Wednesday, October 22, 2008



TAMIL WEAVER NEEDS OUR SUPPORT

Bobby Pugh of The Hemp Shop emailed me a story about an award winning Indian weaver who is in trouble. Despite his being in the Guinness Book of Records for using the most number of natural fibres in a single woven yarn, the crippling economic times have gotten to him too, and he is under threat of eviction. His creations have included hemp, jute, viscose, banana, bamboo, pineapple, mesta, waterweeds, hessian, sisal and linen. Glad to see cotton is not on that list!

C Sekhar is his name. He is President of the Anakaputhur Jute Weavers' Association. Times are hard in his profession, recently six suicides have created a mood of despair. We can help him out! But as usual, lots of talk and no action - as he notes: "I have met big names, but could never benefit from their promises, which remain unfulfilled."

Next year is the Year of Natural Fibres. In anticipation of it, let's extend our hand to this man and get him back in the chips. It is people like him with experience we need to support, not idle dopers and trendy eco-wanna-bes who make lots of money exploiting cotton.

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