Sanganer: Lack of leadership and Vision

During 1991, when Indian economy was trying to get out of old ethos, we all expected that Sanganer will also grow out of bound. Sanganer stood as a speciality cloth processing centre from centuries. It has established its special presence in the 16th and 17th century when East India Company has sold textiles to Europe. The credit to grow this centre aesthetically goes to the royal family. The traditional look of Sanganer block prints and Bagru vegitable and mud resist prints is still alive. A few hard working and innovative designers and business groups are contributing to contemporarise it to make it more acceptable in the western world. This is a truth that not even a single tourist visiting Jaipur does return without buying a Sanganeri print. Be it a Garment, an accessory, a bag or a scarf, a bedcover or a pair of curtains. Sanganer traditionally uses cottons and silks. Some print houses uses linen and wool as well. Sanganer style has a wide range of user profile. From a highly rich embassy diplomat to a small farmer in Bihar uses textiles from Sanganer.

Gaily coloured Geomatric and floral provincial patterns are printed in quantities in domestic as well as export market. Almost 10000 families are directly engaged in this employment providing industry. When we try to compare the looks of textile designs evolved during past few centuries in the different parts of the world, we find that the look and style of Sanganer is similar to that of French Provence. Though the Provence as a brand grown to heights, Sanganer couldnot promote itself to become that aspirational. The western world knows Provence quite well. The designs associated with Provence is generally bright and sunny in colours. The motifs range from traditional booties, beautiful florals to colourful medallions and damasks. Similarly, Jouy is worth mentioning too. A place south of Paris. I must mention the contribution of Christopher-Philippe Oberkampf, a French inventor (1738-1815). Oberkampf founded a factory in 1762 of printed cotton in Jouy. He soon became very famous and big using copper plate printing rolls. He started printing Wall paper, low weight fabrics for garments and later furnishings. These designs are now being tought asToile de Jouy. These are innovations which he tried on Provenceand Dutch and made Jouy established for ever.

As a perfect example of corporate relationship with society, he later established a chemistry courses and invited famous teachers such as GuyLussac, and Bertholet. Some of the Parisian streets are named behind these gentlemen. To mention the government support even during 18th century- it is stated that Nepoleon has supported the factory. He said to have visited the factory and have told Oberkampf, you and I wage good war on the English. You by your industry and I by my Armies. But your way is more effective. Today, Sanganer in spite of being a 300 year old industry, struggling to keep the charm. Only a handful of design houses, those also not having substantial business, are effectively using the look. We see that Calico has established Ahemdabad as a big textile centre, some small operators and weaver made Panipat today a Rs.10,000 crore weaving centre and Tirpur as a another 10,000 crore plus knit centre. Truly, Sanganer is a lost opportunity. Sanganer which produced roughly Rs.500 crores during 1990-91 is doing barely Rs.3500 in 2008( data couldnot be made available to author). If we take inflation and growth in other sectors it is actually a decline. Government support during past decadesNegligence and short sightedness on part of

Government and local associations, with the haunting unanswered question of water pollution and water treatment plant for the discharge of these factories, today Sanganer is struggling to restore what she inherited from her forefathers. Sanganer town, now being part of Jaipur Development Authority, is witnessing another danger. JDA is busy in making townships around Sanganer. No thought is being given to the fact that the creation of a brand like Sanganer requires centuries of collective efforts. Sanganer is waiting a creative leadership with a vision and the Government which can play a role what Nepoleon played with Oberkampf.