Need concrete welfare measures, not political gimmicks, say Nethanna leaders

Telangana weavers seek supportive measures from the state government (Supplied)

The KCR-led TRS government, on 7 August, launched the Nethanna Ku Bima, a ₹5 lakh insurance scheme for the 80,000 weavers in the state.

మానవ మనుగడకు రైతన్న తరువాత ముఖ్య భూమిక నిర్వహించేది నేతన్న!

అటువంటి నేతన్నకు ఆపద వస్తే ఆదుకునేందుకు కేసీఆర్ సర్కార్ మానవీయ కోణంలో రైతు బీమా తరహాలో తెస్తున్న మరో అద్భుత సంక్షేమ పథకం నేతన్నకు బీమా#WeaverLifeInsurance#KCR #NationalHandloomDay #TelanganaWithWeavers pic.twitter.com/Eh4TD3g5ez

— KTR (@KTRTRS) August 7, 2022

Leaders of the weavers call it a political gimmick to woo the crucial vote bank of the community for the Assembly elections next year, and the upcoming Munugode by-election.

While the TRS leaders have hailed the scheme as one among the many measures taken by the TRS government for the welfare of the weaver community, the Congress and the BJP claim that the weavers’ support is with them.

However, the leaders of the Weavers Federation opine that everything that any political party in the state has done for them is like a drop in the ocean.

Political gimmick

Weavers United Joint Action Committee (JAC) Chairman Suresh Dasu told South First, “The political parties are aware that many weavers have committed suicide owing to a severe crisis in the industry. They are aware that they should support the weavers.”

Telangana handloom weavers (Supplied)

However, Dasu added, “Whatever they have done so far is not even five percent of the task. The political parties get active only when they have to seek votes.”

Dasu called the Nethanna Ku Bima scheme a political gimmick and said it was only an attempt to emotionally impact the voters.

He also pointed out the delay in the announcement of the scheme.

“KTR, the Industries Minister, announced that they will provide insurance to the weavers in 2018, and it took him four long years to implement it,” he said.

“They (the TRS) are going to utilise this scheme in the next elections to gain votes from this community,” he said.

He added that the scheme is merely a protection plan and will not solve the problems of the weavers.

Despite holding a key position in Telangana politics, the weavers’ community, or the Padmasalis, have not had many political leaders among them.

Not many Padmasali leaders

Dasu opined that the weavers should be politically more active to bring about a qualitative change in their lives.

“More political leaders from the Padmasali community must be given opportunities by the political parties. Only then the concerns of weavers would be highlighted, empowerment would happen, and issues might be resolved,” Dasu said.

Padmasalis are mostly found in the districts of Warangal, Karimnagar, Sircilla, Srikakulam, Bhuvangiri and Pochampalli, though there are communities in many other regions as well.

The weavers, however, seek government intervention in more pressing issues concerning their welfare.

Ever-pending Society elections

They point to the fact that no elections have been held in the state’s 527 Primary Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Societies (PHWCS) for the past nine years. These societies are crucial to managing the affairs of the weaving industry and resolving its problems.

Elections to the PHWCS were last held in 2013, and the terms of the elected bodies ended in 2018, Dasu noted.

Instead of conducting fresh elections, the government has been extending the terms of the incumbent office bearers every six months, he said.

“Everyone knows how cooperative societies are vital to fighting for the rights of weavers. But the government only announces budgets and does not issue funds to hold elections,” Dasu said.

Former president of the Bapuji Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society in Huzurabad, Venkata Narayana told South First, “The government is holding elections for various cooperative societies linked to agriculture and other sectors, but not for handloom weavers’ societies.”

Forego GST tax share

Telangana handloom weavers (Supplied)

The weavers also urge the state government to forego its share in the five percent GST on handlooms that the Union government has been imposing.

Assistant Professor of Sociology at the NMIMS Hyderabad Sreerumulu Goshikonda told South First, “Even though the state government is by default eligible for its share of the tax, it should use the SGST annual amount for the welfare of the weavers.”

Sreeramulu added that such a move by the state government would indeed prove its commitment to the welfare of the weavers.

He noted that the state government had not given any clarity on its share in the GST on handlooms yet.

Meanwhile, Dasu alleged that the government needs to check existing malpractices in the handloom industry, which have been causing losses to the weavers.

“Fake silk and other goods which are sold at much lesser prices than the cost of production. This leads to loss of wages for the weavers, and they are not getting enough returns out of their investment, efficiency, and skill,” he told South First.

Corporate intervention

Dasu finds the role of corporates equally important to uplift the weavers.

He alleged, “Many corporates are not contributing towards the mandatory two percent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Neither the state government is buying nor promoting the products as they should.”

Sreeramulu suggested that the state government buy the handloom products for its institutions to help the weavers.

“Whatever the weavers are producing towels, blankets, bedsheets, and other items, the State government can buy them for their institutions, colleges, schools, and offices. The money should then be given to weavers then,” he said, adding that the government should regularly appeal to the public to buy handloom products as a part of Telangana’s culture.