Weaving a sorry tale in Kancheepuram
Just a couple of kilometres from Kancheepuram town is this large plot where around 800 weavers live. The community town was set up more than 10 years ago by the then state government. Each house has a loom and is meant for only weavers. From the party paintings on walls and the party flags flying high, it was quite evident that three parties are dominant there: the AIADMK, DMK and the PMK. Wall paintings of Karunanidhi and his party symbol Udaya Sooriyan were there but Two Leaves, the AIADMK’s symbol, outnumbered all others.
Most of the weavers we spoke to were quite unhappy with the spiralling price of raw silk and zari. "The prices have skyrocketed so much that we just cannot afford to buy," R Jayakumar said.
According to him the best period the weavers experienced was Jayalalitha's first rule, 1991-96. "In those days we used to make a profit of 65 paise for every rupee but with her defeat, we also fell badly. You people (the press) wrote about her saris, chappals and jewellery and she was defeated. There started our bad period," Jayakumar lamented.
Also See: Thalaivar on a sticky wicket