A silk weaver dries yarn at Champanagar locality in Bhagalpur. Picture by Amit Kumar

The centuries-old grandeur of Bhagalpur silk has virtually lost sheen because of non-adoption of modern technology and export issues.

Known as the silk city of the East, the town still has around 30,000 powerlooms and another 20,000 handlooms with an annual business proposition of Rs 300 crore.

Weavers said the industry had suffered a severe blow during the 1989 riots. “I lost everything in the riot and somehow managed to survive after working as labour in the silk industry. The China-Korea yarn was available at Rs 175-200 per kg just after the riots but today we have to purchase it at Rs 4,500 per kg. Imagine how a poor weaver could continue his venture in the silk industry,” said Mohammad Abdul, a weaver.

Experts also blamed the China-Korea yarn in the aftermath of the riots for the downturn. After the riots, the foreign yarn not only established here but capitalists, moneylenders and mafia had the privilege to establish their monopoly over the silk industry.

Alim Ansari, a local silk exporter, also attacked the governmental for its failure to pass on technological support to the weavers. Silk items from Bhagalpur lag behind the international markets. “The world has changed and weavers in other places have adopted to modern technologies for improvement of their skills as well as their products. Here, the weavers are compelled to carry on with old tradition mainly because of infrastructure bottleneck and lack of sufficient money power.”

Mohammad Hasnain Ansari, president of Abdul Quam Ansari Weavers’ Association, also alleged government apathy for the condition. “In 2010, the state government announced exemption of loan from the weavers. Even former chief minister Nitish Kumar announced in the Boonkar Panchayat here in 2011 to provide Rs 50,000 loan to a weaver as capital but noting has happened so far,” Ansari added.

Pranesh Roy, a young silk entrepreneur, said the central government had recently announced mega cluster for the weavers along with funds for the dying silk industry. “Earlier, many such experiments by parts of the government proved worthless for the weavers,” he added.

Dabashish Benerjee, a social worker at weaver-dominated Champanagar, said the government should immediately develop Boonkar Hat along with provision of loans and exemption of previous loans up to 2010.