A Research Paper to Identify the Potential Cause of Declining Handloom Sarees and also to Indicate Opportunities for Revival: A Case Study of Handloom Tant Sarees of Begampur, Hooghly District

Ethnic India is renowned customs among all other countries in the world. This customs are derived from dynamic cultures of the citizens of the nation. If it is considered that livelihood acts as factor for determining culture, then handloom/ weaving has direct bearing for setting up culture of a particular community. A group of artisans of Begampur area, Hooghly district of West Bengal crafts handloom tantsarees which becomes a generation wise customary since ancestral days. However, this craftsmanship is in danger due to various reasons. The aim of this paper is to indicate the various causes of endangering this craft and also to suggest possible means of revival. The entire production process of handloom sarees is itself endangering the present market. Enduring problem of earning low profit results non availability of working capital. The same in turn makes the artisans unable to purchase raw material for producing these products. The same inconvenient has introduced “Mahajan” in the chain of the production. Basically good quality raw materials are found outside of West Bengal only. The “Mahajan” imports raw material and provides to the artisans. In return “Mahajan” receives finished goods i.e., Handloom sarees and only labour charges are paid to the artisans. This process of portraying reduced remuneration to the artisans becomes an indicative factor for making artisans refrained from this system which in turn declining the market of subject product gradually. Moreover, this indirect market facility has become consistent system for marketing the subject goods. Advertisement/sales promotions are not even catered for marketing these goods which results unawareness of the consumers from various places. This unawareness is also an indicative factor for declining the market. This paper is based on primary data collected from artisans, through face to face interview by the researcher and also SWOT analysis carried out for identifying weaknesses for declining the market. The primary data collected are subjected to statistical “Z” analysis for testing hypotheses and moreover deriving conclusion at the end of the study.