Onam season brings disappointment to Chendamangalam weavers as sales see a dip

Chendamangalam handloom business faces crisis with falling sales during Onam, struggling due to low wages and lack of recognition.

The accelerating crisis in the more than 300-year-old Chendamangalam handloom business is once again in the spotlight, with primary cooperatives of weavers complaining of a significant fall in sales during the just-concluded Onam festivities.

The fortnight leading to the Thiruvonam day is crucial for hand weavers because about 60% of the business transacted during the year takes place during this small window of time.  

Ajithkumar Gothuruth, a veteran of the handloom line of business and secretary of the Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society 191, said that sales are down about 30% to 40% compared to last year. He said that the State government scaling down official celebrations in view of the massive tragedy in Wayanad landslides has played a role. Even outside the government celebrations, there is a lack of awareness about the exquisiteness of handwoven materials, he said.

He said that the society’s this year’s business fell to ₹12 lakh from last year’s ₹17 lakh. Thefall underscores the continuing crisis that has been deepened by a lack of recognition of a long-standing tradition, poor wage rates for weavers, and a lack of positive intervention by the Union and State governments.

The sales are just enough to keep the business afloat, said T. S. Baby, president of Society 3428. He said that the handloom sector in Ernakulam district expected sales worth ₹2.5 crore, but recorded only business worth ₹2.3 crore. Though the figures look positive, higher turnover could have played a big role in boosting the weavers’ confidence.

Secretary of Handloom Society 47 O. B. Dhanya said that the society’s business this season fell to ₹27 lakh from last year’s ₹36 lakh. She said lower-priced but poor-quality materials in the market affected the sales. Cooperative banks, which usually offered incentives to employees by providing discount coupons for handloom products, were reluctant to issue coupons this year. 

Mr. Baby said that there are12 primary societiesof handloom weavers in the district, employing around 700 weavers and another 200 in ancillary activities.  The wages hover around ₹400 to ₹600, considerably lower than daily wages offered in other segments of employment.