Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
Notice (8): Undefined variable: urlPrefix [APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8]latest-news-updates/garment-industry-is-facing-deceleration-in-west-bengal.html"/> LATEST NEWS UPDATES | No Sign of Revival: Garment Biz Ostagars, Tailor-workers of West Bengal Despair -Rabindra Nath Sinha | Im4change.org
Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

No Sign of Revival: Garment Biz Ostagars, Tailor-workers of West Bengal Despair -Rabindra Nath Sinha

-Newsclick.in

The dearth of capital will make a return to normalcy difficult for ostagars even when there will be a visible improvement and the authorities muster courage to lift all the restrictions.

Kolkata: “We are passing through the worst phase in our 17 years old enterprise BabyGarments.in and we have no clue when we will see the first signs of revival”. This is how a middle-aged woman entrepreneur and proprietor of BabyGarments, Bahnisikha Roy, described her predicament while talking to NewsClick about how her business was doing currently.

“The lockdown phase will be five months old in a matter of days. Our production of the whole range of casuals is already nearly 70% down and my main concern at the moment is whether we will lose production further,” Bahnisikha said. Her outfit is recognised by the Union government as an MSME (micro, small & medium enterprise).

Forty-year-old ostagar [tailor] Moidul Islam, whose business comprises execution of subcontracted garment orders, described the current situation as “extremely difficult” for the ostagars and tailor-workers. “You and I often read about debt-ridden farmers committing suicides. If this situation persists, you may hear about some of the worst sufferers amongst us opting for the extreme step,” Moidul told NewsClick, explaining how suddenly they have found themselves struggling for survival after years of toil to establish the business.

He is a member of the West Bengal Tailors’ Union, which is affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, an arm of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He is one of the hundreds of relatively small ostagars.

Please click here to read more.