Kashi weavers go on indefinite Murri-bandh in protest against new power tariff system

Varanasi: Protesting against being charged power tariff on meter reading basis instead of fixed rate as in practice till 2019 end, weavers have started indefinite ‘Murri-bandh’ (closure of manufacturing and trading) from Tuesday.
The weavers’ leaders claim it to be the state-wide strike. The call of strike has been given at atime when the industry has already suffered due to Covid-19 lockdown.
The weavers dominated localities, which otherwise used to be resonating with sound of powerlooms working, wore a complete silence as the weavers working on old orders have also stopped their looms on the call of Murri-Bandh. The effect of strike was evident when the TOI visited the areas like Revaritalab, Ashfaq Nagar, Pilikothi, Badi Bazar, Bunkar Colony on Tuesday. Small groups of weavers could be found extending their support to the agitation.
The Pancho Bunkar Biradarna Tanzim office bearers and members could be found holding a meeting with their Sardar (chief) Haji Ali Ahmed. Ahmed said, “Our demand is very simple and clear that we should be given power supply against the fixed charges to run our weaving units. We had opposed the new provision of power tariff on meter reading basis as soon as it was introduced. Situation has worsened after the work was halted for past months due to Covid-19.”
Senior member of this Tanzim, Ramjan Ali Ansari said, “After the work halt due to lockdown we were expecting a special package but instead the government gave us an extra burden of power consumption cost at commercial rate. The industry earns huge foreign exchange and generates revenue through exporters and traders but the material for sale is supplied weavers who cannot survive in new power tariff structure.”
They claimed that regarding the issue, a delegation of weavers led by BJP MLC Ashok Dhawan had met CM Yogi Adityanath but despite his assurance of looking into the matter sympathetically, nothing was done. A large number of weavers had already sold their powerloom machines to scrap vendors and shifted to other works like construction labourers in past few months, they said.
The weavers are divided in different tanzims (sects) known as Pancho, Baraho, Chaudaho, Baisi and Bawani, they said adding that all the tanzims are extending support this indefinite strike. The Baisi-ke-Sardar Haji Abdul Kalam in Kajisadullapura and Chaudaho-ke-Sardar Maqbool Hassan in Katehar said that fixed power tariffs for weaving units is the only solution against their problem.
They said that 60% of the weavers are Hindus, who also have joined the strike due to same reasons. They said that they would continue their strike and agitation following Covid-19 restrictions.