West Bengal: Low wages drive youth away from traditional silk production despite sales

Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India], March 31 (ANI): The silk weavers in West Bengal have been facing shrink of traditional family businesses as wages have remained very low in recent years despite the growing sales of silk garments, discouraging the youth from taking up the job opportunities in the production.
Dwarka Tantipara Khadi Sanstha member Abhinash Ganai flagged his concerns, saying, "Sales (of silk garments) have improved significantly compared to the past. The current government offers a great deal of support and various facilities. However, the new generation is not interested in this profession because the wages are very low. Whoever forms the government after the elections, they should do something for silk weavers and spinners, because they get low wages, because of which they don't want to work."
Speaking to ANI, Anindya Choudhury, a retailer of silk garments, said that due to the low wages, the young generation is moving elsewhere for work. He urged that the government which will be formed after the Assembly elections must pay close attention towards the upliftment of the silk industry with adequate budget allocation and resources, essentially in the production stages.
"The price of silk has increased significantly compared to the past. Therefore, regardless of which government comes to power following this election, our primary expectation is that, moving forward, they should pay closer attention to the silk industry, specifically concerning the younger generation. The youth are currently not showing much engagement in the traditional craft of hand-weaving and silk production; instead, an increasing number of them are migrating elsewhere to seek employment. This situation poses certain difficulties for us as well. For skilled workers, wage rates have risen somewhat, as have the overall costs of raw materials, specifically the yarn used in production... We hope that the government will pay closer attention to the silk industry in Murshidabad, specifically in the various pockets where production takes place. If the government were to focus its efforts and allocate appropriate budgetary resources to this sector, this industry could thrive once again," he said.
The polling for the 294-member Assembly in West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. (ANI)