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Weaver wins laurels from Prez for Asu yantram
An unlettered poor handloom weaver Chintakindi Mallesham of Sarajipet in Alair mandal spent 15 days in the Rashtrapati Bhavan from March 12 to 26 as an innovation scholar for developing ‘Asu yantram’, a machine which facilitates speedy weaving of handloom saris. It helps weave a sari in one and a half hours, as against the normal time of a day.
Nalgonda: An unlettered poor handloom weaver Chintakindi Mallesham of Sarajipet in Alair mandal spent 15 days in the Rashtrapati Bhavan from March 12 to 26 as an innovation scholar for developing ‘Asu yantram’, a machine which facilitates speedy weaving of handloom saris. It helps weave a sari in one and a half hours, as against the normal time of a day.
Now a weaver can finish eight saris in a day, using the machine, without deploying the services of another person to do the job. Mallesham won laurels from President Pranab Mukherjee for his path-breaking work taken up after being unable to see the hardship being faced by thousands of weavers, including his mother Lakshmi, in the two Telugu states. He had received the Innovation Award from former President Pratibha Patil in 2009. Gratefully, he has named the device after his mother and a got a patent.
His other laurels include Forbes Magazine Best Entrepreneur Award in 2010, one given by Samsung the next year, Hall of Fame given by NABARD in 2012, Kamala Award last year and Amazing Indians Award given by Times Now in January this year. It was presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The weaver was motivated to take up the task to help the distressed families of his community, particularly women. It prevents a weaver from suffering damaged sight besides pain in the neck and arms. Mallesham, who created a marvel, has so far sold 750 handloom machines. The price of the machine is Rs 25,000. Weavers from several states are his customers now.
When asked how the award came about, he told The Hans India that the wonderful device had gone to the notice of the National Innovation Foundation. The foundation staff had come to Sarajipet to see its work. After ascertaining that there was none similar existed elsewhere they decided to present the award.
He described the 15-day stay in the Rashtrapati Bhavan as an amazing experience to receive praise from the President, who saw the device and expressed a keen desire to know how it works. His name was recommended for stay in the Bhavan by a Hyderabad-based NGO ‘Palle Srujana’.
Mallesham was assured by Union Ministers Harshvardhan and Piyush Goyal to send a committee to his village for securing the project report and take steps for providing the device to weavers at a subsidised price.
