40

CHAPTER - III

THE HANDLOOh SECTOR IN WEST BENGAL

 41

The handloom sector was the most important source of

employment after agriculture in Bengal in the eighteenth

century. Handloom weavers were scattered in the rural areas

as well as in the urban centres in almost all the districts

of Bengal. Under the impetus of increased demand from

European trading companies in general, and the East India

Company in particular, weaving of specialised cloths became

more organized in urban centres. In this connection, the

importance of Dhaka may be recalled. Weavers of this place

supplied the English and the European markets with fine

muslins,a specialized type of cotton piece-goods.

Nineteenth Century accounts and later researches

prove conclusively the decline of specialised weaving crafts

in the major urban centres of Bengal in the first half

of the nineteenth century.1 Competition from Lancashire's

mechine-made and cheaper piece-goods, and high protective

and discriminatory tariff against Bengals handlooras had

been considered the principal factors for the declining

demand for Bengal's specialized crafts. The cases of Dhaka

muslin's and Birbhum garhas may be noted in this connection.*

2

1* R.C. Dutt : Economic History of India, Two Volumes.

2. a) D.B. Mitrai Cotton Weavers of Bengal, 1978.

b) R.K. Gupta; The Economic Life of a Bengal District,
Birbhum.
 42

Along with the ruin of Dhaka muslins, the cultivation of

fine quality raw cotton which was grown in Mymensingh

and Dhaka districts for the supply of fine quality yarn

to the weavers was also discontinued.

This view is, however, not accepted by all scholars.

Morris D. Morris argues that import of cheap yarn from

Lancashire had improved the competitive position of the

handloora weavers vis-a-vis Lancashire manufacturers. Secondly,

he claims that per capita consumption of cotton cloth had

increased between 1800 and 1847 and, therefore, the

effective demand for handloom product was on the increase.

Also, Lancashire cloth could not be a substitute for the

types of cloth demanded by the Indians.3

However*, the views of Morris D. Morris are not

accepted by most economic historians. Import of cheap yarn

did increase, but only after the dislocation of the handloom

sector was nearly complete. In consequence of increased

import of yarn since the 1830s, spinners of Bengal had

to give up their work. Morris does not consider this aspect

at all.

There is also little evidence to corroborate that

the skilled weavers, who lost their occupations, found

3. Morris D. Morris : The Growth of Large-Scale Industry

to 1947 in Cambridge Economic History of India, voi-ll,
BP. 668-674, 1964.
 43

employment in other manufacturing occupations.

There is considerable evidence to show that the

weaving industry of Bengal was scattered throughout the

rural areas and smaller urban pockets in the different

districts of Bengal and these weavers continued to produce

goods of a coarser variety which was in demand by the vast

majority of the rural people even when the output of the

bigger centres of handloom production declined. In the

first half of the nineteenth century, Lancashire producers

could not send their cheap products to the remote corners

of the rural areas because of the extreme backwardness

of transport facilities. However, during the second half

of the nineteenth century, there was considerable improvement

in the transport network and rural areas were linked to

the port of Calcutta and Bengal weavers were subjected

to the competition of Lancashire manufactures even in

the case of course varieties.

Simultaneously with the decline of handloom weaving,

there was also a decline of raw cotton production in the

province. In 1892-93, the area under raw cotton in Bengal

was 2,29,000 acres and output in bales of 400 Pound each

was 73,612 bales. In 1904-05, the area declined to 89,000

acres and the output to 25,803 bales. (Source : Estimates

of Area, and Yield of Principal crops in India from 1891-92

 44

to 1904-05, Calcutta, 1905).

The decline in weaving and cotton cultivation was

accompanied by the gradually decreasing importance of spin­

ning activity and the total number of persons engaged in

cotton spinning in West Bengal declined drastically by

the end of the second decade of the twentieth century in Bengal.

For Dhaka, the number of persons engaged in spinning declined

from 5053 in 1872 to 215 in 1921 (Census figures). Other

districts show similar trends with the exception of only

one district, the 24-Parganas.

In the first few decades of the twentieth century,

there was substantial growth of the large-scale cotton

textile industry, producing both yarn and cloth, dealing

a further blow to the handloom sector of the province of

Bengal. The overall decline is reflected by the fact that

in 1951-52, the first year of the First Five Year" Plan,

the number of handlooms in West Bengal was only 11,000.

However, the importance of small and cottage industries

was recognised by thge framers of the Indian Constitution

and Article 43, Part-IV, states that " The State shall

endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation or economic

organisation or in any other way, to all workers, agricultural,

industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage, conditions

of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full enjoyment

 45

of leisure and social and cultural opportunities, and

in particular, the state shall endeavour to promote cottage

industries on an individual or co-operative basis in rural

areas. "

The idea that the handloom sector could play an

important role in producing textile goods and meet a large

part of domestic demand, was generally accepted. It was

also recognised that this sector would need some protection

to regain the historical glory that it had lost. Further,

the export potential of handloom products was recognised

in view of the capacity of handlooms to meet the artistic

demands of the high-income countries.

The handloom industry also received greater attention

* after independence on account of another reason. It was

recognised that the employment protential in agriculture

had reached its saturation point and the potential of growth

of rural industries had not been fully utilised. This

aspect was clearly brought out in different plan documents

in general and in the statement or Industrial Policy in

1977 in particular. This Policy Statement observed: "Along

with khadi the clothing needs of the masses can be progres­

sively met through development of handloom sector, which

provides employment to the bulk of the people engaged in

the production of textiles Government will not permit any
 46

expansion in the weaving capacity in the organised mill

and powerloora sector. In order to provide adequate supply

of yarn for the handloom sector# the government will ensure

that the handloom sector has priority in the allocation

of yarn spun in the organised sector."

An elaborate structure of reservation for handloom

sector has been created by the Government of India to foster

the growth of this sector. At present# the following items

are reserved for production by the handloom sector :

i) Exclusively for handloom sector ;

,*
(a) Piece-dyed dhoties ;

(b) Lungis, sarongs and

(c) Coloured cotton sarees, piece-dyed or yarn dyed;

-w

ii) For handloom and powerloom units having upto four

powerlooras#

(a) Yarn dyed dhoties ;

(b) Chaddars# bed-spreads, bed-covers and counterpanes;

(c) "• Low reed pick cloth;

(d) Table cloth and napkins, other than bleached quality

(e) Sarees other than cotton coloured sarees with borders

exceeding 2\u width or using imitation or real

zari in a zari border;

(f) Dusters ;

(g) Towels in honey-comb weave and

(h) Cloth of plain weave.

Apart from this policy of reservation, the government,

central as well as state, since 1951, has extenaea various

types of support to the handloom sector. As a result, West

Bengal's handloom sector, as those in other states, have

benefited considerably leading to substantial expansion.

Some idea of the expansion of the handloom sector

of West Bengal is provided below.

As has already been mentioned, there were only 11,000

handlooms in the state in 1951-52. In 1956-57 the number

went upto 45,161. It was 70,000 in 1961-62, 1,05,000 in

1965-66 1,43,000 in 1970-71, 1,98,585 in 1975-76, 2,12,000

in 1980-81, 2,69,000 in 1985-86 and 2,98,000 in 1990-91

respectively. The growth in the number of handlooms in

the state, thus, may be considered phenomenal. In 1951-52,

there were only 11,000 handlooms in West Bengal. Forty

years later, the number of handlooms in the state went

upto 2,98,000. Thus, we find a 27-fold increase or an

increase of 2700 per cent in the number of handlooms. The
following table indicates the number of persons employed
 48

in the handloom sector during different years beginning

with 1951-52.

TABLE—IIIA

NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED IN THE HANDLOOM SECTOR IN

WEST BENGAL

Year Number of Persons employed

1951-52 31,000

1956-57 1,78,000

1961-62 2,98,000

1966-67 3,82,000

1971-72 4,46,000

1976-77 4,97,000

1981-82 6,47,000

1986-87 6,50,000

1990-91 6,65,000

SOURCE : Directorate of Handloom and Textiles, Government

of West Bengal.

As regards capital investment in the handloom sector,

a distinction is made between investment in the co­

operative segment and that in the non-cooperative segment.

By combining the investments in these two segments of the

 49

handloom sector in West Bengal, an idea can be obtained

about the total investment. Again, the values are at current

prices are not exactly comparable. It is found that in

1951-52 tne total capital investment was only Rs.385 lakh.

It went up to Rs.738 lakh in 1956-57, to Rs.1104 lakh in

1961-62, to Rs.1467 lakh in 1966-67 to Rs. 1815 lakh in 1971-

72, and to Rs.2255 lakh in 1976-77. In 1981-82 total invest­

ment in the sector was Rs.5693 lakh. It was Rs.7653/- lakh

and Rs.8092/- lakh respectively in 1986-87 and 1989-90.

One remarkable feature coming out from the break up of

the total investment into co-operative and non-cooperative

segments is that in all the years capital investment of

the non-cooperative sector had been greater than that

of the co-operative sector. This demonstrates the continued

predominance of the non-cooperative segment of the handloom

sector despite all attempts at co-operativization.

Similarly, the shares of total handloom output of

the co-operative and non-cooperative segments also indicate

the greater role of the non-cooperative sector. For example,

in 1953-54, total handloom production in metres was about

30 million out of which the share of the non-cooperative

sector was 22.5 million metre (or 75%). Similarly in 1979-80,

of the total output of 270 million metre,the share of the

non-cooperative sector was 180.60 million metre or roughly

66.6 per cent. For the last year covered by the present
 50

stuy (i.e. 1990-91). the total output of the handloom sector

as a whole was about 284 million metre of which 214 million

metre was contributed by the non-cooperative sector. This

represented again a share of about 66.6 per cent or two-

thirds. Thus, we can draw the conclusion that while the

share of the co-operative segment in the early 1950s was

only about 25 per cent or one fourth, by the end of the

1970s, this segment gained and had a share of roughly 33

per cent or one-third. But there was no further gain as

t he division of the total output was about the same in

1990-91, i.e., 66.6 per cent for the non-cooperative segment

and 33.3 per cent for the co-operative segment in West

Bengal (71 milliom metre out of a total of 284 million metre

for co-operative sector).

TABLE—IIIB

Table-IIIB shows the district-wise distribution of handlooms

from 1951-52 to 1990-91. This Table also indictes the spec­

tacular rise in the number of handlooms in all the districts

of West Bengal. A backward district like Purulia had 471

handlooms in 1951-52. The number had gone up to 9448 in

1981-82 and to 15448 in 1990-91. The three most important

districts, i.e., Midnapore, Hooghly and Nadia, present the

same picture. Midnapore had 1724 handlooms in 1951-52. The

 51

number had gone up to 24742 in 1990-91. Similarly for Nadia,

the number of handlooms went up from 1430 in 1951-52 to

23552 in 1990-91 and from 736 to 23544 during the same

period for Hooghly.

Finally, an idea about the major handloom production

centres in the different districts of West Bengal together

with the markets in these respective districts may be

obtained from Table-IIIC.

 DISTRICT-W ISE DISTRIBUTION OF HANDLOOMS IN WEST BENGAL

S I. Name o f th e 1951- 1952- 1953- 1954- 1955- 1956- 1957- 1958- 1959- 1960- 1961- 1962- 1953- 1964- 1965-
No. D is tr ic ts 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966

Howrah 431 522 675 1921 2351 2548 2548 2548 3727 3727 3946 4456 4776 5724 5438

P u ru l ia 471 528 6 53 1 634 1 938 2340 2340 2340 3532 3532 3935 3327 4745 5431 5342

Bankura 659 844 2177 2387 2648 2932 2932 2932 3267 3267 3452 3868 ‘ 4656 5933 6555

M idnapur 1724 2430 2915 3559 4874 5570 5570 5570 6834 6834 7345 7841 8534 9443 1 0634

N adia 1340 1844 2711 3244 4553 5264 5264 5264 6625 662 5 7841 8446 8948 9736 10445

H ooghly 73 6 1633 2485 2750 2952 3445 3445 3445 4543 4543 4733 5335 5742 6653 7437

M aldaha 623 857 980 1454 1747 2018 2018 2018 3346 3346 3778 4475 4947 5764 '644 7
51

C a lc u tta 252 341 463 788 1007 1356 1356 1356 2457 2457 2627 4438 3428 3720 3323

2 4 -P a rg a n a s (N) 710 1420 2379 2669 2865 3238 3238 3238 4438 4438 4624 5454 5847 6561 7343

10. 2 4 -P a rg a n a s (S) 706 971 2273 2577 2781 3047 3047 3047 4351 4351 4537 4938 5668 6543 7235

1 1 . -C o o ch b ih a r 243 330 482 983 1438 1747 1747 1747 2971 2971 3253 2827 3844 3343 3955

12. M urshidabad 668 88 0 997 1 563 1866 2341 2341 2341 3560 3560 3865 4475 4758 5372 5764

13. W est D in a jp u r 402 517 692 1762 1967 2262 2262 2262 3543 3543 3834 4360 4926 5423 5244

14. Burdwan 1200 1 712 2589 2932 3347 3853 3853 3853 4920 4920 5426 5950 7354 8545 8852

15. B ir b h m 514 715 846 1445 1683 1855 1855 1855 2440 2440 2847 4359 3869 4447 5571
S I. Name o f the 1&51 - A■ - - -
No. D is tr ic ts 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 __1 959 __1960__1961__1962__1963_ i 1964__1965__1966_

16. J a lp a ig u ri 184 254 369 797 1243 1300 1300 1300 2548 2548 2737 3057 3533 3735 3 564

17. D a rje e lin g 137 202 314 535 740 45 45 45 1145 1145 1220 1326 1425 1627 1851

51. Name o f the 1 9 6 6 - 1 9 6 7 - 1 9 6 8 - 1 9 6 9 - 1 9 7 0 - 1 9 /1 - 1 9 7 2 - 1 9 7 3 - 1 9 7 4 - 1 9 7 5 - 1 9 7 6 - 1 9 7 7 - 1 9 7 8 - 1 9 7 9 - 1980-

No. D is t r ic t 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981

1. Howrah 5438 6438 6438 7438 7438 7438 8438 8440 8440 9337 '9337 10544 10544 10544 10544

2. P u ru lia 5342 6342 6342 7342 7342 7342 8342 9344 9344 10241 10241 10448 10448 10448 10448

3. Bankura 7555 7555 7555 7555 8555 9555 8555 9557 9557 10554 10554 12562 12562 12562 12562

4. M idnapur 11634 11634 12634 12634 13634 14634 14634 14636 14636 17735 17735 18742 18742 18742 18742
52

5. Nadia 11445 11445 12445 12445 13445 14445 14445 14447 14447 17546 17546 18552 18552 18552 18552

6. Hooghly 8437 8437 9437 9437 10437 11437 11437 11439 11439 17536 17536 18544 18544 18544 18544

7. Maldaha 7447 7447 7447 7447 8447 9447 8447 9449 9449 10446 10446 12454 12454 12454 12454

8. C a lc u tta 3323 4323 6323 5323 5323 5323' 6323 6325 6325 7222 7222 7326 7326 7326 7326

9. 24-Parganas (N) 8343 8343 9343 9343 10343 11343 11343 11345 11345 14443 14443 15450 15450 15450 15450

10. 24-Parganas (5 ) 8235 8235 9235 9235 10235 11235 10235 11237 11237 12234 12234 13242 13242 13242 13242

11. Coochbihar 3955 4955 4955 5955 5955 4955 5955 5957 5957 9854 9854 8958 8958 8958 8958

12. Murshidabad 6764 7764 7764 7764 7764 7764 8764 9766 9766 10663 10663 12871 12871 12871 12871

13. West D in a jp u r 5244 6244 6244 7244 7244 7244 8244 8246 8246 9143 9143 1 0248 10248 1 0248 10248
S I. Name o f the 1966- 1967- 1968- 1969- 1970- 1971- 1972- 1973- 1974- 1975- 1976- 1977- 1978- 1979- 1980-
No. D is tric ts 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981

14. Burdwan 9852 9852 10852 10852 11852 12852 12852 12854 12854 1 7954 1 7954 1 8959 1 8959 18959 18959

15. Birbhum 5571 6571 6571 7571 7571 7571 8571 95573 9573 10470 10470 11678 11678 11678 11678

16. Jalp aig u ri 3564 4564 4564 5564 5564 4564 5564 5564 5564 9460 9460 9565 9565 9565 9565

17. D arjeelin g 1851 1851 1851 1851 1851 1851 1851 1851 1851 3747 3747 3857 3857 3857 3857

51. Name o f the 1981- 1982- 1983- 1984- 1985- 1986- 1987- 1988- 1989- 1990-
1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1 987 1988 1 989 1990 1 991
No. D is tric ts
53

Howrah 18544 19544 19544 205 44 21544 21544 22544 22544 22544 22544

Purulia 9448 10448 11448 12448 13448 13448 14448 14448 15448 15448

13562 14562 15562 16562 17562 17562 18562 18562 19562 19562
Bankura

19742 19742 20742 2 07 42 21742 21742 21742 21742 23742 2l*7l*2

Midrtapu r

Nadia 19552 19552 20552 20552 21552 21552 21552 21552 22552 23552

Hooghly 19544 19544 20544 20544 21544 21544 21544 21544 22544 23544

Maldah' 12454 13454 14454 15454 16454 16454 17454 17454 18454 18454

Calcutta 6326 7326 7326 8326 8326 8326 9326 9326 9326 9326
i ui
1. Name o f the 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984- 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990 -
D is tr ic ts 1982 1983 1984 1 985 1986 1 987 1 988 1 989 1 990 1 991

9. 24-P arganas (N) 16450 17450 18450 18450 19450 19450 19450 19450 20450 21450

10 24-Parganas (S) 14242 15242 16242 17242 18242 18242 19242 19242 20242 21242

11 C oodtibihar 7958 8958 8958 9958 9958 9958 10958 10958 10958 10958

12 Mur shidabad 12871 13871 14871 15871 16871 16871 17871 17871 18871 18871

13 W est D inajpur 9248 10248 10248 11248 11248 11248 12248 12248 12248 12248

14 Burdwan 19959 19959 20959 20959 21959 21959 21959 21959 22959 23959

15 B irbh m 10678 11678 12678 13678 14678 14678 15678 15678 16678 16678

16 J a lp a ig u ri . 7565 . 8565 8565 9565 9565 9565 10565 10565 10565 10565
54

17 D a rjeel ing 2857 3857 3857 ‘ 4857 4857 4857 4857 4857 4857 485 7
 55

A map is also provided to show the concentration of handlooms

in different districts of West Bengal.

 W SHOWINfi. THE DSITRSQWIS
concentration m handumms
m wist Bmmi

•V'.l
jO ^ pfllPfll.qoR't-' '
' • '-LS-N -VC; • .• ;.:.v
use m
NO . OF LOOMS 'v-vs

| | BE 10W 10.000

§g| 10.000-15000

fill 15.000- 30.000

ABOVE - 2.0 000

 56

TABLE—IIIC

HANDLOOM PRODUCTION CENTRES IN WEST BENGAL

Districts Handloom Type of cloth Name of the

Production Produced Inportant
Centres Hat (Market)

NADIA Nabadwip 40s and 60s Nabadwip

Anchal coloured Sari Hat
Janata Sari,
Tangail Sari,
Shirting,
Lungi, Cotton
Chaddar.

Santipur Tangail Sari, Santipur

Anchal Jacquard Sari Hat
& Fulia Dhuti, Shirting

Ashtola 40s and 60s

(Ranaghat) coloured Sari
Janata Sari,
Lungi, Ladies
Scarf

HOOGHLY Rajbalhat Superior coloured Rajbalhat

Sari and Dhuti Hat

Chandannagar Superior Dhuti

Dhaniakhali Superior Coloured Dhaniakhali

Sari and Dhuti Hat

Begampur -Do-

Haripal & Dhuti (Superior

Kaikhali Quality)

Gourhati & Superior Quality

Daspur of Sari and
Dhut i
 57

Districts Handloom Type of Cloth Name of the ■

production Produced Important
Centres Hat (Market)

MIDNAPORE Tamluk-I&II Furnishing Fabrics Radhamoni Hat

Mahisadal Bed Sheet, Bed Cover

Sutahata Sari, Lungi, Gamcha

Mayna Mosquito Net Mahisadal Hat

Panskura

Amarshi Superior Quality of Contai Hat

Dhuti, Bed Sheet,
Bed Cover, Gamcha,
Lungi

Monglamaro

Haridaspur

Mugberia Shirting also Monglamaro

Nimtala Dhuti, Sari,

Bed Sheet

Ramji-Banpur Gamcha, Lungi

Anandapur Dhuti, Silk

Shirting

Bhatta Bafta Shirting

GopaJLpur

MURSHIDABAD Bharatpur Medium Quality

Sari and Dhuti

Kandi Silk than, shirting

Margram,
Tenya

Duliyan 40s Sari, Lungi Duliyan Hat

Aurangabad Aurangabad
J angipur Hat
 58

Districts Handloom Type of Cloth Name of the

Production Produced Important
Centres Hat (Market)

Mirzapur Silk Than, Jangipurhat

Pearapur Sari Sabarhat

Srikantabati Pasam Kambal

Alamshai

Chak IslampurSilk Than

Domkal Medium Dhuti, Domkal Hat

Sari, Gamcha,
Lungi

Beldanga Medium Sari,

Dhuti, Gauze.

2 4—PARGANAS Deganga Medium Sari Deganga Hat

Gamcha, Lungi
Gauze, Bandage

Basirhat Bandipota, Basirhat

Mosquito net

Baduria •a

Swarupnagar
Bhangar
Falta Mosquito net

Dum Dura Medium Sari

(Dakshindari)

Kalyannagar Superior Quality Amtola Hat

Sari '

HOWRAH Udaynarayan Superior Quality Howrah Hat

Pur Dhut i

Amta Dhiti/Garacha
 59

Districts Handloom Type of Cloth Namw of the

Product ion Produced Important
Centres Hat (Market)

BURDWAN Purbasthali Tangail Sari,

Janata Sari
Dhuti

Somudragarh
J amalpur
Kalna
Katwa
Dhatrigrara
Keshabpur Tangail Sari,
Janata Sari
& Dhuti

Bagnapara

BANKURA Bankura Sadar Furnishing Fabrics,

(Rajagrara) Bed Cover, Bed
Sheet, Towel, Gamgha
Onda Lungi, Door screen
ec.

Bishnupur Silk, Tanja Matka

Shirting

Gangajal- Furnishing Fabrics

ghat i bed cover, bed sheet
towel, gamcha,
Tandanga Lungi

Indpur

Tatipara

PURULIA Purulia Gamcha, Lungi Man Bazarhat

Proper Medium Sari
Balarampur
 60

Districts Handloom Type of Cloth Name of the

Production P roduced Important
Centres Hat (Market)

Hura

Jhalda

Raghunathpur Silk Raghunathpur

BIRBHUM Murarli Sari, Lungi, Sainthiahat

Gamgha
Rampurhat Silk

Nalhati

Vishnupur Rampurhat

MALDA Kaliachak Medium Sari, Lungi Kaliachakhat

Sahapur

Englishbazar
* Gazol

COOCHBEHAR Coochbehar Sari (Medium and Baburhat

Superior Quality)
Janata Sari, Gamcha,
Lungi.
Tufangange 60s Sari, Janara Tufangange
Sari

J ALPAIGURI Maynaguri Sari, Gamcha Barobhishahat

Lung i

Aliporeduar Aliporeduar
Hat