Khadi or Khaddar Fabrics | Tradition of Cumilla

The Khadi / Khaddar of cumilla have been known as special and famous since ancient times in the history. This weaving cloth was also exported abroad after met the demand of the country. A professional community was involved in the weaving industry from the beginning. Locally they were called as 'Yogi' or 'Debnath'. During the time of Mahatma Gandhi non-cooperation movement in British India and due to some historical reasons, Khadi industry grew rapidly and gained popularity in the region.

That time, Khadi / Khaddar cloth was made from cotton of Rangamati. There was many Yogi or Debnath families living in Chandina, Devbidwar, Burichang and Cumilla Sadar upazila of the district. When Gandhiji called for the exclusion of foreign textiles, there was a huge response in Comilla area and the production of Khadi cloth increased a lot. The khadi clothes of Comilla were spreading in different parts of the country. These fabrics gained popularity as a brand called Comilla's khadi / Khadi of Cumilla.

The Abhay Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi in Comilla played an important role in promoting the Khadi industry across the India sub-continent. Abhay Ashram was established as a social welfare institute and established as a shelter ground for the practice. When the call for the exclusion of foreign cloth began to cut in large quantities, the yarn was produced a lot using Charka. Abhay Ashram then sold the Charka in local Bazaar and also was making khadi cloths themselves. Khadi cloth that was made in different villages started to be marketed through Abhay Ashram.

History says, an eight hand tall dhoti was sold for only five paisa in the period of 1926-27. At that time, Comilla Abhay Ashram sold khadi clothes more than worth about Taka 9 lac. According to the writings of late Rabindra Sangeet singer, an activist of Abhay Ashram, Parimal Dutt said that even though there was huge demand which was not completely fulfilled from the supply of Abhay Ashram.

Due to the rapid demand for khadi, holes were drilled in the ground beneath the foot-driven paddle of taat boutique machine. The cloth that originates from this hole or alloy was called Khadi. Thus the origin of the name became Khadi. Gradually this cloth gained fame in the name of Khadi or Khaddar.

The golden age of the Khadi industry was after the 1971 independence. Soon there was a crisis. Huge numbers of war-torn taat garments were closed. In order to meet the demand for textiles, there was a lot of pressure on handmade weaving cloth in such an import depended country. Although the production of khadi was not widespread in comparison to the needs of the people of the country. Weavers in the villages around the center of Chandina started making mattresses, curtains and cloths etc.

Before independence, the demand for khadi was as widespread as winter clothing. As a result of the demand for khadi clothing, some of the area's past government owned the yarn as a middleman in plundering the profits by obtaining licenses. Due to the lack of yarn and paint at affordable prices, the actual weavers were forced to change their original occupation at that time. The power loom based textile industry developed in the country in the mid-eighties. As a result, the ultra-varieties of garments produced a lot. Use of polyester, rayon, viscose, acrylic yarn etc increased. Duty-free foreign textiles was importing for export-oriented garments. In this way, the clothes that spread out of the name of Khadi were lost in the extinction alloy.

Although the khadi industry in Comilla is widely spread, this industry was primarily a cottage industry. Rural brides used to cut the charka to produce yarn and sold it to the weavers to earn extra income. The old man who could not work, the adolescent who did not have the opportunity to work as a labor outside, also had the opportunity to earn extra income in the world by cutting cotton yarn using Charka.

The weavers and the Khadi traders urged the government to immediately take measures to protect the industry and feared that it may go extinct otherwise. The weavers and traders have been demanding to keep this traditional cloth alive by injecting funds and training the craftsmen.

Thanks,

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