Weaving a sorry tale in Kancheepuram
M Chandrasekhar was weaving a bright red coloured sari in his loom when we entered his house but his life has not been as bright as the saris he and his family weave. "It is very difficult to make both ends meet," he confessed.
It takes three people in the family and one and a half months to weave three saris, and all he gets from the private shop that places the orders is just Rs 1500 for the three saris! On the other hand, an order from the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers' Co-operative Society, or Co-Optex, gives a weaver Rs 5000 for the same amount of work. But there are already thousands of members in the co-operative society. So the majority of weavers are at the mercy of private traders.
"We have been asking for a 20 per cent increase from the private people but nothing has been happening," Chandrasekhar moaned. The situation was so bad that he had to discontinue his two daughters’ schooling.
"His only son studied up to plus two (12th standard) with free books provided by the Jayalalithaa government. But he still supports the DMK," Karunakaran, an auto driver who dropped in there said.
"What can I do? It's a habit. I can vote only for Udaya Sooriyan," said Chandrasekhar. But his daughter Prabhadevi was not so sure about her party affiliation. She was going to vote for the first time, and is excited about it. "I will decide whom to vote for soon. I won’t listen to what Appa [father] says."
Chandrasekhar was sure of one thing, however. He doesn’t want his son to be a weaver. "There is no future in this. You people may buy the saris paying thousands and thousands of rupees but see what we get!"
Also See: Thalaivar on a sticky wicket