Cheap Chinese copies shrink India’s silk sari industry
FEATURE |
NEW DELHI — For centuries, the stunning silk saris woven by hand in the holy city of Varanasi have been prized by Indian women, but an influx of cheap Chinese-made copies is destroying the local industry.
Badruddin Ansari, one of the few weavers still in business, says that most of his former colleagues now struggle to eke out a living as vegetable sellers, tea stall operators or rickshaw drivers.
“When a person loses his home and his livelihood, where can he go?” he asked angrily.
“I hope the art of making Banarasi saris will survive. The government must ban these imported saris or put a heavier duty on them to save the domestic industry.”.... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110106com6.html
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