Weaving Change: Punjab Women Find New Livelihoods Through Handloom

Punjab’s women weavers are finding new livelihoods and dignity through organic cotton and handloom work, and the national spotlight has now fallen on their story. In his Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Kheti Virasat Mission for reviving organic farming and traditional methods in the state.

Speaking in the 139th episode of the programme, the Prime Minister said that many traditional skills rooted in India’s heritage are now being carried forward through modern approaches. He pointed to Punjab as an example of this change.

The Kheti Virasat Mission’s initiative, called “Nav-Trinjan,” aims to promote natural cotton cultivation in the Malwa region. Organic cotton is grown without chemicals, and some varieties are naturally coloured. As a result, the yarn and fabric produced require no additional chemical dyes, a benefit the Prime Minister said is significant for the environment.

The programme also includes a weaving school, started a few years ago to pass on traditional weaving expertise to younger women. The Prime Minister said the school has changed the lives of many participants.

Ramandeep Kaur, who once worked as a labourer, is now a skilled weaver after completing training. Rekha Rani had never seen a handloom before joining the school, yet a shawl she created has been presented to the President of India. Suneha Devi, previously employed in households, now produces remarkable fabric on the handloom. Rajni Kaur, who earlier relied on farm wages, says her new skill has helped her run her household.

The Prime Minister noted that many women trained at the school are now using indigenous organic cotton yarn to make shawls, towels and other textiles, and that their lives are becoming more prosperous as a result.

He also said that a few months ago, on National Handloom Day, he had met the team and witnessed firsthand their passion and dedication to their work.