Even as he converts waste threads into rugs that adorn the houses of the rich, Haji Qamru-u-deen fights a daily battle to make ends meet
At sixty- five, Haji Qamru-u-deen should probably be thinking of retirement. But that thought has probably never crossed his mind.
His Galib Handloom & Handicrafts may look like any of a million other small weaving establishments across the country, but the products are not what normally come from a regular weaver. His family had been weaving for about fifty years, but about 12 years ago, Qamru-u-deen decided that he had to do something that would set him apart from the million others who make their living out of weaving.
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And what did Qamru-u-deen do? He started using waste threads from textile mills as his raw material! With factory wastes purchased for as little as Rs 50 a kilogram, Haji weaves doormats, seat covers, bed sheets, curtains and rugs. "Sometimes a particular material is not enough to make a whole piece, in which case we combine two different designs that complement each other,” he says. His work is not only unique in terms of style, but also extremely soft and good for daily use and that can be hand washed. The price of his products ranges from Rs 15 to Rs 500. “I know I have no competitors; in Delhi at least” he claims confidently.
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Qamru-u-deen has several workshops close to his house in Rajiv Nagar, where he has about 25 workers assisting him. Most of them are young women, providing helping hands for their families or even widows trying to sustain a livelihood on their own. Training for these workers lasts for about 15 days to a month. “I pay them on a weekly basis, Depending on the amount of work they do” says Qamru-u-deen. “On an average, it comes to about Rs 3,000 a month per worker." Besides the workers, his family of five, including his wife, a daughter and a son, and even his grand daughter assist him. Qamru-u-deen’s products are bought by wholesalers who then sell it in places like the famous Chandni Chowk. Quite a few times, he has even had foreigners doing business with him. The only time Qamru-u-deen deals with customers directly is when he comes to exhibitions like the India International Trade Fair.
One would think that having to spend so little on raw material and having a unique product would ensure a very profitable business for Qamru-u-deen. However, having a unique concept is just not enough. “Those who buy my pieces calculate every single penny I might have spent on the piece, and eventually only end up paying for the raw material and the labor I put in. After paying the workers, I am barely left with Rs 5,000 a month to run a family of five,” he says. If that was not bad enough, when Qamru-u-deen does interact directly with customers, he sometimes experiences losses. “I had set up a stall in Dilli Haat last month, which didn’t prove to be profitable at all. I got a stall right in the back, where people easily missed it. I only ended up selling pieces worth Rs 20,000, from which Rs 10,000 had to go just as payment for the stall. I had to pay for food and transport separately. His experience has apparently been similar at IITF this month. “because again, I have been given a stall that is towards the inside, where people hardly come.”
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Ask him, what has limited him from expanding his business, and he smiles a wistful smile. “Who doesn’t want to be more successful? Like others, I also wish I had my own showroom but lack resources to set up one. Many a times, I cannot even avail of loans, because of the criteria they have set. I was denied a loan because I did not stay in a government colony in Yamuna Vihar, where there is the office of the Registrar Cooperative Societies.” Qamru-u-deen has just been granted a loan of Rs. 50,000 but as he says, “It is just not enough.”
Qamru-u-deen’s concept may be unique and his products may be different, but he continues to battle the same issues that plague millions of handloom weavers across the country. Handloom is the largest economic activity in India after agriculture. But competition from power looms, reduced budget allocations, and ineffective implementation of schemes and policies are making weavers face severe crisis. Despite various schemes like the Handloom Village Development Scheme and the Workshed- cum- Housing Scheme, to name two, the economic condition of weavers still leave a lot to be desired.
According to Qamru-u-deen, “These schemes lack clearly defined objectives and are often quite vague. People who have the money end up benefiting from them and a lot of times we are not even aware that such schemes even exist! Policies and schemes need to be more transparent and it needs to be ensured that weavers are aware of them.”
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i think if the products are really UNIQUE..they will definitely have market somewhere if not in delhi...he is not aware of internet n bridges like alibaba.com..but if his son is educated and understand the things then SOMEONE may guide him to get things done/....i was reading one success story of Ansif Ashraf of Paradise group...he is big entrepreneur though started as a photographer..he gives credits to alibaba...what else.......but competing with powerlooms ?