Varanasi previously known as Benaras, has been a centre of production of handloom silk since centuries. From the one crore weavers in India, the city alone houses 1,24,832. The Varanasi silk fabrics have been eulogised in scriptures and ancient books both in the Hindu as well as in the Buddhist eras. The traditional wedding trousseau is incomplete without a Benarasi saree. In spite of the flourishing trade, the weaver of dream sarees was and is still working in pathetic conditions and living a life of abject poverty.

The artistic ingenuity of the artisans and the changing market trends have resulted in a great variety of the Benares silk fabric. Generally the quality and type of silk fabric indicates the weavers` occupational status and craftsmanship. The better quality and high priced fabric requires greater craftsmanship, labour and financial investment. No two sarees are the similar in quality, colour combination, design or pattern. "As a result, there can be no uniformity in rates which has become a cause for rampant exploitation," says, K P Verma, Assistant Directory, Handloom Textiles, Rathyatra, Varanasi.

Weavers of Magic
There are three kinds of weavers - Individual weaver, Master Weaver and Weaver of the Cooperative Society. The Individual weaver uses his own material, loom, design and colour. The most critical problem for him is the sale and marketing of his fabric, which he accomplishes either directly or through the Gaddidar, the middleman or the trader. The Gaddidars control the production and marketing of silk fabrics and have considerable influence upon the social, cultural, economic and political life of the weaving community. On the other hand, the weaver has poor connections in the raw material market as well as the retail market of silk fabrics. If the weaver goes to Gaddidar with a finished product, he may point out many defects viz. stains, defective design or pattern, motifs, etc. After considerable haggling, the final deal is struck. The weaver is given a post-dated cheque of a faraway bank. In need of immediate hard cash, the weaver goes to the commission agent with the cheque and gets money after paying 2-3 percent commission. The weaver, in need of hard cash, may sell his product directly, but is forced to accept a cheap rate.

The Master weaver supplies material, design, colours, and the ideas. He engages wage earners and looks after the complete operation of the weaving process and the marketing of the fabric. Nizam-ud-din, a resident of Bunkar Colony, says that the weaver earns meager wages for the preparation of sarees, which may take him 5-6 days to 12-15 days. So the weaver has no option but to work hard to weave a saree in a shorter duration to earn more. This renders weaving an activity in which weavers are exploited. While they work harder, they in fact contribute to the greater profit of the Master weavers The Master weavers generally belong to the Muslim community. "Weavers are poor, scattered and dependent on Master weavers though they have better workmanship," says Bharat Lal, Deputy Director (Weaving), Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT).

The Safety Net
In order to save the common weaver from being exploited by the Master weavers or Gaddidars, the Government encouraged formation of Weavers` Cooperatives. These were intended to facilitate procurement of raw materials at cheaper rates and selling and marketing of the woven products. The cooperatives claim that after accounting for all the working expenses, the profit is distributed among the weavers at the end of the year. Unfortunately this is not the case. Weavers share is used as a working capital, bank loans and for various other schemes. The members are supposed to be provided with insurance, and have access to the Thrift and Bahudi funds. Out of 462 primary cooperative societies, 210 are active, 131 are inactive and 121 are assumed to be liquidated. There are 22,295 weavers attached to these cooperatives. Gaavesh Sarvar, 21years, educated till standard IVth, lives in Bunkar Colony, Naati Imli, Chowkaghaat. He has been a member of Silk Weavers` Colony Cooperative Society for the past eight years, but he has received no insurance cover and has not been provided with any facilities. "Only meetings takes place in the cooperative society. I have swelling in my legs during winters but no medical aid is provided. Under factory rates, daily wages are Rs. 58.20. These are not paid, instead the weaver is paid on piece basis. As most of the looms are situated at the residence where there is no adequate ventilation and provision of light, it results in weak eyesight and respiratory problems. The pit loom system makes it necessary for the weaver to keep his legs in the pit where the temperature is different resulting in the numbness of the lower portion of the body," grieves Gaavesh.

Nizam-ud-din, 55 years of age, lives in the same colony. He is a traditional weaver, works individually and does not want to join the cooperative society. He claims that the influential Master weavers form the cooperatives for their own vested interests both in the sale of the finished product and the procurement of the raw material. The Master weavers, with the help of dummy memberships of the cooperatives, try to appropriate the benefits which are actually given by the Government to the cooperative societies. The provision of insurance and various other funds exist only on paper. He also alleges that a cooperative society is just a garb for exploiting the weavers. "A weaver is exploited whether he is an individual or a member of any cooperative society," laments Nizam.

The Government of India set up the Weavers Service Centres (WSCs) in 1956 to help the handloom weavers in various aspects such as design development, design adoption, design dissemination, technical inputs in the form of research in the looms, dyes, dyeing techniques and innovations in appliances and accessories used by the weavers. The small weaver has not benefited as he hardly visits the WSCs for fear of losing his daily wages. Arif, 22 years, a traditionally trained weaver, says that the Weaver Service Centres run by the Government are of no use to the poor weavers as they are not encouraged to visit them. No actual interaction takes place between the weavers and the Government officials. The Master weavers, exporters and traders who frequent the centers are the main beneficiaries.

A Hapless Lot
The low economic status of the weavers is due to a number of factors. When the product is substandard or the product loses its demand in the market, the weaver has to sell it at a price that may not even cover his labour cost. In the weaving industry, imitation is not valued. The product with a unique design, pattern and texture commands a high price. As soon as the design is copied, the product gets devalued. The weaver has to bear this loss. Change of product invariably involves substantial investment that affects the weavers adversely. Power operated looms also compounded the problem as an electricity connection is not easy to come by. Moreover, continued declared and undeclared power cuts add to the agony. In addition to these problems, the continuous tussle between Bangalore and Karnataka Silk lobby as well as Government`s indifferent attitude towards import policy do not better the situation.

Very few weavers are educated mainly due to poverty, lack of orientation and absence of educational facilities. But gradually, the weavers are becoming aware of the need and importance of education in their occupation. This has led to a rush for admission into the 3-Years Diploma Course in Handloom Technology from IIHT. Luckily, candidates with a weaving background are given preference. Meena, 20, is one such student who has joined IIHT hoping for a better deal than her parents. On the other hand, there is Arif Jamaal, resident of Sadanand Bazar, who does not want to enter this profession because of rampant exploitation and wants to join NOIDA-based `Amity Business School` and enter the field of education.