Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 11: National Handloom Expo-2015, organized by Directorate of Handloom Development Department J&K at Dusheerra ground Gandhi Nagar here, was inaugurated on the third day and not on the first day. Moreover, the gullible trainees, who were forced to assemble at inauguration function of Expo, had to wait for hours together, for Chief Guest, who arrived late by nearly an hour.
The fifteen days' Handloom Expo-2015 named as "Dast-E-Hunner", was scheduled to begin on Feb 9 but it was formally inaugurated on 11th Feb, three days after scheduled day as mentioned in the records and on the large flex, hanging behind the stage, set up by department at Dusheera Ground Jammu for inaugural function today.
The timing of inauguration was mentioned as 2 PM on February 11, by Financial Commissioner Khursheed Ahmed Ganai but the employees of the department managed to gather number of gullible women and men to listen to the speeches delivered by the VIPs.
"We are trainees in a weaving center in Kathua district but our teacher and Handloom employees had asked us to reach Jammu at 10 AM on Wednesday. When we reached there we were asked to remain seated on the chairs. We were of the view that programme would start in the morning but someone informed that chief guest will come at 2 PM," a participant, who is getting training from a weaving center of department in district Kathua rued, adding that they were not allowed to even go outside the ground.
Nearly hundred trainees, mostly girls and women getting training from training centers of Handloom department, from various districts of Jammu region were forced to attend the function. "We had to wait for five hours and the inaugural programme finally commenced at3:15 PM, after the Chief Guest arrived on the stage," said another participant who had come from Samba.
He said they were made to sit at one place for more than five hours and the teachers did not allow anyone to leave the venue.
As the Director Handloom was delivering his speech, a woman stood from her seat and attempted to go outside the Dusheera ground, but an employee donning a black coat, immediately questioned her, "Where are you going?", the women, who was holding a child in her lap, said, "Iske (child) Papa BaharAayeHain, BulaRaheHain", than, the teacher allowed her to go.
The employees of Handloom department left no stone unturned to keep the gathering intact.
The Director Handloom, T Angchuk, while addressing the gathering said that there were 60 stalls and the Expo would continue for fifteen days. But quite contrary to his speech, though there were only 53 stalls apart from one stall of the Office of Director Handloom.
The Director Handloom also said that the Expo would continue for fifteen days but was unaware that today was third day and now only 12 days are left and the Expo would end in 12 days and not 15 days.
The mismanagement on part of Department could be gauged from the fact that there were only 48 makeshift shops constructed in the ground, in which 53 stall owners were seen displaying their merchandize, which simply meant that in many shops, more than one or two persons were adjusted.
Moin Handloom Pashmina Industrial Society Kathua and Weaker Sections Handloom Industrial Cooperative Society was given single shop while Raja Gulzar Handloom TooliNowpoorKulgam, Sharaf Handloom WICS Ltd Kulgam, Simnani Handloom Poniwah, Kulgam were also given single shop.
WhileasPooja Handloom Industry KotiDoda, Malik Handloom Industrial Cooperative Bohrdar, Banihal, Shaheen Handloom WICS, Kishtwar were also given a single shop to display their merchandize.
Moreover, the cooperative society members, who had come to sell their items, were also not satisfied with the arrangements. On one hand the speakers were making tall claims of providing all the facilities to weavers and handicraft makers but in today's expo, the stall owners were given single mattresses by the department but not quilt. "We are using our own blankets and other winter wear to fight biting cold during nights", a cooperative society member, manning a stall said.
Though Chief Guest Khursheed Ahmed Ganai gave a detailed speech but the attendants were unaware about the vocabulary used by him. "GDP growth, Make in India, enhancing the contribution of manufacturing sector, we don't know what these words mean for us and we don't know if his speech is going to make any difference in our life", one of the attendant said.
During conclusion of Expo; another extraordinary incident happened. When Deputy Director gave vote of thanks, all people present on the stage come down but a cultural item was still pending. The last cultural performance on Gojri song "UrhUrh Jana…..", was witnessed by empty chairs on the stage and from the ground as after Chief Guest left the stage, the gathering dispersed.
The inaugural programme concluded with departure of Chief Guest Khursheed Ahmed Ganai in a new Honda City luxury car, with temporary registration number JMU-BB-6250, which is valid up-to3rd March 2015. |
