CROSSING SWORDS: (Top) Weavers and reelers and sericulture farmers putting across their views forcefully at a meeting on the Central Silk Board Act 2006 in Bangalore on Thursday, as the dignitaries at the meeting (from left) Minister for Sericulture Ramachandra Gowda; Union Minister of State for Sericulture E.V.K.S. Elangovan; chairman of Central Silk Board H. Hanumanthappa and Joint Secretary (Union Ministry of Textiles) Bhupendra Singh keep their fingers crossed. — Photos: K. Gopinathan

Bangalore: Sericulture farmers under the banner of two farmers' organisations and a political party who came to protest against the recent amendments to the Central Silk Board Act 2006 on Thursday had their first round of success when they forced the board and Union Minister of State for Textiles E.V.K.S. Elangovan to hear their demands and allow them to participate in the interaction on the Act organised by the Central Silk Board.

Around 200 sericulture farmers led by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) president K.S. Puttannaiah, and the Reshme Horata Samiti convenor G.C. Bayya Reddy raised slogans at the gate of Yavanika while the Minister was addressing the meeting. On hearing the slogans, Mr. Elangovan came out and received a memorandum from Mr. Puttannaiah. The farmers' leader demanded to know why they were not allowed to participate in the discussion.

G.V. Srirama Reddy, MLA (CPI-M), E. Puttaswamy, organising secretary of KRRS, and C.P. Yogeshwar, MLA, also urged the organisers to allow the farmers to express their views.

The farmers who sat on dharna had an argument with Congress MP Tejaswini Sriramesh who tried to assure them of the Centre's good intentions. The farmers were then allowed to have their say in the meeting. The former Congress MLA Mudduhanume Gowda also demanded the withdrawal of the Act in toto. The farmers' leaders criticised the Centre for amending the Act without consulting farmers' organisations, particularly in Karnataka, which produced 70 per cent of the silk in the country. There were heated discussions and even fisticuffs between the weavers and reelers on one side and the farmers on the other. The farmers raised slogans when Mr. Elangovan refused to make an assurance that the amendments would be withdrawn. He, however, said he would convey their views to Union Minister for Textiles Shankersinh Vaghela.

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