Weaver leaders who have been protesting for the government’s attention to their dire situation during COVID-19, and prevented from reaching Hyderabad for the ‘Chalo Assembly’, have bigger plans in store.
In Nalgonda, Padmashali leader Ele Chandrasekhar was taken to Chandur police station and later let off. Leaders across the State too, were either bound over or confined to their homes by the police.
A close tab on several leaders, who have been active through relay and hunger strikes in the past few weeks, continues as Assembly Sessions are in progress. Their demands include purchase of their finished goods, setting up a corporation, a yarn depot, ‘Cheneta Bandhu’ investment support on the lines of Rythu Bandhu, among others.
In Hyderabad, National Weavers United JAC leader Dasu Suresh, who gave the Chalo Assembly call said it was an “unfortunate situation for weavers in Telangana”. “In the last five months, during the COVID-19 period, 12 weavers had committed suicide and 73 others died due to health and financial reasons. Why can’t the government conduct studies like Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, to assess the damage to handloom industry during this crisis?,” he asked.
According to Padmashali Yuvajana Sangham president Avvari Bhaskar, a lot of weavers are frustrated and waiting to hear from the government, particularly through the ongoing Assembly Sessions.
“But, if we are left in difficult situation, we won’t hesitate to register a mass protest like the farmers did in Nizamabad Lok Sabha election. We will file at least 600 nominations for Dubbak bypoll, and attract 40,000 weavers’ votes,” he said.
Other leaders said they are also meeting senior leaders from both Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the Congress, to deliberate on the impending crisis.