Shimla, Jan 7: A handloom enterprise by women residents of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh has become a beacon of hope for many fellow villagers. The initiative has become a talking point in the region with many taking inspiration from it.
Hiramani from Thamlah village is a housewife, who turns her hands on ‘khaddi’ in her spare time after household chores. By converting this hobby into a skill, she not only improved her life but inspired many others to attain self-reliance.
The government has come forward in supporting the women in this initiative. Under the scheme, women of Syanj area are writing success stories and weaving dreams of their golden future. Hiramani, speaking to IANS, said that she had been doing ‘khaddi’ work at home for almost two decades.
After meeting Himachal Pradesh Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation officials, she thought of expanding it. For this, she rented a shop in Syanj Bazaar and started work. She was appointed as a master trainer by GAM and trained 8 women from the village in handloom making.
In return, she received a monthly salary of Rs 7,500. An amount of Rs 2,400 per month also given to the trainee women. Today, she and her team are producing Kinnauri and Kullu-style shawls and mufflers.
They are making an earning of about Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per month. Hiramani expressed her gratitude to the state government for launching effective schemes for empowerment of women and the promotion of handloom businesses.
Bhupendra Kumari of Syanj village, hailing from a poor family, also started working on the ‘Khaddi’ after taking inspiration from Hiramani. She completed her schooling in 2023 and then started working as a carpenter while living at home.
Today, she is making shawls and mufflers and drawing an income up to about Rs 10,000 a month. Neelam, another resident of Syanj village tried her luck in the handloom and found success. She left studies and started ‘Khaddi’ work as a hobby. In August 2023, she participated in a training program and was allotted a kit and an incentive amount of Rs 2,400 every month.
She is making shawls and mufflers and earning an extra income of Rs 8,000 to 10,000 per month. Akshay Singh, the district market in-charge and assistant manager of Machal Pradesh Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation told IANS that the state government has organised many short-term training programmes to promote the handloom business.
Recently, more than 90 people were given one year training in handloom weaving in district Mandi and an amount of more than Rs 30 lakh was also provided.
IANS