Netas seek to look the part

AHMEDABAD: While it may not be a fashion statement that politicians are trying to make, they certainly are upgrading their wardrobes before hitting the campaign trail.Whether this state still follows Gandhi's ideals is debatable, but politicians still wear the fabric that the charka-spinning Father of the Nation tried to popularise. And not surprisingly, cash counters at khadi outlets across the state haven't stopped ringing ever since elections were announced.Says Jitendra Kulkarni, manager of Panchsheel Khadi Gramodyog Bhandar near Gandhi Ashram, "Since elections were announced, khadi has become a fast moving item on our racks.In the 45-day sale period that began on October 2 and continued till November 4, khadi sale increased by 20 per cent as elections were nearing. Many party leaders and politicians bought material even for their supporters and party workers. Presently, looking at the demand for khadi, we have extended the special concession till the elections."Looking at the enthusiastic response from buyers, khadi outlets have sought an extension of the concession period. "The government has allowed us to increase the period from 90 to 108 days. With this, we expect an additional surge in khadi sales in the state," says Shailendra Singh, a representative from Khadi Sadan, managed by the Khadi Gramodhyog Prayog Samiti. "Before the elections were announced, we used to receive about 15 buyers a day; while after that, we get about 25 buyers a day," he adds.The monthly sales figures provided by the biggest khadi outlet in Ellisbridge, Khadi Sarita, bears out the election-related surge in khadi sales. Arvind Parmar, manager, said in November, within 28 days he had sold khadi worth Rs 23 lakh; while last year, in the corresponding period, the sale was at Rs 16 lakh. "As many politicians still use khadi, and need change of clothes regularly during the campaign, in November we sold khadi worth almost Rs 75,000 daily. Currently, the daily sales figure stands at around Rs 25,000, which is also quite good," Parmar says.In 2001, Khadi Sarita sold khadi worth Rs 55 lakh, while during 2002, the annual sales figure is expected to touch Rs 75 lakh. "It is unfortunate that khadi use is limited to election campaigns. In fact, many party workers have started shifting to poly-khadi as it is wrinkle-free and looks very like the 'original'," Parmar adds.Mahendra Sheth, secretary of the Pranami Khadi Bhandar, says there's nothing unusual in khadi sales shooting up before elections. "However, it is interesting that this year we have noticed an increase of about 20 per cent, while in 1998, when the state had the last assembly elections, the increase was only about 10 per cent," he observes.Says Ramesh Parekh from Panchsheel, "This year khadi sales have recorded a noticeable increase over previous years because voters are also sharing the enthusiasm of buying khadi, no longer letting it remain the exclusive preserve of politicians. Since elections were declared, we have been selling nearly 100 kurtas a week to young party workers."