Gandhian Handloom symbol Meets Self-determination in Bk

Location: Kerala India
Intention: Self determination
With whom: Cultural immersion trip with FSL India on the heels of Indian Independence Day!

Today I would like to welcome you virtually to the Handloom Factory in Kerala, India. This is where various fabrics and traditonal Southern Indian clothes and house-ware are created by hand and on traditional machines by mostly women. The traditition of handloom has been around for many years. To the best of my knowledge and additional research, Gandhi promoted it as a form of autonomy from the British and a form of active resistence to not depending on the British goods. From the 1700's to Gandhi's passing in the 1900's, it became a symbol of patriotism and freedom.

See the following website for additional general information on this act of resitence:
http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=2786&language=eng
Today, after seeing both the hard work of the workers and the semi poor working conditions I am left with four questions:

1) How can I better appreciate the clothes on my back after seeing how much effort goes into making a Kurta (traditional Indian shirt meeting the knees)?
2) Now that single business owners run these factories, does the original revolutionary intention of self-deternmination still reside in these factories today? Does the handloom still stand as a symbol for patriosism and freedom?
3) How much is the wage of the workers? How does the overall economic low minimum wage in South India impact the viewpoint of the handloom for most local Keralites?
4) How do peoples of African descent in New York City who do not own property, become reinspired by the handloom movement (which inspired Mlcolm and Martin alike) to own our own businesses and produce for ourselves, despite the many directions the current handloom industry seemingly has taken? How can we return to a by us for us movement as peoples of African descent?

With all of these burgening questions, I am ever inspired by the care put into making each meter of fabric. Hopefully, together, we can put even more care into how we (peoples of African descent in particular) holistically treat each other, that these handloomers put into the creation of the clothes on the backs of the masses. :D

Long live Gandhi!

Peace, love, and justice!

Sacred

* Disclaimer: This post is not an endorsement of this organization, and more so shares professional opinions. This report is an op-ed piece, and encourages those specifically seeking more info to to make the most informed decisions from a wide range of perspectives, with this as one of many.  I encourage those seeking it to find the best fit for your unique needs. I hope this piece is both informative and enjoyable.

Thank you for coming. Please check out other posts on my website, of interest.

Appreciations as well for being an integral part of the Kuumba Holistic Healing Project's growing community.

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