Naga handloom products facing stiff competition

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Aug. 7 (EMN): Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Dimapur, Mhalo Humtsoe on Sunday observed that weaving handloom is part of the tradition and culture of Nagas, and despite it being an integral part of the Naga identity, there is a lot of competition in handloom products from India as a whole.

She said there is a declining trend of handloom products in India every year because handloom weavers are mostly small groups concentrated in rural areas and therefore cannot compete with multi-million dollar companies.

Humtsoe was speaking at the 8th National Handloom Day celebrations at Weavers’ Service Centre in Toluvi village, organised by the office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) Weavers’ Service Centre, Dimapur.

Humtsoe said National Handloom Day is the time to celebrate the versatile and exquisite Indian handlooms, some of the roots going back to the ancient Indus valley civilisation, and urged the gathering to promote and support the handloom weavers and products.

While taking handlooms into the commercial sector, Humtsoe advised to keep the Naga culture and roots intact, adding that it is a source of livelihood in rural areas not only in Nagaland but also pan India.

Nagaland weavers are 100% mobilised by women, she said, adding that it is also empowering women.

Humtsoe stated that the textile sector is the second most important industry in India after agriculture, while handloom accounts for 15% of the textile sector.

She added that 95% of woven fabric worldwide comes from India and 4.3 million people were either directly or indirectly evolved in the handloom sector.

Managing Director of Nagaland Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. (NHHDC), Dimapur, Zakabo V Rotokha said that Naga weavers mostly practiced loin loom or back strap loom.

Rotokha added that the loin loom was the oldest device used in weaving cloths by the tribes of Nagaland, while motifs woven in the Naga cloth were derived from rituals, beliefs and tribal identity and each tribe uses different colours and motifs that established a distinct identity.

However, he lamented that outsiders have been mass producing the same cloth and selling it at a lower rate without understanding the actual cultural expression and sentiments of the Naga people.

Rotokha said that in order to check this kind of practice, the state government has taken the initiative of forming a state-level committee that includes technical experts and researchers. The committee will document the tribals’ traditional attires, motifs, designs, and ornaments to prevent their misuse and misinterpretation of traditional cultural expressions.

He also informed that an orientation for the researchers has been scheduled on August 10 and 11. ‘Chakhesang shawls became the latest and third product from Nagaland to be granted the Geographical Indication (GI)’, Rotokha said adding that the shawls of the remaining tribes would also be GI tagged so that there will be no misuse or misinterpretation of the cultural significance.

At the event, Rotokha also invited the weavers to be part of the various expos carried out by the department at Urban Haat Dimapur and avail the benefit.

During the celebration, Samarth training certificate to the trainees, Pehchan cards and Yarn passbook were distributed to the handlooms weavers while Reena Rajiyung shared her success story of skill up-grading training. Earlier, a welcome address was delivered by Assistant Director of Weavers’ Service Centre, Dimapur, Naresh Jambhulkar.