The handloom civil disobedience movement in Karnataka that started in Bengaluru on the National Handloom Day on August 7 has now expanded to northern parts of the state with weavers recently protesting in front of the Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation (KHDC) head office in Hubballi city under the leadership of khadi activist Prasanna Heggodu.

The protest demonstration by Gram Seva Sangha, Karnataka Kaimagga Nekarara Sangha and other organisations urged the state government to invest ₹2,000 crore over a period of five years to revive cotton and handloom sector on the Amul model, to benefit 1.50 lakh families in the region, according to Indian media reports.

This movement started when weavers started selling their products on the streets, opposing the renting out of KHDC godowns in Bengaluru, according to Prasanna.

Handloom products should be excluded from good and services tax, weavers should be offered additional wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Scheme (MGNREGS), and handloom clothes should be supplied to schools, he said.

The protest would be intensified, if the government fails to respond, Prasanna added. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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