Handloom sector padayatra begins tomorrow
Updated: Jan 14, 2014 05:53:49pm
Bengaluru, Jan 14 (KNN) The All India Federation of Handloom Organisations will begin a padayatra tomorrow to press the government for implementation of Handloom Reservation Act and other schemes, among other demands.
The 220 km padayatra called Banashankari Yatra after the diety of handlooms will begin in Gajendragad of Gadag district and end in Badami of Bagalkot district on January-27.
According to theatre director and writer, Prasanna, several writers, artists, social workers will join the weavers in the protest march to highlight the problems of handloom weavers.
“It began with the all India Satyagraha which started in Karnataka on January 1st and was subsequently observed in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana too. In due course it would be held in other weaving states such as Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal and Odisha,” Prasanna said.
Further, on January-30, an indefinite Hunger Satyagraha is scheduled to take place.
On their demands, “The central government was considering changing the definition of handloom to include powerloom. We find that unacceptable. Further, we want the government to implement the Handloom Reservation Act of 1985 which prevents power driven units from producing 23 items such as saris, dhotis, kambli, etc,” Prasanna explained.
Other demands are that powerloom should not be integrated into traditional handloom clusters and that the government should speed up the implemention of various schemes.
“The money is not reaching the beneficiaries,” said Prasanna, a representative of Desi which promotes handlooms.
However, the Ministry of Textiles in a notification of January-9 has categorically stated that statusquo will be maintained in what constitutes handloom. The announcement was made in an effort to allay fears and anxiety amongst some weavers that the government might allow handlooms to include mechanised looms.
“The apprehension of a change in definition of ‘handloom’ has triggered speculation and insecurity amongst a section of weavers and handloom activities and given a mistaken impression on handloom activists that Government has taken a decision to allow the introduction of automatic machines to replace handlooms and that the Government intends to change the definition of ‘handlooms to include such mechanized looms,’ said an official notification.
“In this regard, it is clarified that no change is contemplated by Ministry of Textiles, in definition of ‘handloom’, which has been defined as “any loom other than powerloom” under the Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act, 1985,” it added.
Asked about this, “That was a victory of ours. They made that announcement after we had written to them about our fears,” said Prasanna. (KNN/ES)
The 220 km padayatra called Banashankari Yatra after the diety of handlooms will begin in Gajendragad of Gadag district and end in Badami of Bagalkot district on January-27.
According to theatre director and writer, Prasanna, several writers, artists, social workers will join the weavers in the protest march to highlight the problems of handloom weavers.
“It began with the all India Satyagraha which started in Karnataka on January 1st and was subsequently observed in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana too. In due course it would be held in other weaving states such as Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal and Odisha,” Prasanna said.
Further, on January-30, an indefinite Hunger Satyagraha is scheduled to take place.
On their demands, “The central government was considering changing the definition of handloom to include powerloom. We find that unacceptable. Further, we want the government to implement the Handloom Reservation Act of 1985 which prevents power driven units from producing 23 items such as saris, dhotis, kambli, etc,” Prasanna explained.
Other demands are that powerloom should not be integrated into traditional handloom clusters and that the government should speed up the implemention of various schemes.
“The money is not reaching the beneficiaries,” said Prasanna, a representative of Desi which promotes handlooms.
However, the Ministry of Textiles in a notification of January-9 has categorically stated that statusquo will be maintained in what constitutes handloom. The announcement was made in an effort to allay fears and anxiety amongst some weavers that the government might allow handlooms to include mechanised looms.
“The apprehension of a change in definition of ‘handloom’ has triggered speculation and insecurity amongst a section of weavers and handloom activities and given a mistaken impression on handloom activists that Government has taken a decision to allow the introduction of automatic machines to replace handlooms and that the Government intends to change the definition of ‘handlooms to include such mechanized looms,’ said an official notification.
“In this regard, it is clarified that no change is contemplated by Ministry of Textiles, in definition of ‘handloom’, which has been defined as “any loom other than powerloom” under the Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act, 1985,” it added.
Asked about this, “That was a victory of ours. They made that announcement after we had written to them about our fears,” said Prasanna. (KNN/ES)
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