Answer:

Pride and Prejudice: The Condition of Handloom Weavers in West BENGAL

Rajesh Bhattacharya 1

and Sarmishtha Sen2

Abstract

In India, the relative importance of the handloom sector, one of the largest employers

following agriculture, has been declining for last few decades. The All India Handloom

Census data for the year 2009-10 however showed a rather MODEST decline in the number of

weavers in West Bengal, in contrast to a 33% decline at the national level in the same year.

But SHARE of handloom INCOME in total household income for the weaver households in the

state has decreased significantly pointing to considerable occupational diversification among

them. Based on a qualitative field study in three districts of West Bengal—namely, Hooghly,

Nadia and Purba Bardhaman—this essay presents findings related to the condition of

handloom weavers in West Bengal and in the light of the findings, examines two issues—

intra-sector and inter-sector mobility of labour as well as weavers’ response to changing

market conditions. The paper argues for a more labour-focused approach in PLACE of currently

dominant tradition-focused understanding of the sector.

Keywords: Handloom, West Bengal, labour mobility, artisanal skill

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