PM likens handloom to mother’s love

Prime Minister Narendra Modi likened the production of handloom products to the manner in which food is served by mothers “with love and affection.” About 80 per cent of the space in a weaver's house was occupied by  handlooms while the family used only the remaining portion for living. It took at least five months to weave a sari. The family wove the sari like a mother nurturing her child. 

 

The finished sari is taken to the market like the way a girl is married off to a boy, he pointed out. And a weaver's family could identify the saree it made even after several years, he added.

 

“Whenever I think of khadi and handloom, I feel the same satisfaction as eating something my mother has prepared for me with love and not like eating in a five star or seven star hotel,” he added. 

He said the government has announced creation of MUDRA bank for the micro small and medium enterprises with a corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore and a credit guarantee corpus of Rs. 3,000 crore as part of an endeavour to give 60 per cent of this credit as loans of up to Rs 50,000.

 

“Normally, important functions are held in Delhi. Breaking the tradition by inaugurating it here, I have brought Delhi to Chennai and I am happy,” Mr. Modi said in his address emphasising on holding events of national importance in other places rather than just New Delhi. “We have a habit of doing it in Delhi. I try to have the government outside Delhi. The whole Delhi government is in Tamil Nadu,” he explained.

 

The income of the weavers would be directly transferred to their bank accounts to prevent middle men from taking advantage. Also three new social security schemes have been initiated for the benefit of the unorganised sector.

 

While receiving awards from the Prime Minister, several weavers presented him shawls and a patient Modi received them with a smile. While he went round the special exhibition at Senate Hall of the Madras University after inaugurating it, Modi was fascinated with a dhari containing the image of the Mahatma with the Tricolour glowing resplendently on India map. 

 

Mr. Modi shook hands with the master craftsman Palanisamy and lauded him for his unique work. Hailing from Coimbatore, Palanisamy created the hanging with a jacquard design.