In a controlled fashion from January, the Assam government has decided to give khadi shirt, endi shawl and endi stole to Grade IV male and female workers, as part of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, an official statement said on Friday.
The vibrant motifs of the Northeast, so popular around the world, could soon be lost to future generations, since 89 per cent of the weavers reach retirement age without the skills being learned by anyone from the younger generation. The change would promote local weavers as it would be necessary to knit nearly 80,000 khadi shirts, stoles and shawls in the first step to give government employees a gift.
“Khadi industry is the pride of local industry. Promotion to this industry will amount of endorsing of an ideology of self-reliance and empowerment of every single man and woman”, said the CM of Assam.
In addition to paving the way for Assam to be self-reliant, CM Sarbananda Sonowal said the decision to provide free khadi clothes would be enforced as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and his ‘khadi movement’. He directed Handloom and Ranjit Dutta, the Textile Minister, to ensure that the initiative was enforced. He said the government take initiative for opening new out establishment to sell khadi clothes.
In this regard, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal chaired a meeting in Guwahati to extend the process of giving employees of the state government free khadi clothes. The first section will be implemented from January 2021.