Patna, Sept. 24: Khadi made in Bihar today got a logo and a bar-coding system, with chief minister Nitish Kumar promising to brand it as Bihar's khadi and promoting it at the national- and international-level.
He added that a khadi policy was being drawn up for overall development of the sector.
"We want to brand khadi of our state as Bihar's khadi. We want to give it an identity in the country. Only pure khadi will have a logo and bar-coding, which will help in the national and international markets. Only pure khadi will get this. Our intention is to promote it in a manner to attract people," Nitish said.
He spoke about prohibition in the state and added that charkhas could be given to those who were previously engaged in liquor trade so that they can now spin khadi thread for theirlivelihood.
He said: "The khadi policy will help in the development of the sector. Those who spin khadi thread and cloth should ensure purity and quality. The cloth should be durable so that even those with average income are able to wear it without complaints."
The old-style khadi cloth will not be attractive to the youths, said Nitish. So, he suggested that new designs be developed to cater to their taste. Nitish added: "We have entered into an agreement with National Institute of Fashion Technology for this purpose."
The chief minister was speaking to khadi weavers at a function organised by the industries department on National Charkha Day today. The day marks the establishment of Akhil Bharatiya Charkha Sangh by Mahatma Gandhi in Patna on September 24, 1924. It was formed with an aim to utilise charkha (spinning wheel) as an economic tool to strengthen rural economy.
Gandhi Sangrahalya secretary Razi Ahmad, industries minister Jai Narayan Singh and principal secretary S. Siddharth, Khadi and Village Industries Commission director S.K. Gupta and several others were present on the occasion.
"Khadi was a part of our freedom struggle and was a symbol of self-dependence at a time when there was a scarcity of cloth in the country. It slowly became like a ritual with the majority of people unaware about its legacy. We want to change this by making it popular to our young generation," Nitish said.
He added that the khadi industry had suffered a setback after the boom of textile industry in the country. "If the demand for khadi grows, it will generate more employment at the lower-level," said Nitish. He initiated the distribution of 1,000 Tripurari model charkha to five women weavers.
Tripurari Sharan, a Gandhian and a close associate of Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan, developed this prototype of charkha. He resided at Sarvodaya Ashram at Shekho Deora in Nalanda district, and was also called khadi purush (man) for his lifelong efforts to promote khadi. This model could be used to make various types of threads.
Nitish laid the foundation stone for the new building of Khadi Gramodyog Board in Patna, which will be built at Rs 17 crore, and launched the Rs 7-crore renovation work of the khadi showroom. He added that the daily remuneration of weavers should be at least Rs 150 to Rs 200 to attract more people to the work.
Nitish asked the weavers to keep their morale high and help the industry become independent, as the government was ready to help but not forever. The promotion will coincide with the centenary of Gandhi's Champaran Satyagraha and Guru Gobind Singh's 350th birth anniversary.
Speaking on the occasion, Gandhian Razi Ahmad said the Khadi Gramodyog Board was sick and should be strengthened, the employment concerns of those working in it should be addressed and it should be ensured that they do not have to run from door to door for salary.
The chief minister, replying on issues raised by Razi, said government officials ran the board and search was on for an expert to head it. He also requested the noted Gandhian to suggest names for the job.
