Smriti Morarka

Smriti Morarka is an Indian social activist reviving handwoven cloth and improving mental health. In 2019 she was awarded the "Woman Power Award" Nari Shakti Puraskar by the President of India on International Women's Day in recognition of the example she has made.

Smriti Morarka
EducationSophia College for Women and Loreto College, Kolkata
Occupationsocial activist
Known forchampioning mental health and hand-loom weaving
Spouse(s)Gautam Morarka[1]
Childrentwo[1]

Life

Morarka was educated at Welham Girls' School,[1] Sophia College for Women and Loreto College, Kolkata where she studied history and Political Science.[2] Her family collected art. Her mother had created a National Institute specialising in Indology, Religion and Cultural Studies in Varanasi. She met the hand loom weavers who were finding it very difficult to find buyers for their work in Karsi.[3]

Morarka started a brand named "Tantuvi" in 1998[1] with the ambition of selling their work[4] despite the general decline in the industry.[5] Tatruvi is a sanskrit word that means "weaver". She regarded Tantuvi as her third child and the work created by the 80-100 weavers she has working occupy six days of her week.[1]

She realised that she would need to improve the way business was made. She knew that although the hand woven products were going to have to be expensive, but she saw that the quality was unequalled,[4] even though the industry was "hanging on a thread".[6] Previously the fabric had been bought very cheaply by dealers who then the work at high prices. She has built a model where the weavers get a fair share of the profits.[7] She decided to concentrate on the creation of sarees which would sell at about 50,000 rupees.[7]

She was given the Nari Shakti Puraskar award in 2019.[8] The "2018" award was made in the Presidential Palace by the President of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present.[9] Morarka is a trustee of the Manotsav Foundation which is concerned with mental health.[2]

Private life

She is married to the industrialist Gautum R Morarka who is the son of the Member of parliament R R Morarka.[10] Her husband runs Dwarikesh Sugar Industries Limited and he is a philanthropist who has founded a school in his father's memory.[11] They have two children.

References
  1. "Weaving a success story". The Financial Express. 2005-09-04. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  2. "Smriti G Morarka - trustee". Monotsav.com. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  3. "We should provide Indian crafts a secure environment to thrive: Smriti Morarka". The Indian Express. 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  4. WCD, Ministry of (2019-03-08). "Ms. Smriti Morarka - #NariShakti Puraskar 2018 Awardee in Individual category.pic.twitter.com/ymtdopI9Hq". @ministrywcd. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  5. Panicker, Anahita (2018-05-05). "In this documentary, Varanasi's sari weavers talk about their craft and its present state of decline". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  6. "Hanging on a Thread". The Indian Express. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  7. "Restoring the old Varanasi weave to its original glory". The Sunday Guardian Live. 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  8. LSChunav. "स्मृति मोरारका को नारी शक्ति पुरस्कार, बुनकरी कला को संकट से उबारने पर राष्ट्रपति ने किया सम्मानित". www.loksabhachunav.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  9. "Nari Shakti Puraskar - Gallery". narishaktipuraskar.wcd.gov.in. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  10. "Weave will rock you in style - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  11. "About Sewajyoti". sewajyoti.com. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
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