I CENSUS OF INDIA 1981 Series - 7 HIMACHAL PRADESH Part - X 0 HANDICRAFT SURVEY REPORT - ART OF SPINNING AND WEAVING Draft D N Sharma Assistant Director S K Bhandari Investigator K C Sun Deputy Director of Census Operations, Himachal Pradesh CONTENTS Pages FOREWORD III-IV PREFACE V-VII ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IX MAP CHAPTER I History of ongln and development of the craft 1-14 CHAPTER II Craftsmen In their rural setting 15-38 CHAPTER III Process of learning 39-44 CHAPTER IV Manufacturing processes 45-66 CHAPTER V Marketing 67-72 CHAPTER VI Craft and employment 73-79 CHAPTER V!! Conc!uslon 80-86 APPENDIX I Tables based on households of craftsman engaged In the craft 87-204 APPENDIX II Tables based on households of craftsman not practising the craft 205-236 APPENDIX III Dlstnctwlse Location of vanous Institutions 237-240 Sketches 241-256 FOREWORD The Indian handicrafts are known the world over for their nch vanety, grace, elegance and skilled craftmanshlp Nevertheless, a number of handicrafts because of their stiff competition with factory made products, non-availability of raw matenals, exorbitant Increase In the manufacturing cost, lack of proper marketing facIlities for finished products or due to a variety of other reasons have either become extinct or have reached the mOribund stage After Independence, however, a number of schemes were Introduced by different government agencies for their growth and development but stili this sudden Impetus have helped only a few crafts to flourish and thereby become spinners of foreign exchange for the country Despite the unique position being enjoyed by the handicrafts especially In the realm of national economy, the general awareness among the people In the country about our crafts and craftsmen had been deplorably poor Nothing was practically known about the commodities produced, techniques employed for the manufacture of different objects, raw matenals used, their availability, methods adopted for the sale of finished products etc An attempt was, therefore. made In connection With the 1961 Census to study about 150 crafts from different parts of the country With a view to provide baSIC Information on those crafts which were selected for the study At the 1971 Census, the study on handicrafts was not taken up but thiS was again revived In connection with the 1981 Census There has been, however, some difference between the studies taken up In connection With the Censuses of 1961 and 1981 While the 1961 studies have covered both rural and urban crafts, the 1981 studies have focussed their attention on traditional rural based crafts That apart, the 1981 studies besides touching upon those aspects which were covered under the 1961 senes, have laid emphaSIS on matters that are vital for the revival of rural crafts and thereby for the rejuvenation of the economy of the region particularly the villages ThiS IS In consonance With the policy of the government to give due Importance to the rural sector With focus on employment Intensive strategy of development In which next to agriculture, the small scale industries and handicrafts playa significant role The formats required for undertaking the study were formulated by Dr K P Ittaman under the able gUidance of Dr N G Nag, then the Deputy Registrar General, SOCial Studies DiviSIon. Dr. Ittaman who succeeded Dr. Nag as Deputy Registrar General, SOCial Studies DiVISion co-ordlnated the study undertaken In different States/Union Terntones by the Directorates of Census Operations The reports received from the Directorates were examined by Shn M K Jain, Senior Research Officer With the help of Smt. Suman Parashar, ASSistant Director of Census Operations and Shn R P. Naula, Investigator I am grateful to all of them for organising thiS study (III) (IV) The present report IS the outcome of the study undertaken on Art of Weaving, by the Directorate of Census Operations, Himachal Pradesh I have Immense pleasure In acknowledging the services rendered by Shn K C Sun, Deputy Director and his colleagues in the Census Directorate for bnnglng out this publication New Deihl V S VERMA the 1st June,1988 REGISTRAR GENERAL, INDIA PREFACE As In prevIous censuses It was decided by the Registrar General, India to conduct studies of selected towns and villages as well as Important crafts dUring the Intercensal period of 1981 census As a part of this programme, It was decided to conduct the craft survey relating to "weaving and spinning" In Himachal Pradesh This Industry has got a large potential for expansion due to the availability of raw material, market as well as the aptitude of the people who can devote towards this craft It was also decided that the field enquiry should be conducted through the agency of this directorate and the relevant data obtained from the government agencies like Handicraft and Handloom Corporation, Khadl & Village Industries Board and the Industries Department should be supplemented Elaborate schedules both In respect of village as well as households engaged In the craft formulated by the office of the Registrar General, India were adopted to be canvassed The art of weaving was first studied by the Directorate of Census Operations, Himachal Pradesh as an ancillary to 1961 Census and the report was brought out In the year 1966 The field work was confined to the then JUriSdiction of the State As a result of reorganisation of the composite Punjab, the areas of Shlmla, Kangra, Lahul & SPltl and Kullu districts and Nalagarh tahSil of Ambala diStriCt, Una tahSil of Hoshlarpur dlstnct & DalhOUSie area of Gurdaspur district got merged In Himachal Pradesh on 1st November, 1966 The present survey was, therefore, conducted In order to assess the POSition prevailing In the merged areas of the State The weaving craft IS being practised almost In each and every Village of these areas to meet the local requirements of the people However, With the Implementation of the various development programmes by the Central and State Govts and other sponsored agencies, the Institutions functioning In the State are primarily concerned In Imparting training to the local people and are engaged In their rehabilitation and also making efforts In populanzlng the craft Efforts were made to select Villages haVing maximum concentration of weavers In the districts of Una, Hamlrpur, Kangra, Kullu and Lahul & SPltl For thiS purpose Manager, District Industrial Centres, - Himachal Pradesh Handicraft and Handloom Corporation, Himachal Pradesh Khadl & Village Industries Board were consulted before finalising the list of Villages Of the above mentioned five diStriCtS, there IS no concentration of weavers In Hamlrpur and Lahul & SPltl dlstncts Thus, two Villages from Kullu diStrict, one each from Una and Kangra dlstncts were taken up for canvassing the schedules The field work which was started In December, 1985 was completed In October, 1986 The questionnaire was deSigned pnmarlly to obtain a VIvid picture of the artisan himself/herself, his/her craft In his/her social and economic setting, the extent to which traditions bound him/her and the Winds of change which have ruffled him/her, the extent of mobility and Immobility, the conditions of markets, credit, new contacts and deSigns In which he/she operated the frame of the craft and how far he/she was ready to pierce his/her own caste-tribe-SOClo-economlc cocoon and make a break­ through by the opportunities afforded and promised by the various government (v) (VI) sponsored schemes The aim was to hold up the mirror to the hereditary skills struggling with the dialectics of traditions and change The village schedule sought to take account of the size of population of the village, ItS remoteness from or proximity to the centres of trade and commerce which shows the degree of Isolation in which the artisans work, and relative strength of various communities In the village which would afford clues to social Interdependence of the prevalence of "JaJmanl" system The area of the village alongwlth ItS demographic details covering castes and communities alongwlth the religion, mother tongue of the inhabitants and the total population with their traditional occupation give the p~cture of the village relating to demographic and economic characteristics of the village An attempt has also been made to collect data for the vllla{;je as a whole regarding history & origin and the development of the craft In the Village. The Information relating to the various agencies like Co-operative Societies, Khadl & Village Industries Board, Handloom Textile Corporation has also been collected with a view to gauge the Impact of their activities on the development of the crafts In the Village There are questions on the raw material used, the means of their procurement, the possible extent of dependence on others for material, the limits of their skill There were many other questions on the exchange and flow of the designs, the use of colours, the ancientness of the craft and legends aSSOCiated, colonization of the craftsmen on patrons and customers and their economic contact with the world In and outSide the Village There were specific questions on the availability of Improved tools and Implements, training faCIlities and their social and economic status In the society which were adopted to make the study not only comprehenSive and exhaustive but also realistic and educative I am deeply Indebted to Shrl V S Verma, I AS, Registrar General and Census CommiSSioner India who Inspired us to bring out thiS report Without his active gUidance and encouragement, the report would not have seen light of the day My thanks are also due to Dr K P Ittaman, Deputy Registrar General, India and the staff of the Social Studies DIVISion of the office of the Registrar General, India, who co­ operated With us whole heartedly In carrying out field Investigation and write-up of the report I am also deeply.