The 800-odd weavers’ families of Belatal village in Mahoba are struggling for survival. “We have not taken full meal in the last three years,” said Rekha Rani, a weaver, whose husband migrated to Gujarat after he did not find work in the village.
“The weavers of Belatal have no land. They spun khadi for the Gandhi Ashram but after its closure in 2001, they are facing a tough time,” said Abhishek Singh, whose NGO Arunoday Sansthan works for the weavers.
“After a long struggle, the Gandhi Ashram was reopened in 2005. Only nine months later, however, it was shut down, as the authorities claimed there was no market for the products,” said Singh.
Every house in the village has a charkha or a handloom, as the weavers are proud of their craft. Yet, they never received due attention. Singh recounted an old incident.
“Once at an exhibition in Delhi, a minister from Mahoba asked the organisers to show him the best khadi. He was shocked to learn that the best piece came from Belatal, a village in his own constituency,” he said.
It also confirms that while weavers of other areas with greater market linkages have captured the markets, Belatal has lagged behind. Tourist spot Khajuraho is only 50 kilometres from Mahoba. “While we have no work here, cloth of inferior quality is sold at a high price of Rs 160 per metre in Khajuraho shops,” said Manni Lal, a weaver.
No wonder, many Belatal weavers have migrated to other areas. Manni Lal , however, did not migrate and has been fighting for the ashram to be reopened. “Nearly 5,000 families in 11 villages were affected by its closure,” he said. If a new opportunity for weaving was introduced in the area, the migrants would surely return, he added.
Such migration has decreased in neighbouring district Banda because of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). Not in Belatal, because while over 160 job cards have been distributed in the village, people are yet to get work. “It took us six months to obtain these cards and now the pradhan says there is no work,” said a villager Beti Bai.
District Magistrate V V Panth said, “Mahoba gives over 37 per cent of the NREGS related employment to women and the district has performed very well.” Denying the official version, Singh said: “As per the scheme, an applicant should get Rs 60 a day as compensation if no employment is given to him within 15 days of filing an application. But none of them have received the money so far.” Singh has also helped the women to write job applications for the scheme.
None of the women have been called to participate in the Bundelkhand plantation drive either. “Four thousand saplings are being given to every gram panchayat to undertake plantation in the area. The NREGS beneficiaries are supposed to do this work, yet the pradhan says there is no employment,” said a social activist.
Silent hope is the last resort for the villagers now. Rekha hopes her husband will soon return from Surat and things will improve for her family of six members.
“After a long struggle, the Gandhi Ashram was reopened in 2005. Only nine months later, however, it was shut down, as the authorities claimed there was no market for the products,” said Singh.
Every house in the village has a charkha or a handloom, as the weavers are proud of their craft. Yet, they never received due attention. Singh recounted an old incident.
“Once at an exhibition in Delhi, a minister from Mahoba asked the organisers to show him the best khadi. He was shocked to learn that the best piece came from Belatal, a village in his own constituency,” he said.
It also confirms that while weavers of other areas with greater market linkages have captured the markets, Belatal has lagged behind. Tourist spot Khajuraho is only 50 kilometres from Mahoba. “While we have no work here, cloth of inferior quality is sold at a high price of Rs 160 per metre in Khajuraho shops,” said Manni Lal, a weaver.
No wonder, many Belatal weavers have migrated to other areas. Manni Lal , however, did not migrate and has been fighting for the ashram to be reopened. “Nearly 5,000 families in 11 villages were affected by its closure,” he said. If a new opportunity for weaving was introduced in the area, the migrants would surely return, he added.
Such migration has decreased in neighbouring district Banda because of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). Not in Belatal, because while over 160 job cards have been distributed in the village, people are yet to get work. “It took us six months to obtain these cards and now the pradhan says there is no work,” said a villager Beti Bai.
District Magistrate V V Panth said, “Mahoba gives over 37 per cent of the NREGS related employment to women and the district has performed very well.” Denying the official version, Singh said: “As per the scheme, an applicant should get Rs 60 a day as compensation if no employment is given to him within 15 days of filing an application. But none of them have received the money so far.” Singh has also helped the women to write job applications for the scheme.
None of the women have been called to participate in the Bundelkhand plantation drive either. “Four thousand saplings are being given to every gram panchayat to undertake plantation in the area. The NREGS beneficiaries are supposed to do this work, yet the pradhan says there is no employment,” said a social activist.
Silent hope is the last resort for the villagers now. Rekha hopes her husband will soon return from Surat and things will improve for her family of six members.
