Kuthampully’s Handwoven Tradition Faces Powerloom Challenge

Quick Summary

• Location & heritage: Kuthampully village in Thrissur, Kerala, once a hub for handwoven cottons and kasavu sarees with Geographical Indication (GI) tags, has seen a drastic decline in its handloom weaving industry.

• Declining weaving Practices:

– At its peak, the village had more than 1,500 looms; today only around 150 remain.
– The rise of powerlooms producing cheaper alternatives has overshadowed conventional handlooms.

• Challenges Faced:

– Ageing weavers struggle with limited income (₹300-400 per day), discouraging younger generations from joining the craft.
– Powerlooms flood markets with products that are indistinguishable to moast buyers yet available at lower prices.

• Financial Struggles:

– Kuthampully Cooperative Handloom Society faces a debt crisis due to pending government funds (₹80 lakh) and unpaid dues from State-run outlets like Handex (₹1 crore).
– To sustain operations, borrowings from banks incur high repayment burdens.

• COVID-19 Impact: The pandemic severely impacted raw material availability and shut down operational outlets.

• Call for Support: Weavers advocate stronger government intervention akin to Tamil Nadu’s model and increased public awareness about real handloom’s cultural significance.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The story of Kuthampully illustrates the broader challenges facing India’s traditional crafts sector-constrained by modernization pressures,insufficient state support,and changing consumer preferences. While this decline marks an economic loss for artisan communities dependent on weaving as their livelihood, it also signifies irreversible cultural erosion if left unchecked.

Government support is critical here-not only in bridging financial gaps but also thru fostering policies such as subsidies or marketing initiatives that effectively promote handloom production. Importantly, creating buyer awareness about the authenticity of handcrafted products versus mass-produced alternatives could help shift demand toward sustaining these small-scale artisans’ livelihoods.Additionally, interventions like skill training programs targeting the next generation may make this heritage craft relevant amid changing socio-economic conditions.Ultimately, revitalizing such industries requires collaboration between policymakers and consumers who value tradition over convenience-a step that could protect not just livelihoods but also India’s rich cultural legacy embodied through crafts like those of Kuthampully’s weavers.

[Image Source: KK Najeeb/The Hindu]