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IN the per-independence days of India, the British trade and commerce policy ruined the indigenous industries. Muslin and Silk industries were not exception to this. It was due to the first and second world ware, world economic depression in the 30s that these industries suffered tremendous set-back. In the days of foreign rule, famine was a frequent occurrence. Famine caused sat-back to Silk industries. As an after-effect of famine, the peasants took to production of paddy instead of that of mulberry plants to feed the Silk works. Artificial synthetic silk was imported and it was a hindrance to the growth of the indigenous silk industry.
IN the beginning of the twentieth century the silk merchants of Chak Islampur, Berhampore and Mirjapur rendered their service for the survival of this industry in their own ways. The names that come first of all are those of Chandrakanta Saha and Lalitmohan Saha, the two brothers of village Chak Islampur. The eldest one resided in Calcutta for the purpose of the promotion of the marketing of the silk goods and the younger brother resided at Chak Islampur with the sole object of silk production. This division of work could not improve the prospect either. So they began to think of other avenues. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, launched his famous Non-co-operation movement in 1921. He stressed the importance of the production of indigenous good and the boycott of foreign good as well.
THE Saha brothers of Chak, i. e. Chandrakanta and Lalitmohan Saha had their business in silk from long past. They established contact with the renowned personalities like Shri Satish Chandra Das Gupta, popularly known as Bengal Gandhi. Hema Prabha Dasgupta, Annagaprasad Chowdury and the secretary, the All India spinners Association, Shri Shankarlal Bankar and through them they were able to draw the attention of Mahatmaji to the importance of silk industry in the country’s economy. It may be mentioned in this connection that Shri Kalipada Chowdhury. Father of present Secretary of this Samity and son in-low of Shri Lalitmohan Saha played the most signification role as liaison between the Saha brothers and the great personalities along with his association Shri Arun Krishna Ghosh They acted as the spokesmen of the Saha brothers.
GANDHI would not agree to include this silk industry in the Khadi industries as it was not free violence Still persuasion continued and at last Mahatmaji came to realize through thorough investigations that the silk worms would have had natural death even without human agency, and that a good many artisans and weavers are engaged in this industry. He was pleased to accept it as a Khadi industry in 1925. To the Saha Brothers this silk business turned into a Swadeshi business and a tool to achieve independence. It was to them a means to the service of the country Hand-spun silk yarn and hand-woven silk fabrics became to the rank and file of Chak village the mantra of winning independence. Spinning of cotton yarn was also introduced in that village and came to be recognized as a means of struggle for independence.
To put it briefly Shri Lalit Mohan Saha constituted new Society entitled ‘CHANDRAKANTA LALITMOHAN RESHAM KHADI SAMITY’ on 19.7.1954 last under the society Registration Act of West Bengal Government, bearing the registration no 21751/191 which veiled the Khadi certificate No. BGL / 225 on 8th May, 1995 from the Akhil Bharat Khadi & Village Industries Board. Lalitmohan Saha was the founder Secretary and Shri Kalicharan Sharma a lifelong devotee in revival of Muslin was the founder president of the Samity. After the establishment of the samity Shri Lalitmohan Saha devoted himself to the production of silk khadi on a new phase and with a determination for a new dimension.
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