The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Gritty widows lead life bravely

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Monday, Sep 29, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Gritty widows lead life bravely

K .M. Dayashankar

Weavers’ widows in Sircilla eke out a living by rolling beedies

‘Government should counsel weavers to face the situation courageously’
‘It should check the supply of adulterated toddy and ID liquor in the region’

SIRCILLA (KARIMNAGAR DT): Even as suicides continued in Sircilla textile town of Karimnagar district since 10 years by the distressed powerloom weavers, it is their widows, who are leading life courageously in spite of facing all odds in the Sircilla town.

While the weavers gave reasons for suicide such as unemployment and inability to clear debts, their widows are bravely facing the situation and eking out their livelihood by rolling beedies and doing other menial jobs.

“There are incidents of weavers committing suicides, but not their wives”, said Dathula Vimala, a widow of Vishwanatham, who committed suicide by hanging to the ceiling a year ago.

“We are also living in depression. But still we are leading the life which is full of twists and turns. What will happen to the future of our children, if we too follow their footsteps and commit suicide?”, she noted.

No courage

“They (weavers) don’t even have the courage to commit suicide without consuming liquor or toddy.

They resort to suicides only in an inebriated condition and leave their family as orphans on the roads”, she complained. She suggested that the government should first counsel the weavers to face the situation courageously instead of committing suicides like cowards.

She demanded the government to check the supply of adulterated toddy and ID liquor in the region.

Repaid debt

Batchu Latha, widow of Anjaiah, who committed suicide by consuming poison in the year 2000, said that her husband was unable to clear debt of Rs. 60,000, which she cleared by selling the small piece of house site.

Latha is now living in one room along with her son, who is presently studying degree and also working as part-time labourer in the allied sector of powerloom industry. She is eking out her living by rolling beedies. Latha did receive any compensation from the government, except for a ration card and pension, but is still waging a war to educate her son so that her problems would be solved.

Goli Kalpana, another widow of BY Nagar, said that they were worried about the closure of beedi industry due to the printing of scorpion symbol on the beedi packets.

Cause of concern

“Earlier, the danger (skull and crossed bones) mark had become a cause of concern. Now it is the scorpion symbol on the beedi packets.

Several hundreds of widows and womenfolk of the region are eking out their living by rolling beedies, if the industry is closed, they would also be forced to commit suicide along with their children”, Kalpana said.

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