VOLUNTEERS OF Vision Society, a non-government organisation, staged a dharna outside the district headquarters on Tuesday to highlight the plight of weavers. The activists were demanding government facilities to improve the conditions of the city weavers.
Secretary of Vision, Jagriti Rahi, who was leading the demonstration, said the market of handloom weaving was facing recession and the worst sufferer was the handloom industry where these weavers worked on daily wages.
She said the poor economic conditions were responsible fro suicides weavers in Varanasi. She demanded distribution of red cards for the weavers.
Dr Mohamad Arif said handloom weaving was an art and the need of the hour was to protect and preserve this art. He added increase in silk items and competition by China and saris made in the domestic market were the main reasons behind decline in the Benarsi sari industry.
Arif said weavers were getting only assurances from the State and Central governments but nothing concrete was done. He said Vision Society had been working for welfare of weavers since the last five years.
He said Vision had observed weavers in Nakhighat, Saraya and Badi Bazar were hardly getting two square meals a day. He added Vision had submitted a report to the administration for the issuance of red cards to weavers in this area but nothing had been done yet.
{{/usCountry}}He said Vision had observed weavers in Nakhighat, Saraya and Badi Bazar were hardly getting two square meals a day. He added Vision had submitted a report to the administration for the issuance of red cards to weavers in this area but nothing had been done yet.
{{/usCountry}}Saba Iqbal of Vision opined the State government should declare the status of Benarsi sari industry as a traditional art.
Others who addressed the dharna included Yasin Muqadam, Vijay Pratap Bharti, Mumtaz Khan Farooq, Asha Pushpanjali and Sanjay Singh. A five-point charter of demands was handed over to a representative of DM to be forwarded to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.