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."

Dr Madhavdas Thackersey with the Amber charkha

High maintenance

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.