Mirpur Benaras Palli saris mostly Indian

In the Indian mega movie Devdas, a large number of the gorgeous saris worn by Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai were made in Dhaka by the artisans of Mirpur Benaras Palli. That was in 2002. Now, however, 60% of the saris at Benaras Palli come from India.

There is still a huge demand for benarasi saris made in Mirpur, but the local businessmen are unable to supply them. Production costs are high and the artisans' wages are low. Many of the looms are shutting down.

Indian saris are cheaper than local ones. That is why the Mirpur businessmen are increasing their stock of Indian saris.

This was the state of affairs at the Mirpur Benaras Palli, according to the shop-owners association, the Weaver Families' Welfare Association and others associated with the handloom industry there.

After partition in 1947, a number of artisans from Benaras in India settled in Mirpur and began making katan and benarasi saris. It was from then, that gradually the Benaras Palli locality grew. The local Bengalis also picked up their handloom weaving skills and joined the industry. The craftsmen took this industry gradually all over, to Narsingdi, Iswardi in Pabna, Manikganj, Tongi, Bogra, Rangpur and many other places in the country.

According to the Benaras Palli shop owners association there are 100 shops in the area. But the Weaver Families' Welfare Association said, there are at least 250 shops, varying in size from very small to large. There are many shops which are not party of the association.

There is no specific record of how much revenue Benaras Palli generates every year, but the shop owners association says that the annual transaction here are about Tk 4 billion. The Weaver Families' Welfare Association has a similar estimate.

Each shops earn ranging from Tk 200 thousand to Tk 5 million a month. The owners of at least 10 large shops said that only one third of their saris were local. The rest were benarasi and other saris from India.

Mohammed Kasem, general secretary of the shop-owners association, tells Prothom Alo, "Sixty percent of the saris you see in my shop are imported. The remaining 40% is benarasi-katan, jamdani, cotton handloom and silk saris.

While he was talking, a customer entered, Jasmine Ara of Pallabi. She bought an Indian silk sari. Why did she choose an Indian sari over a local one? She said, "This sari's work is beautiful and the fabric is good. And the price is low."

Doesn't she buy local benarasi saris? She replies, "I do, but less." She finds the designs of the local benarasi saris lack in variety.

Selina Amin from Uttara was looking at saris in another shop. She said she had bought four saris, all dhupian silk from India.

Then again, it is also heard that the salesmen often sell local saris in the name of Indian products.

Decreasing handlooms, diminishing weavers: According to the Weaver Families' Welfare Association, there used to be about 7000 weavers in this palli. This has number now dwindled to around 1500, with only 300 or so really skilled artisans among them. The shop owners association thinks the number is even less.

According to the Bangladesh Handloom Board, there are 193 running handlooms in Mirpur Benaras Palli at present and 3,873 that are idle. Mustafizur Rahman, liaison officer of the Mirpur zone of Handloom Board, says, "You can't just give a rough estimate offhand. The figures we give are from the actual field."

The Weaver Families' Welfare Association maintains that due to the lack of craftsmen, only 30% of the demand is being met by local manufactures. The weaver artisans are frustrated.

Mohammad Nasim has been weaving benarasi for 30 years now. He says, "Twenty years ago I would get between Tk 1200 to Tk 1500 per sari. I'd pay Tk 300 house rent then. House rent is now Tk 3000 but our earning remains the same. You can well understand our plight!"

The Weaver Families' Welfare Association estimates that there are about 3000 weaver families in Mirpur now, but many of them have left the profession.

One such person is Mohammed Raju. He had run his handloom for 20 years, but now has a tea stall in Mirpur-11. He says, "There's no money in weaving, so I left it. Many are too ashamed to leave their work, I have no such qualms." Raju has plied rickshaws, been a hawkers and even a cook.

Muhammed Muqim has been weaving benarasi for 40 years. He says, "I am still at the loom as I have learnt no other work." Will his son continue with the craft? He replies, "No way!"

Muqim works at the Sama silk factory in Mirpur-11. A visit to the factory reveals eight of the 15 looms are idle due to lack of skilled workers. The yarn on three of the looms is damaged.

The businessmen say that many of them have less capital for investment and so cannot pay the weavers much. Even then the cost of the saris goes up. They make more money selling relatively cheaper Indian saris than from employing the weavers for local saris.

Mohammed Hanif, who is both a leader of the handloom weavers and a businessman, says, "No new weavers are coming to this profession." He feels it is urgent for the government to take initiative to rehabilitate the weavers.

Mohammed Rafiq, former president of the Mirpur Benarasi Primary Weavers Association, tells Prothom Alo, "Our forefathers came to this country after partition and began weaving benarasi here. We carried on the craft. But it is getting difficult to continue. With a fall in production, the weavers are paid less and aren't remaining in the industry. There is also no space to increase production. The government started up a benaras palli, but we didn't get any space there."