handloom
To mark the occasion of the National Handloom Day, Jamia Millia Islamia and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting together organised an inter-university debate completion and cultural programmes to promote Khadi and handloom industries.
‘BOL’, the Debating Society of the Jamia Cultural Committee organised the debate competition on the topic, “This house believes that it is time for a second Swadeshi movement in India to promote handloom industry” at the university’s M A Ansari Auditorium.
50 students debated on the theme in English, Urdu and Hindi bringing the topic alive before a packed audience that included students, faculty members, officials of the I & B and Textile Ministries, as well as well-known artisans.
The winners of the debate were Atif Yameen, Areesha Amin and Reim Qamar were adjudged first, second and third prize winners respectively in the English category.
In Hindi category, the first, second and third positions went to Hashim Siddiqui, Tasneem Fatima and Mukul Singh respectively.
In Urdu category, Mohd Aslam and Mohd Qaisar were declared first and second winners.
Wahajuddin Alvi, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Languages who was the chief guest on the occasion said, “JMI has been associated with Khadi and Swadeshi movement since its inception against the British system of education. Even after independence, JMI was the only university where students and teachers both used to wear hand-woven clothes and topi.
Khemraj, nationally-renowned artisan, said that the British who were once enemies of Charkha and handloom have ironically embraced it and are now the biggest consumers of handloom products.
Rajesh Bali from Directorate of Field and Broadcasting, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told the audience that while hand-woven clothes are fast picking up in the West, there is a need to promote it amongst the masses in the country to give a boost to the handloom industry.
The Convenor and Co-Convenor of the Debating Society, Sheema Aleem and Asmat Jahan welcomed the delegates and officials of the Ministries.
A cultural programme was also organised by the artists of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to sensitise students about the importance of handloom products.
