Time to patent Banarasi sari

WEAVERS AND members of an NGO staged a sit-in at the district headquarters on Monday, demanding immediate patenting of the Banarasi sari. They said this was the only way to mitigate the suffering of weavers who were committing suicide due to import of Chinese silk. Volunteers of the Human Welfare Association and the Banaras Bunkar Samiti, who participated in the sit-in, decried the ?apathetic attitude? of the Union and the State Governments towards the plight of weavers.

WEAVERS AND members of an NGO staged a sit-in at the district headquarters on Monday, demanding immediate patenting of the Banarasi sari.

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They said this was the only way to mitigate the suffering of weavers who were committing suicide due to import of Chinese silk.

Volunteers of the Human Welfare Association and the Banaras Bunkar Samiti, who participated in the sit-in, decried the ‘apathetic attitude’ of the Union and the State Governments towards the plight of weavers.

Human Welfare Association director Dr Rajnikant said the traditional art of making Banarasi sari was on the verge of extinction, as neither the Union, nor the State Government was paying proper attention towards the artisans. He said the government should immediately get Banarasi sari patented to address the problems of weavers.

Banaras Bunkar Samiti president Deepchand said that weavers were being harassed on the pretext of power dues. He regretted there was no financial assistance for weavers.

Sheela Devi said 40 per cent of the men had migrated from their villages to earn a living.

Over 200 weavers and their family members took out a procession from the Circuit House to the district headquarters, where a rally was held.

Tuffail Kadri, Lalchand Ram, Munnilal, Reeta Devi, Malti, Nirmala, Rampatti, Jiyut Prasad and Shivmurat Shahi also participated in the protest.