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  • The Dying Lives of Varanasi Weavers

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    Peoples' Vigilance Committee on Human rights
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    In spite of the flourishing trade, the weaver of the ‘dream’ sarees lives a nightmarish existence of abject poverty. Lohta, a cluster of villages with a significant weaver population is located about 10 kilometers from the city of Varanasi. Many weavers have had to leave the city and move to places like this, as survival in the city was impossible. Things are not better here either. Lali Rajbhar, 65, an unemployed weaver, with his family. His wife and daughters earn a meager living by making incense sticks. Many weavers are being forced to give up this centuries old craft and take up other low paying jobs. Asim Ali, 15, earns less than a dollar a day as a hired laborer in a loom. Lack of education and alternative employment opportunities force children to continue in their fathers’ trade. To reduce cost of production weavers feel compelled to involve their children in various aspects of the work. In the most desperate situations, children can be hired or sold for very little money or against a loan extended to their parents, starting a cycle of bonded labour. The eldest in his family, 12 year old Pattu Ansari does not go to school but learns his father’s trade at a loom, earning 80 cents a week. Pattu Ansari’s mother Rukhsana, spends hours on end laboring to finish an already woven saree for 30 cents a day, while one of her four children, who is malnourished, entertains himself. The exploitation of women as free or cheap labor subsidizes the entire Banarasi saree industry. Women are not considered good enough to sit on the looms but given the most menial jobs. Rukhsana’s youngest child, Imran died a month after this image was taken. He was four months old and acutely malnourished. 50 % of weaver’s children suffer from malnutrition raising questions about the Government’s Integrated Child Development Services program whose objective is to reduce incidence of mortality, morbidity and malnutrition among 0-6 years children. Abdul Kalam, 32, incurred a huge debt to pay for the treatment of his severely malnourished two year old son. Though the child’s condition was reported in the news, no aid was forthcoming. Mohammed Yakub, 35 with his family, sitting on the only piece of furniture they own. His three year old son, Tayammul has cerebral edema and is in extreme pain. He earns 80 cents a day and cannot afford his son’s medical treatment. Tausifa Noor, had been suffering from cerebral edema since birth. Though three years old, she could not walk yet. She died a few weeks after this image was taken. Her parents earn 80 cents a day and could not afford the treatment, which would have cost USD 5000. After Naazra Khatoon’s husband, a weaver, died, the family’s condition deteriorated to such an extent that her 14 year old daughter and 3 year old son succumbed to starvation. The government came to her aid only after the deaths of her children created a furor in 2013. Like others Naseem Akhtar, started weaving since he was a child. Now in his most productive years he is unable to work having contracted tuberculosis, a common ailment amongst the weavers caused due to breathing in fibres and dust from the fabrics they work with. Lohata has 100,000 cases of TB, unusually high even for even for India with an estimated 2.4 million cases. The loom system is partially embedded into the ground and a pit is made for the weaver to keep his legs. The long hours and varying temperature in the pit results in serious damage to the lower part of the body, leading a weaver to remark: “Handlooms today are the graves of living people.”

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    In spite of the flourishing trade, the weaver of the ‘dream’ sarees lives a nightmarish existence of abject poverty. Lohta, a cluster of villages with a significant weaver population is located about 10 kilometers from the city of Varanasi. Many weavers have had to leave the city and move to places like this, as survival in the city was impossible. Things are not better here either. Lali Rajbhar, 65, an unemployed weaver, with his family. His wife and daughters earn a meager living by making incense sticks. Many weavers are being forced to give up this centuries old craft and take up other low paying jobs. Asim Ali, 15, earns less than a dollar a day as a hired laborer in a loom. Lack of education and alternative employment opportunities force children to continue in their fathers’ trade. To reduce cost of production weavers feel compelled to involve their children in various aspects of the work. In the most desperate situations, children can be hired or sold for very little money or against a loan extended to their parents, starting a cycle of bonded labour. The eldest in his family, 12 year old Pattu Ansari does not go to school but learns his father’s trade at a loom, earning 80 cents a week. Pattu Ansari’s mother Rukhsana, spends hours on end laboring to finish an already woven saree for 30 cents a day, while one of her four children, who is malnourished, entertains himself. The exploitation of women as free or cheap labor subsidizes the entire Banarasi saree industry. Women are not considered good enough to sit on the looms but given the most menial jobs. Rukhsana’s youngest child, Imran died a month after this image was taken. He was four months old and acutely malnourished. 50 % of weaver’s children suffer from malnutrition raising questions about the Government’s Integrated Child Development Services program whose objective is to reduce incidence of mortality, morbidity and malnutrition among 0-6 years children. Abdul Kalam, 32, incurred a huge debt to pay for the treatment of his severely malnourished two year old son. Though the child’s condition was reported in the news, no aid was forthcoming. Mohammed Yakub, 35 with his family, sitting on the only piece of furniture they own. His three year old son, Tayammul has cerebral edema and is in extreme pain. He earns 80 cents a day and cannot afford his son’s medical treatment. Tausifa Noor, had been suffering from cerebral edema since birth. Though three years old, she could not walk yet. She died a few weeks after this image was taken. Her parents earn 80 cents a day and could not afford the treatment, which would have cost USD 5000. After Naazra Khatoon’s husband, a weaver, died, the family’s condition deteriorated to such an extent that her 14 year old daughter and 3 year old son succumbed to starvation. The government came to her aid only after the deaths of her children created a furor in 2013. Like others Naseem Akhtar, started weaving since he was a child. Now in his most productive years he is unable to work having contracted tuberculosis, a common ailment amongst the weavers caused due to breathing in fibres and dust from the fabrics they work with. Lohata has 100,000 cases of TB, unusually high even for even for India with an estimated 2.4 million cases. The loom system is partially embedded into the ground and a pit is made for the weaver to keep his legs. The long hours and varying temperature in the pit results in serious damage to the lower part of the body, leading a weaver to remark: “Handlooms today are the graves of living people.”

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    The Dying Lives of Varanasi Weavers

    Uploaded by

    Peoples' Vigilance Committee on Human rights
    In spite of the flourishing trade, the weaver of the ‘dream’ sarees lives a nightmarish existence of abject poverty. Lohta, a cluster of villages with a significant weaver population is located about 10 kilometers from the city of Varanasi. Many weavers have had to leave the city and move to places like this, as survival in the city was impossible. Things are not better here either. Lali Rajbhar, 65, an unemployed weaver, with his family. His wife and daughters earn a meager living by making incense sticks. Many weavers are being forced to give up this centuries old craft and take up other low paying jobs. Asim Ali, 15, earns less than a dollar a day as a hired laborer in a loom. Lack of education and alternative employment opportunities force children to continue in their fathers’ trade. To reduce cost of production weavers feel compelled to involve their children in various aspects of the work. In the most desperate situations, children can be hired or sold for very little money or against a loan extended to their parents, starting a cycle of bonded labour. The eldest in his family, 12 year old Pattu Ansari does not go to school but learns his father’s trade at a loom, earning 80 cents a week. Pattu Ansari’s mother Rukhsana, spends hours on end laboring to finish an already woven saree for 30 cents a day, while one of her four children, who is malnourished, entertains himself. The exploitation of women as free or cheap labor subsidizes the entire Banarasi saree industry. Women are not considered good enough to sit on the looms but given the most menial jobs. Rukhsana’s youngest child, Imran died a month after this image was taken. He was four months old and acutely malnourished. 50 % of weaver’s children suffer from malnutrition raising questions about the Government’s Integrated Child Development Services program whose objective is to reduce incidence of mortality, morbidity and malnutrition among 0-6 years children. Abdul Kalam, 32, incurred a huge debt to pay for the treatment of his severely malnourished two year old son. Though the child’s condition was reported in the news, no aid was forthcoming. Mohammed Yakub, 35 with his family, sitting on the only piece of furniture they own. His three year old son, Tayammul has cerebral edema and is in extreme pain. He earns 80 cents a day and cannot afford his son’s medical treatment. Tausifa Noor, had been suffering from cerebral edema since birth. Though three years old, she could not walk yet. She died a few weeks after this image was taken. Her parents earn 80 cents a day and could not afford the treatment, which would have cost USD 5000. After Naazra Khatoon’s husband, a weaver, died, the family’s condition deteriorated to such an extent that her 14 year old daughter and 3 year old son succumbed to starvation. The government came to her aid only after the deaths of her children created a furor in 2013. Like others Naseem Akhtar, started weaving since he was a child. Now in his most productive years he is unable to work having contracted tuberculosis, a common ailment amongst the weavers caused due to breathing in fibres and dust from the fabrics they work with. Lohata has 100,000 cases of TB, unusually high even for even for India with an estimated 2.4 million cases. The loom system is partially embedded into the ground and a pit is made for the weaver to keep his legs. The long hours and varying temperature in the pit results in serious damage to the lower part of the body, leading a weaver to remark: “Handlooms today are the graves of living people.”

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    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    varanasl, locaLed ln Lhe lndlan sLaLe of uLLar radesh ls Lhe oldesL llvlng clLy ln Lhe world. Llke Lhe resL of
    Lhe world l had seen Lhe colorful lmages ln books and onllne buL never had Lhe opporLunlLy Lo vlslL. l had
    lmaglned lL as a place where arL and crafL Lhrlved, havlng admlred Lhe exqulslLe 8anarasl saree, hand
    made for cenLurles ln varanasl. l flnally dld make Lhe Lrlp Lo varanasl lasL year buL under Lraglc
    clrcumsLances. l sLumbled upon a reporL abouL a woman who losL her husband and Lwo chlldren wlLhln
    a year. 1hese were noL ordlnary occurrences. 1hey had llLerally sLarved Lo deaLh a mere Len kllomeLers
    from varanasl, a Lhrlvlng LourlsL desLlnaLlon ln Lhe largesL democracy ln Lhe world.
    1hls led me Lo Louch base wlLh Lhe auLhors of Lhe reporL, eople's vlgllance CommlLLee for Puman
    8lghLs (vCP8), a noL-for-proflL organlzaLlon based ln varanasl LhaL has been worklng wlLh Lhe pooresL
    and mosL marglnallzed weavers. l learnL LhaL varanasl has losL 80 percenL of lLs sllk weavers, many of
    whom have had Lo leave Lhe clLy and glve up weavlng Lo Lake up oLher low paylng [obs such as pulllng
    rlckshaws or worklng as dally wagers. 1he reasons are complex buL malnly Lo do wlLh rlslng cosL of
    producLlon, falllng demand and a sysLem LhaL has led Lhe weavers and Lhelr famllles belng reduced Lo
    lndenLured labor. WlLh condlLlons rapldly worsenlng weavers have lncreaslngly sLarLed commlLLlng
    sulclde.
    ?eL women and chlldren are Lhe worsL sufferers. Chlldren are denled a chlldhood and Lhe opporLunlLy Lo
    go Lo school as Lhey work long hours ln very Llrlng and unhyglenlc condlLlons Lo help speed up
    producLlon. Women are glven Lhe mosL Laxlng and leasL rewardlng [obs ln Lhe producLlon cycle. PealLh
    care ls lnadequaLe and unaffordable. MalnuLrlLlon affecLs 30 percenL of Lhe weavers' chlldren and
    varanasl has Lhe hlghesL lnfanL morLallLy raLe ln lndla aL 78. 1hls facL was bruLally drlven home Lo me as l
    learnL LhaL Lwo of Lhe chlldren l phoLographed durlng my vlslLs dled soon afLer.
    uue Lo Lhe efforLs of organlzaLlons llke vCP8, Lhe CovernmenL machlnery ls slowly comlng lnLo acLlon
    buL lL appears Lo be a case of Loo llLLle Loo laLe. A loL needs Lo be done urgenLly on a war fooLlng, so LhaL
    Lhe chlldren aL leasL geL a chance Lo llve.
    1hrough Lhese plcLures l wanL Lo brlng Lhe world's aLLenLlon Lo Lhe varanasl LhaL hldes behlnd Lhe
    colorful beauLy LhaL we see ln Lhe ublqulLous lmages of lLs Lemples and ChaLs, ln Lhe hope LhaL
    lnLernaLlonal aLLenLlon wlll reduce Lhe lndlan CovernmenL's apaLhy ln Lhls regard.

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