Mohammed Ahmad Ansari, a 55-year-old Banarasi sari weaver, has spent his entire life in the congested lanes of Varanasi, the spiritual capital of India and the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Known for its centuries-old blend of Hindu-Muslim culture, Varanasi has long been celebrated for the exquisite craftsmanship of its Banarasi saris, renowned for luxurious silk and intricate gold and silver zari embroidery.
But recently, Ansari’s business has suffered a severe blow amid escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh. The diplomatic rift began last August when former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi following political upheaval in Dhaka. Since then, Bangladesh has targeted Indian businesses in retaliation for Modi’s support of Hasina, while India responded with restrictions on imports of Bangladeshi goods, forcing exporters to rely on costlier sea routes.
“These saris are in high demand in Bangladesh during festivals and weddings, but the ban has led to a more than 50 percent drop in business,” Ansari told Al Jazeera.
The Banarasi sari industry has been under strain for years due to factors including demonetisation, rising power tariffs, the COVID-19 pandemic, and competition from cheaper machine-made saris in other parts of India. As a result, the number of traditional weavers in Varanasi has halved to around 200,000, with many turning to alternative work such as rickshaw driving.
Pawan Yadav, a 61-year-old wholesale sari trader, told Al Jazeera that exports to Bangladesh have come to a complete halt. “We used to supply around 10,000 saris annually to Bangladesh, but everything has stopped,” he said, noting that he is still owed roughly 1.5 million rupees ($17,140) by Bangladeshi clients.
Despite the challenges, India’s textile sector remains the country’s second-largest employer after agriculture, with more than 3.5 million people working in it. The sari industry alone is valued at approximately 80,000 crore rupees ($9.01bn), including $300 million in exports.
Traders and weavers who voted for Modi in multiple elections are now hoping for government intervention to resolve the trade dispute. “India has a unique handloom craft which no country can compete with,” said Ramesh Menon, founder of the social enterprise Save the Loom, speaking to Al Jazeera. “The need of the hour is to re-position handloom as a product of luxury, and not poverty.”
The future of Varanasi’s iconic saris now hinges on diplomatic solutions that could restore cross-border trade and secure the livelihoods of the city’s artisans.
