A seven-day Banarasi saree display is currently being held at the Shilpakala Academy art gallery. The choice of the venue — generally reserved for painting show — itself is a proof of an elevated recognition accorded to this until-recently-neglected traditional cottage industrial product. Not that the artisans have suddenly learnt some special skills and added a new-found magical touch to their craft. They have, on the other hand, perfected the skill through generations and are bringing out an array of fine-textured sarees with beautiful — albeit complicated — stitch works. What was conspicuous by its absence in the sector was the concerned authority's patronage.

In the clamorous call for industrialisation and modernisation, the traditional productive sectors with tremendous potentials have been either deliberately ignored or allowed to disappear out of the focus. But with a most envious record to their credit, the weavers are sure to recover from the crisis. Signs are clear that at least for some of them shiny days are ahead. The local handloom industry as a whole may not be equally lucky and this is because q/ the wrong policies followed by governments for years together. But the reality is that the indigenous handlooms still contribute as much as 70 crore metres of clothes to the total requirement of 120 crore metres.

As for the 991 weaver families producing Banarasi things now seem to be looking good. A Banarasi village of 900 plots on 42 acres of land has been planned and the weavers will be given allotment there from next December. Reduction of duties on a number of raw materials required for Banarasi production and exhibitions of these sarees planned to be held in at least five African countries soon show a growing interest of the government in this area. The recent Banarasi exhibition in Calcutta has proved to be a crowning success and this plight nave provided the added impetus for the commodity's promotion abroad.

Along with Banarasi, Jamdani and Tangail varieties have a bright future. They have proved their competitiveness by virtue of their superior quality and cheaper production costs compared with Indian sarees — our main competitor. So there is a good prospect for some weavers to turn around and capture the market — both local and foreign. In today's competitive world no product can survive without the dual virtues of competitiveness and promotional activity. The weavers have done their part and now is the turn for the government to make, their good work known all across the globe.