Garag khadi centre is on the verge of closure

Source: Times of India

HUBLI: Garag Kshetriya Seva Sangh in Garag, which has been making national flags using khadi since 1980-81, is on the verge of closure. Lack of support and lackadaisical attitude of Khadi Commission to give impetus to khadi have dealt a blow to the centre, which once caught the attention of the entire country by weaving khadi flags as per ISI specifications.

With most of the charakas (spinning wheels) here stopping, nine of the 10 sub-centres have also shut down, forcing the weavers to do other odd jobs.

Freedom fighter S L Kurtkoti and Gandhian S M Karadigudda had set up the Sangh at Garag, 38 km from Hubli, after being inspired by the Gandhian thoughts in 1957. It started weaving khadi cloth, usually made from Jaidhar cotton, for the Tricolor from 1981 as per the specifications mentioned in the Constitution: one decimetre of cloth must have 175 threads along the warp (length) and 165 threads for the weft (width); and its weight per square metre should be approximately 205 grams.

Garag was abuzz with weaving flags throughout the year. Over 1,000 weavers' families from villages surrounding Garag like Tadakod, Madanbhavi, Alnavar, Mummigatti, Mugali, Kotur and Tergaon worked at the centre till a few years ago. But the action is missing now.

Till 2003, it was supplying flag clothes to Mumbai Khadi Gramodyog in Borivili West for bleaching, dying, cutting into colour panel and stitching as flags. But after 2003, the Garag centre ventured into manufacturing flags as well. It also inspired film-makers to make movies on patriotism. Director S Narayan, one such film-maker, produced `Veerappa Nayaka' with Vishnuvardhan in the lead.

Speaking to `The Times of India', Sangh secretary S V Davande said: "Today, most of the charakas here have stopped spinning. Nine of the 10 sub-centres have shut down. The main unit in Garag now weaves khadi. Only 50-60 weavers, mostly women, work here."

"We are waiting for payment of Rs 30 lakh, which is due from buyers, mainly the Khadi Commission. The commission is yet to clear a bill of Rs 18 lakh. But the commission has completely ignored the centre's contribution. It is not releasing payments promptly. The government should provide some grants to the centre to keep it alive. Otherwise, we will have to shut it down," he added.