.
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