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Weavers’ issue turns big

Politicisation of the weavers’ issue in Tamil Nadu continues unabated, with little thought being given to the improving the plight of the weavers.

The former chief minister and the DMK chief, Mr M Karunanidhi, has called for a state wide stir on Aug 19 to focus the Centre’s attention to the plight of the opposition parties canvassing for the welfare of the poor weavers. This could easily trigger law and order problem because there is nothing to guarantee that the agitators would not speak ill of Ms Jayalalithaa even as they speak in support of the weavers. Actually, this happened last week in Madurai where the dethroned Chennai mayor and Mr Karunanidhi’s son, Mr M K Stalin, were scheduled to distribute gruel to the poor weavers at a DMK sponsored kanji thotti. As usual, Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK men distributed biryani to woo the weavers away from the DMK mercy. There was utter melee and the police made the DMK cancel its gruel scheme. The weavers enjoyed AIADMK’s biryani. But, in the bargain, a former minister, former speaker of the state assembly and a host of DMK men were attacked by the police and imprisoned.

Following this, the DMK has appealed to the state governor, Mr P S Ramamohan Rao, to suspend the police commissioner, Mr Suriyaprasad. The DMK has passed a resolution urging the Centre to warn the state government suitably. The DMK MPs have called on the president, Dr Abdul Kalam, and urged him to take due note of the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. In other words, although not explicitly asked, the DMK is keen to get the Jayalalithaa government dismissed under Article 356 of the Constitution and the state government is maintaining that nothing to warrant such an action has occurred.

Now, Mr Stalin has said that soon the party would consider launching a jail roko, to pressurise the state and the Centre. Mr Karunanidhi has since advised his partymen to continue with the kanji thotti scheme in all the places where the weavers are suffering. He has said that the DMK had always supported the weavers and in the initial stages, he himself had carried the woven dhothis and towels on his shoulders and sold them for the benefit of the weavers. He has also said that he introduced the practice of adorning the personalities in public meetings with hand-woven towels and shawls instead of garlands to help the poor weavers. This was followed with the free supply of dhothis and saris to the poor which, in turn, gave employment and earnings to the weavers. He has accused the Jayalalithaa government of having stopped this and instead, encouraging the powerloom products from Andhra Pradesh.

Collectively, therefore, the weavers’ issue is continuing to occupy prominent position in Tamil Nadu politics. Never before has a single issue of the textile industry gained this much national attention. Even as both the Dravidian parties are seriously fighting to gain patronage of the weavers, the condition of the weavers continues to be pathetic as the government’s relief measures have not helped them. The first measure of 20 kgs of rice to the suffering weavers has failed because of many an impractical rider attached to it. Likewise, the government’s new order for weaving is also of little help to the majority of the weavers because of the stipulation that the order is based on the loom rather than the people working on the loom. So, only one tenth of the total number of weavers would be eligible to get orders for new clothes. Even the latest scheme to sell dhothis and saris through fair price shops has not benefited the weavers because only a portion of the payment has been released. There is a dispute in regard to the payment for the procurement already made and remaining undistributed under the scheme. Weavers have, therefore, branded these measures as an eye-wash.

On the contrary, they have demanded immediate settlement of the pension and pending payments which the government has promised through periodical statements. Now, the weavers are also objecting to the indiscriminate distribution of gruel and biryani as it affects their self-esteem. This week, at least in two places - Nagal Nagar in Dindigul and Chinnalampatti - which are famous for their Chungudi saris all over the country, the weavers virtually chased the politicians away. By now, knowledgeable weavers have begun to insist on long-term economic measures to give them employment - like technological upgradation to make the weavers globally competitive and aggressive marketing. They are telling the politicians not to play with their lives using cheap gimmicks. “At least, you should write this,” said Mr Mathaiyan, a progressive weaver of Dindigul to this columnist!

– P S Sundar