A Frayed History
The Journey of Cotton in India
Price: 750.00 INR
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ISBN:
9780199474639
Publication date:
16/10/2017
Hardback
418 pages
Price: 750.00 INR
We sell our titles through other companies
Disclaimer :You will be redirected to a third party website.The sole responsibility of supplies, condition of the product, availability of stock, date of delivery, mode of payment will be as promised by the said third party only. Prices and specifications may vary from the OUP India site.
ISBN:
9780199474639
Publication date:
16/10/2017
Hardback
418 pages
Meena Menon and Uzramma
Once the envy of the world, Indian cotton today is mired in uncertainty and despair. Though India is the largest producer of cotton, its farmers are trapped in debt; handloom weavers are barely able to scrape together a living; and then there is the competition with artificial fibres.
Amid the bleakness, there may be a silver lining: reviving indigenous cotton—and the handloom industry that spun its fame. Menon and Uzramma show that with the right combination of friendly policies and championing the Indian cotton brand, it is possible to restore the fabric's past glory.
Rights: World Rights
Meena Menon and Uzramma
Description
Once the envy of the world for its quality and variety, Indian cotton today is mired in uncertainty and despair. Though India is the largest producer of cotton, its farmers are trapped in debt, and thousands choose to kill themselves than face an ignominious fate. Handloom weavers, once proud standard-bearers of the country's artisanal heritage, are barely able to scrape together a living. To make matters worse, there is the back-breaking competition with artificial fibres.
Meena Menon and Uzramma take us through the fascinating history of cotton in India, examining its illustrious origins, its blood-stained colonial heritage, and the events that led to its current crisis. Amid the bleakness, the authors suggest a silver lining: reviving indigenous cotton—and the handloom industry that spun its fame. Through painstaking research, Menon and Uzramma show that with the right combination of friendly policies and championing the Indian cotton brand, it is possible to restore the fabric's past glory. This is an important book not just for lovers of cotton but anyone concerned with the struggles of Indian agriculture in a brutal, fast-changing market.
About the Authors
MEENA MENON is the former deputy editor of The Hindu and has written extensively on socio-political issues, including environment, development, and politics.
UZRAMMA is the director of the Malkha Trust and has been associated with India's artisanal cotton textile industry since 1989.
Kindly download the flyer for more details.
Meena Menon and Uzramma
Table of contents
List of Tables, Boxes, and Map
List of Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Webs of Woven Wind: A Walk through the History of Cotton and Cloth in India
2. Cotton in Colonial India
3. The Agrarian Crisis in Maharashtra
4. How the Government Failed the Farmer
5. The Bt Cotton Conundrum
6. Weaving Cotton Cloth on the Handloom: Stories of Cotton Weaving
7. The Malkha Story
8. Conclusion: Looking to the Future
Appendix I
Appendix II
References
Index
About the Authors
Meena Menon and Uzramma
Features
- Traces the history of cotton growing and weaving in India
- Correlates the distress faced by both farmers and weavers in the production of cotton
- Discusses the need to preserve the fabric's past and make its narrative relevant for the present.
- Proposes a decentralized way of growing and spinning cotton by giving due importance to the locally grown varieties.
Meena Menon and Uzramma
Description
Once the envy of the world for its quality and variety, Indian cotton today is mired in uncertainty and despair. Though India is the largest producer of cotton, its farmers are trapped in debt, and thousands choose to kill themselves than face an ignominious fate. Handloom weavers, once proud standard-bearers of the country's artisanal heritage, are barely able to scrape together a living. To make matters worse, there is the back-breaking competition with artificial fibres.
Meena Menon and Uzramma take us through the fascinating history of cotton in India, examining its illustrious origins, its blood-stained colonial heritage, and the events that led to its current crisis. Amid the bleakness, the authors suggest a silver lining: reviving indigenous cotton—and the handloom industry that spun its fame. Through painstaking research, Menon and Uzramma show that with the right combination of friendly policies and championing the Indian cotton brand, it is possible to restore the fabric's past glory. This is an important book not just for lovers of cotton but anyone concerned with the struggles of Indian agriculture in a brutal, fast-changing market.
About the Authors
MEENA MENON is the former deputy editor of The Hindu and has written extensively on socio-political issues, including environment, development, and politics.
UZRAMMA is the director of the Malkha Trust and has been associated with India's artisanal cotton textile industry since 1989.
Kindly download the flyer for more details.
Table of contents
List of Tables, Boxes, and Map
List of Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Webs of Woven Wind: A Walk through the History of Cotton and Cloth in India
2. Cotton in Colonial India
3. The Agrarian Crisis in Maharashtra
4. How the Government Failed the Farmer
5. The Bt Cotton Conundrum
6. Weaving Cotton Cloth on the Handloom: Stories of Cotton Weaving
7. The Malkha Story
8. Conclusion: Looking to the Future
Appendix I
Appendix II
References
Index
About the Authors
