Rahul Gandhi claims OBC artisans fail in textile sector owing to circle of neglect

Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that many skilled artisans from backward classes fail to make it big in the textile sector and asserted that he was fighting to break this "vicious circle of neglect and injustice".

In a post on X, he shared a video of his visit to the workshop of a textile artisan trying to make his place in the fashion design sector. During the visit, Gandhi met the artisans in the workshop and tried his hand at embroidery.

In his post in Hindi, he said, "'I have never met an OBC at the top of the textile design industry'. This was told to me by Vicky, a youth who has built his business in this field based on his skills.

"The artisans in his factory work hard 12 hours a day, weaving magic with needle and thread. But the situation is the same, there is no appreciation for their skills."

He said as in other industries, the Bahujans neither have representation in the textile and fashion sector, nor access to education or a place in the network.

"When I meet talented people like Vicky, I try to learn their work, so that the world can see the real talent of Indian youth. It should be known that despite being capable and hardworking, these youth are like Abhimanyu (of the Mahabharata) trapped in the vicious circle of neglect and injustice.

"My fight is to break this vicious circle so that every skilled person can find a way to enter the system," Gandhi said in his post.