Zakir Azad, Cumilla

The original khadi made on the looms of Cumilla is now on the verge of extinction Although the demand for Cumilla 's khadi has increased due to its fame, the original khadi made on handlooms is now on the way to extinction.

There were once thousands of weavers involved in the supply of Khadi cloth in the greater Cumilla region, but now there are only 8 weavers in total. Researchers say that there is always a demand for loom genuine khadi, but government patronage is needed to bring back loom khadi, which has almost disappeared due to lack of raw materials.

In the last generation skilled weavers who have survived have been trained and conserved and believe that khadi can be transitioned more easily than muslin. Khadi cloth woven from Debidwar, Chandina and Muradnagar upazilas of Cumilla district once gained a reputation throughout India including undivided India. The value of Cumilla Khadi as a Bangladeshi clothing brand has not decreased yet.

However, with the passage of time, the original khadi made by handloom or ha-loom khadi is now extinct. Two of the last generation, a weaver and a weaver, met in Bara Kamta village of Debidwar upazila in Cumilla . The original and original khadi artisans of Cumilla are Chintaharan Debnath and Ranjit Debnath of Devidwar Barkamata village.

They are involved in making Khadi yarn and cloth since 70s. They claimed that these two men in their 70s are brothers and that it was through this group that the khadi weavers spread in various areas including Cumilla -Brahmanbaria. These weavers of original khadi say that once thousands of looms in this region supplied khadi cloth to the entire country. Due to lack of cotton and skilled artisans, there are no looms anymore. After machine-made khadi, everyone is satisfied with the taste of milk. Chintaharan Debnath said machine made khadi and loom khadi look similar but the quality is very different.

Those who know real khadi find it and buy it. Cumilla s khadi looms were honored by looms, and now the looms are extinct. Real Khadi is available in three shops in Cumilla . That too in a very small amount. Now there are no looms to weave khadi. He said, once there were thousands of weavers in Kumilladebidwar Chandina Muradnagar area. Thousands of women earned income by spinning khadi yarn. The family was well fed. Khadi clothes were exported from Cumilla, a prosperous merchant of khadi, to all over the country and also to different countries of the world. And now it will be difficult to find a few looms in the upazila. Ranjit Debnath had 8 looms in his loom room.

All but one are closed. As a hobby, he weaves two pieces of yarn. He said while sitting on the loom, the generation of Khadi is almost at its end. If steps are not taken now to transition Khadi, original Khadi spinning and weaving will be lost. Only if cotton is supplied and the wages of the spinners can be subsidized, the tide will come again for the original khadi.

There is a demand for looms even though they are expensive. If necessary, it is possible to increase the price of this cloth by selling it at a higher price. But khadi says selling machine-made cloth is cheating. Ranjit Debnath claims that Khadi is only a cloth of Cumilla region. Khadi is a part of the professional culture of cloth making that the people of this region have developed since the earliest times. It flourished during Mahatma Gandhi's Swadeshi movement.

There is a difference in weave between Cumilla Khadi and Indian Khadi. Khadi of Cumilla is only of Cumilla. Genuine handmade khadi is available in a few shops in Cumilla including Pure Khaddar Bhandar, Khadi Bhawan, Khadi Bhushan. These khadi fabrics are as unique as they are expensive. Still, the demand for genuine loom khadi is more than that of machine khadi, according to sophisticated khadi buyers and shopkeepers.

Historians of Cumilla say that the khadi of Cumilla looms in the Indian subcontinent is a basic product of the region, which is famous all over the world. Khadi, like muslin, needs to be restored as a tradition. Historian Ahsanul Kabir said, Khadi is not only a cloth or a dress - it is also an impeccable document of love for the country. Evidence that Cumilla region was a prosperous town long ago.

If the government wants to take up project-based development programs like muslin, it can bring about the transition of khadi. Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Mushfiqur Rahman said, the restoration of the original Khadi cloth of Cumilla will be seriously reported to the Ministry of Jute and Textiles. Besides, application for GI recognition of Khadir Geographical Entity in Cumilla is under process.

In 1920, Mahatma Gandhi's Swadeshi movement called for the boycott of foreign products, and Khadi cloth became widely known. However, according to the researchers, since the 17th century, the people of the present Cumilla region, a part of Tripura, used to meet their needs by making khadi cloth.