The northeast Indian state of Mizoram is all set to use the power of information technology to give boost to its handloom sector. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) government has chalked out an array of measures to help the state's indigenous handloom products to find more markets.
Official sources in Aizawl, capital of Mizoram, told the correspondent that IT would be used in developing diverse and better quality designs of locally made handloom products in much sophisticated ways. The Department of Electronic Accredited Computer Courses (DoEACC) here would impart training to the handloom owners and designers using computer technology at nominal rates.
"We are going to digitise the designs of the handloom products available in the state and try to deliver quality outputs which the buyers deserve," an official of the state industries department says.
Among the seven northeastern states, Mizoram has rich and colourful range of handlooms, which consist of breathtaking display of intricate designs. And on the flip side, the items have immense social significance too. For instance, Puandum is the most important handloom for every Mizo girl who has to take a piece of the cloth when she gets married. Puandum is used to cover her husband's body when he dies. This is an integral part of the Mizo marriage and failure to bring the cloth entails punishment leading to the reduction in the bride price.
Realizing the significance of such products, a steering committee for textile/handloom design using computer-aided design has also recently been formed to discuss steps towards implementing modern production
techniques to the handloom industry. "We will store designs in computers and catalogue them. A project on it will soon be taken up jointly by the DoEACC and Ahmedabad based National Institute of Design," another official mentions.
The craze for handloom garments in Mizoram has taken a beating due to the easy availability of cheap western fashion wares in the state. Clothes from Delhi, Myanmar, Thailand and South Korea are hot favourites here. L. Hmar, a trader in Champhai, a business hub bordering Myanmar, points out, "Local people prefer clothes from outside the border as these are cheap, of very good quality and give the buyers options for choice. Local handloom garments are generally used for traditional ceremonies. We only make good money by selling the handloom products to the foreigners."
Second hand military jackets from Myanmar have replaced traditional hand woven shawls in majority of the cloth stalls at popular shopping places in Aizawl,Champhai, Kolasib, Saiha and Lunglei towns. "Even in
far-flung villages, people like to ware jackets instead of shawls. Being a Christian state, Mizo people follow western way of life. We are going to cash in on this Christmas season," hopes Sadhan Paul, a woollen cloth trader from eastern Indian metropolis of Kolkata.
Despite a sagging market for handlooms, Mizoram is optimistic about the future of this sector. During the current fiscal, the state government will set up several production units for handlooms and handicrafts
which in turn will benefit more than 8,000 unemployed youths in the state. Building of export promotion parks in several key locations are also in the pipeline.
The North Eastern Council (NEC), a nodal agency for funding and implementation of developmental works in the northeast region, has also earmarked Rs. 1 crore for the development of IT in the state.
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