The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Police help weavers learn Art of Living

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Thursday, Oct 30, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Police help weavers learn Art of Living

Staff Reporter

Karimnagar police launch programme for weavers to contain suicides

Eliminating stress: Powerloom weavers participating in the Art of Living programme conducted by the district police recently in Sircilla of Karimnagar district.

SIRCILLA (KARIMNAGAR DT): There is glow and enthusiasm on the faces of powerloom weavers of Sircilla nowadays,

thanks to the measures initiated by the Karimnagar district police. The powerloom weavers, who are otherwise depressed due to various reasons are confident lot now.

In the wake of spate of suicides by the powerloom weavers, the Karimnagar district police embarked upon a social responsibility programme of putting an end to the suicides by conducting the “Art of Living” programme for theweavers and their families. The police had conducted programmes in two phases with the experts of “Art of Living” in Sircilla on October 7 to 11 and 17 to 21 for the benefit of nearly 1,000 weavers and their families.

Active participation

Initially, the weavers were reluctant to participate in the Art of Living programme, but the police had compelled them to participate in the programme. Later, they arrived on their own and actively participated in the camp and learned the skills of eliminating stress and tension.

The powerloom weavers have stopped consuming liquor, which had become a cause of concern for the suicides. “The participation in the camp gave us the confidence of leading life despite the financial crunch being faced by us ”, said Devaiah, a powerloom weaver of BY Nagar in Sircilla town.

Better living

Ch. Ramesh of Sundaraiah Nagar said that he was addicted to liquor and spent a major portion of his earning on consuming adulterated toddy only to forget tensions about the future.

Thanks to his participation in the art of living camp, he stopped consuming liquor. Now he wakes up early in the morning, practices yoga and breathing exercises to remove stress and tensions.

A Bhagya, who also participated in the camp, appealed to the women not to abuse their husbands and insult them. “Husband is the head of the family and if he is humiliated and commits suicides, what would be the future of woman and her children”, she questioned. Majority of the powerloom weavers and their family members appealed the district police authorities to permanently open the Art of Living centre in Sircilla to stop suicides and transform the textile town into a prosperous town.

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