Laying stress on the fact that the rudimentary element of the handicraft industry — the artisan — was suffering from poverty, Union Minister for Commerce, Industry and Textiles Anand Sharma, said that banks ought to give them easier access to loans. “Last November, I was in a weaving village near Benaras. The saris were beautiful but the weavers told me that they didn’t make enough to feed their families,” he said ruefully.
“Access to easy credit has to be there for artisans and banks have to be supportive where this is concerned.” Speaking at the inauguration of Kaivalam — a World Crafts Summit, he said that their repayment potential shouldn’t be a concern. “Sometimes they will default, but this is a very small number,” he said.
Sharma said that he was surprised that the same questions were not asked by banks when large amounts of money are given to large corporations.
However, the Cabinet minister quickly clarified that he was not pointing fingers at industrial corporations and said that there ‘needed to be a balance’. “Creating an academy for arts and handicraft is receiving serious thought from our Ministry. I hope with all support this becomes a reality,” he said.Textile Secretary Kiran Dhingra said that of the 6.8 million craftsmen, over 40%, who were women, could be trained in marketing.
The summit has participation from the world over and will continue till October 10. Exhibits from the best merchants are on display at the ITC Grand Chola.
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