The click clacks of the looms are sounds that Anil Dasharath is familiar with since birth. He comes from a family of weavers who are part of the surviving 160 members of the tribe in Varanasi that still continue with the tradition of hand-woven saris. Yet, not a few months ago, Dasharath decided to stop moving the looms and look for a job elsewhere. ?The money that we earned, after my family worked on the looms, was not enough to run a household,? he said.
The saris woven by Dasharath and his ilk sell for a few thousands in the market while it fetches the weavers a paltry sum of Rs 800 per piece. The middle men pocket the extra cash leaving the weavers in tatters. ?When our earnings are so low, we have to take loans at high rates and the cycle just did not end,? he recalled.
The high rates of interest have put the tradition of weaving saris in jeopardy. One of the reasons for the dwindling weaver population in Varanasi is the bad living conditions. The story could have prevailed if a corporate had not watched a TV programme on them. It was then that Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces launched its latest CSR programme with the aim to help the weaver, says Abhijit Mukherjee, CEO, Taj Luxury Hotels.
Taj has identified three villages and started work with 25 master weavers residing here. The weavers were unanimous in their decision that they did not want money at all. ?Our skill is our work which is appreciated by everyone,? said Dasharath. ?We wanted work that would sustain us and that is what we asked Taj Hotels to provide us.”
The weavers were apprehensive of Taj Hotel’s move to give them jobs. ?The aim was to instill confidence in the villagers, give them work and return their dignity and pride in work,? said Mukherjee. ?We first supplied them with water pumps and solar lights. We initiated medical help and conducted an eye camp for the weavers, provided glasses to those who needed. Given the frequent power cuts, solar lights were installed in the weavers houses to enable them to work for longer hours. Infant and child nutrition programmes were started to take care of malnutrition.?
The foundation having been laid, the workers were given a job ? of weaving saris for the front office staff of the Taj Luxury Hotels. A fashion designer, Jay Ram Rakhiyani, was roped in and the designs for the sarees was given to the weavers. ?The weavers are excellent at their jobs and all that they needed was to be told how to adapt a new pattern according to Taj?s specifications, which they did beautifully,? said Rakhiyani.
Taj Hotels contacted ?Chamundi Silks? of Karnataka, one of the oldest and the largest silk export houses in India to provide all the required yarn dyed and coloured as per the specifications given to them by their designer. The ubiquitious middle man has been eliminated and in its place is a system where the weavers can deliver the finished saree given at Taj Ganges where it is weighed, checked and paid for. ?We have also opened bank accounts for the weavers. The payments are made directly to them and ensured that all the benefits go to them directly,? said Mukherjee. The weavers are happy. Yet, Dasharath is clear, his children won?t become weavers. ?I will educate them and see to it that they take up other professions. I don?t want them to face the hardships that the family had.?
The weavers are not under any contractual obligation to work for the Taj. ?This is not a job that offers a secure future,? said Dasharath. So are the weavers of Varanasi a dying lot then? He said, ?Not really. My children have seen me and the family at the loom. They know how to weave. But this will not be their main occupation.?