Govts blamed for weavers suicides, starvation deaths

Anantapur: National Handlooms and Textiles People Welfare Council president AM Ramana, general secretary B Radha Krishnaiah and ex-MLC, in a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, took strong exception to the lackadaisical attitude of the YSRCP government towards the plight of weaver community. Successive governments were equally indifferent towards weavers’ suicides and starvation deaths during the past 15 years, triggered by their mounting debts and financial crisis, they said.

The leaders further said that during the past four years, as many as 6,000 letters were sent to the officials of CM peshi and the Handlooms Ministry, but there was no response from them, much to the chagrin of the weavers’ community.

The lethargic attitude of the present government and that of the past governments is baffling towards an industry that occupied second place with 25 lakh weavers and workers. The weaver population alone numbers up to one crore, which is equivalent to Singapore population.

Alleging that APCO and related agencies have neglected the weavers’ community, the leaders demanded legal cases should be booked as they are responsible for hundreds of starvation deaths and suicides. The council president and general secretary termed these murders as governmental murders.

They said that the Indian government had enacted a law in 1985 for protecting the interests of handloom weavers and from exploitation by power loom companies. Under the law, about 13 types of products were kept in the exclusion domain of handloom weavers. The Vigilance and Enforcement officials should be charged for conniving with power loom companies in violation of the law. They should be prosecuted and civil and criminal cases should be booked against them for working against the interests of handloom weavers, they demanded.

Ramana and Radha Krishnaiah described the officials as white-collar criminals, who worked for the downfall of handloom weavers. They also demanded a CBCID enquiry against the officials, who were responsible for the Rs 2,000 crore scam involving powerloom companies.

Pointing out that several number of letters written to the CM, Principal Secretary to the CM, Industries Chief Secretary and National Human Rights Commission were of no use, Council president and secretary Ramana and Radha Krishnaiah appealed to the Chief Minister to take cognizance of this appeal and do justice to the weavers community.