Demography & Growth Trends
Demography & Growth Trends
During the last century, silk industry of Murshidabad of West Benagl was mainly financed by Mahajans. the farmers, reelers and weavers used to approach the Mahajans who were in the practice of advancing money to them for purchasing raw materials on the condition that the products must he sold only to the mahajans. The farmers, reelers and weavers of silk still face many problems at the time of their produce. The silk merchants advance money to them at their need and they compel them to sell their produce to them at a low rate. The mahajans and middlemen often control the prices of raw materials and finished goods due to lack of organized market in the district. Owing to these difficulties (production, financing and marketing problems), the sericulturists, reelers and weavers of the district often become victims of mahajans and middlemen who deprive them of their selling price or real wages. It is an acute problem of sericulture in the district. Under such circumstances different Silk Co-operative Societies have been formed by the sericulturists / rearers, reelers and weavers of the district to save their interest and to protect themselves from the exploitation of silk merchants and money lenders or mahajans. The different Silk Co-operative Societies are at present financing the beneficiaries in the form of raw materials for rearing, reeling and weaving system of sericulture in the district. The Government and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) have taken initiatives to finance the sericulturists, reelers, weavers and the different silk co-operative societies of the district. The objective of this paper is to discuss the necessity and contribution of the silk co-operative societies to the district of Murshidabad. The Khadi cluster of the area is more than 60 years and has travelled through many ups and downs keeping their main objective as to generate the employments among the rural artisans on uplifting their social, economic and moral in the spirit of co-operation. To the rural population of the region, Khadi forms an essential part of their everyday life. In the beauty and excellence of a variety of handloom products produced by succeeding generations of weavers have reflected the creative urge, aesthetic sense and hopes and aspirations of the people. Handlooms, as rich village industries, were originally being practiced in the region as hereditary occupation. Murshidabad Silk Sarees are known for their excellent craftsmanship.