• Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura 

Tripura’s Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma on Thursday asked the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) officials to develop the state’s handloom segment by holding a research in expanding its market to the national arena.

While addressing an inaugural programme on ‘National Handloom Day’ organized by NABARD, Tripura Chapter at the premises of Purbasha Urban Haat here in Agartala city on Thursday morning, Dev Varma said “Tripura’s handloom future is receiving immense response like other sectors in the state but it is lagging the attention of the national market. In India, as the handloom materials is having a good hold, it is expected that Tripura’s handloom will also get good response in the national market.”

Citing the significance of state’s handloom, he said “The women of indigenous belt are good in weaving various traditional clothes as per ethnic styles. But the significant handloom products of the Bengali-speaking people failed to grab the attention as the response has been grabbed by the Odisha and West Bengal. The resources and skills are much more higher than any other state in this country. But due to the inefficient role of the previous government, no positive steps were initiated to market the handloom products of our state”, he claimed.

“After the formation of BJP-led coalition government in Tripura in 2018, the traditional ‘Risha’ of indigenous people were well accustomed by the other states of India. Now ‘Risha’ is the face of Tripura, Mysore silk in Karnataka, cloths or saree are also famous in Odisha, and Moga is famous in Assam”, he added.

Dev Varma said “As Handloom is a vast sector and Tripura’s handloom need to be organized from unorganized sector. Hence, I am asking the NABARD’s General Manager to hold a research for marketing state’s handloom products in the national markets. Tripura has abundance of cotoon and silk, but we failed to take it to take the national market. Hence, I am requesting the NABARD for preparing a team and visualize development of handloom sector of Tripura”, he added.

GM of NABARD, Loken Das highlighted the role of NABARD in the development of Handloom sector in Tripura and initiative taken by NABARD such as supporting GI tagging, Rural Haat and Rural mart for the artisans.

An exhibition cum sale of the products of Weavers and artisans organised of different districts of Tripura from 11 August to 14 August along with celebration of National Handloom Day for helping marketing of the handloom products. NABARD is supporting GI registration of Tripura’s rich Handloom products viz. Tripura Yaak Risha, Tripura Pachra, etc.