The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Row over powerlooms deepens

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 24, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Row over powerlooms deepens

Special Correspondent

Ban orders imposed in villages around Chirala

Weavers flay Rosaiah for not keeping his promise
Two woman weavers on indefinite fast at their homes

CHIRALA: The weavers of Chirala have been waging a battle against Government policies that promoted powerlooms at the cost of handlooms. The small sleepy handloom villages around Chirala are now agog with activity protesting against invasion of powerlooms and they witnessed a see-saw battle between agitating weavers and police. While weavers are resorting to indefinite fast one after another, police gave them just four days before removing them to hospital. Police imposed prohibitory orders in these villages under Section 30.

It all started two months ago when computerised embroidery machines and warping machines were introduced in the market which helped powerlooms produce designed saris and dress material rivalling handlooms in quality and at lower price. To meet the undue competition from powerlooms, handlooms were forced to reduce their wages from Rs. 2000 to Rs. 1200. The weavers, who were already suffering from meagre wages, felt the pinch of the changes.

Andhra Pradesh Cheneta Jana Samakhya, headed by Macherla Mohana Rao, took up their cause and launched an agitation. Relay fasts were organised at Ipurupalem, Jandrapet, Pandillapalli villages from Nov. 15 demanding protection to handloom sector. As the government did not respond, one weaver took to indefinite fast on Dec 10. When police removed him to hospital, three other weavers took his place.

As the agitation spread to other centres, police arrested Mr Mohana Rao on Dec. 19 on the charge that he was extending support to Maoists. Police said they recovered detonators from him. He was later remanded to judicial custody till Jan 3. The agitation has since spread to other villages.

Reservation

The weavers now demand the government implement reservation of 11 varieties of cloth made for handloom sector and ensure that the spinning mills produce hank yarn to the extent of 30 per cent to supply raw material to handlooms at reasonable price.

They blame Finance Minister K Rosaiah for failure to keep his promise to construct 1000 house-cum-worksheds to loomless weavers in his Chirala constituency.

As the police did not allow fasting camps, two women, Thella Vani and Chirala Ankamma, began indefinite fast at their houses in Mohana Rao colony and six others plan to follow suit at Ipurupalem and Ravuripet from Monday.

The Cheneta Jana Samakhya came down heavily on the Government for suppressing the agitation instead of redressing the grievances of weavers.

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