Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his latest Instagram reel has appealed to the citizens, particularly the youth, to observe National Handloom Day with the same spirit as Friendship Day, and encouraged them to share 'Get Ready With Me' (GRWM) reels of their handloom clothing on social media platforms.
Reel and its Significance
While sharing the two-minute Instagram video on Thursday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi narrated the significance of August 7, 1905, when the Swadeshi movement was initiated against the Britishers. He said that people should never forget that it was on this very day when the Swadeshi movement had started in the country against the British rule.
Echoing the recently observed Friendship Day celebration, the Prime Minister made a call to Indians to observe Handloom Day with similar spirit. For him, the celebration of Handloom Day was not just a ritualistic observance, but an endorsement of the source of income of the weaver families who weave fabrics manually.
The GRWM Push
In his call, Modi motivated the youth to purchase Handloom products and spread awareness about the Indian heritage of weaving by uploading GRWM videos on their social media handles. People were encouraged to buy at least one handloom product and upload the photos of their favorite Handloom clothes using the hashtag #NationalHandloomDay. Every such upload would be a tribute to the master craftsmen preserving the cultural heritage of India, while also being a step towards realizing the dream of Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat by making the weaver families economically strong.
The appeal of GRWM campaign is definitely a significant change in messaging strategy since it attempts to reach the younger audience through a combination of heritage/Swadeshi story and Instagram-based trend format.
The Prime Minister also published a post on X to commemorate the event. According to him, the day serves as a great opportunity to cherish the unique heritage of India's handlooms, as well as pay tribute to the talent and efforts of the weavers and artisans who kept the traditions alive for so many years. He emphasized that the Government would keep providing support to the handloom sector as one of the key drivers of rural empowerment and women empowerment and repeated the call for posting handloom products and GRWM videos with the hashtag.
Background: What is National Handloom Day
National Handloom Day has been celebrated since 2015, the day being selected in honour of the Swadeshi Movement of August 7, 1905, which supported the indigenous industries, especially the handloom weavers. Government websites mention that this year's celebration comes in the year when government celebrations have seen the participation of handloom clusters, NIFT institutions, Weaver Service Centres and State Handloom Departments in previous editions of the day.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his latest Instagram reel has appealed to the citizens, particularly the youth, to observe National Handloom…"