Murlidhar goes on fast in Andhra

 

Blaming the apathy of the Governments at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh for the spate of suicides and starvation deaths among the weavers, BJP secretary P Murlidhar Rao on Wednesday went on a three-day fast in Hyderabad.

Murlidhar said that while the State Government has admitted suicide by 700 weavers, the real figure was much higher. “Our estimate is that more than 2,000 weavers have committed suicide in Andhra Pradesh alone”, he said while addressing the gathering at his hunger strike camp at Indira Park.


“The mill centric textile policy of the Centre and the neglect of the weavers community by the State Governments has become the bane for the once proud and prosperous community”, Murlidhar Rao told The Pioneer.


He described the handloom industry as the backbone and most important sector for the rural economy. “This is the biggest employment generating sector after agriculture. It is closely linked to India’s culture and the decentralised economic system”, he said. “The development of the country and the development of weavers cannot be separated”, he said. He demanded the Central Government should immediately come out with a categorical policy on weavers to create a sense of confidence among them and give them the top priority in matters like providing loans, either interest free or on nominal interest rate and providing social security net.


“The situation is so bad that weavers do not get bank loans. They are completely dependent on private money-lenders who charge exorbitant interest rate”, he said.


On the contrary, he pointed out that the State Government agencies were not paying the dues to the weavers. Giving an example, he said the APCO owes weavers association in Kamlapur village in Karimnagar district an amount of Rs 56 lakh. Same was the story in innumerable other weavers’ centres in the State.


“These weavers’ centres do not have basic facilities like drinking water, electricity, schools and hospital. Whose friend is this Government? Is there a future for handloom weavers?” he asked. Murlidhar said his three-day fast was only the first step in the BJP’s fight for weavers nationally. “Be it Uttar Pradesh or West Bengal or any other State, the situation was very bad”, he added.


On a question about the BJP-ruled States, he said that situation of suicides was not bad thanks to a better social security system. “But if the Central Government’s policy does not change, even the BJP Governments will not be able to do much for them”, he said.


He rued that the handloom sector — once the face of India in the scene of fashion — and the skill of weavers was dying a slow death. “How can they survive on an income of less than Rs 45 per day?” he wondered. He demanded increase in the handloom budget, a better social security net and a lot more welfare schemes. “The employment guarantee scheme meant for unskilled people cannot be useful for skilled people like weavers. The Government should have schemes for them”, he said.


Referring to the Rs 6000-crore package of the Centre for the weavers, he said such packages cannot solve their problem. “Their budget should be doubled and they should get bank linkages and should be able to get loans on less interest rates” he said.


Murlidhar’s camp was attended by senior BJP leaders N Indrasena Reddy, M Lakshman, Bandaru Dattatreya, State BJP president and MLA G Kishan Reddy, Minister for Handloom in Madhya Pradesh Government Kailsah Vijay Vargi.


BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and other prominent leaders are scheduled to address the hunger strike camp on Friday, last day of the fast.

Muralidhar Rao

http://dailypioneer.com/nation/27780-murlidhar-goes-on-fast-in-andhra.html