'Tiger Widows' Of Sundarbans Spin Khadi To Eke Out Living
NDTV
The Khadi Commission, which had set up a temporary structure three years ago, has now replaced it with a permanent work shed and common facility in Sundarban's Bali Island.
More than 100 'tiger widows' of Bali Island in Sundarbans of West Bengal, who were facing an acute financial crisis after the death of their husbands in tiger attacks, are spinning khadi to eke out a living.
The initiative of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) since 2018 has borne fruit as the remote island, which was totally disconnected from the mainstream of development since Independence, now bustles with activity with the sound of spinning of power loom and charkha breaking silence in the area.
The women have now picked up the skill to independently eke out a living with marketing support from the commission, its release said on Friday.
KVIC, which had set up a temporary structure three years ago, now replaced it with a permanent 3,000 sq ft work shed and 500 sq ft common facility for the artisans in Bali Island. These were recently inaugurated by the commission's chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena. Christened the 'Tiger Victim Khadi Katai Kendra', it is now equipped with 125 new model charkhas, 15 modern looms and provides employment to 150 women artisans on the island, it said.
