Goldsmiths strive for community integration through website

MANGALURU: Goldsmiths in Karnataka through Karnataka Swarnakara Sangha and India under Akhil Bharatiya Swarnakara Sangha in a step towards integrating goldsmith community across the country, launched their website on Saturday. The KSS has taken the lead in launching the website at the behest of the parent body – ABSS and will become a one-shop stop for all queries and information related to traditional gold and silver jewellery artisans.
R Ramamurthy, president, KSS in a chat with TOI after launching the website said, goldsmiths presently have no bargaining power with authorities concerned or governments due to lack of accurate data on traditional goldsmiths involved in an age-old vocation. “We only have a rough estimate of around 4-lakh goldsmiths in Karnataka. The website will help all traditional goldsmiths register themselves with KSS to firm up data,” he said.
Besides providing members with information on activities of both ABSS and KSS, the website – www.karantakaswaranakarasangha.com will help members keep themselves abreast of future activities that the organisations intend to launch. “We will use this as an effective tool to bring all goldsmiths on board, these two organisations and respond to their grievances,” he said, adding the global pandemic has brought one such situation on the community.
The KSS collectively will lobby with the state government to introduce welfare measures that the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh governments have introduced for the community there. Tamil Nadu is giving monthly Covid-19 assistance to goldsmiths there whereas the Andhra Pradesh government has set up a Gold Board under the CM to achieve a similar objective. “With goldsmiths in distress in Karnataka, KSS too will take the lead on their behalf,” Ramamurthy said.