Twitter
Advertisement

Time to cocoon our silk farmers from debt trap, imports

Sitting on the steps of Town Hall, waiting for the protest rally to reach the venue, 65-year-old Bore Gowda, silently watched the Saturday traffic — the chaos and the commotion.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Sitting on the steps of Town Hall, waiting for the protest rally to reach the venue, 65-year-old Bore Gowda, silently watched the Saturday traffic — the chaos and the commotion.

His sombre face giving nothing away, but there are emotions that only a father who has lost his son can understand. Swami Gowda, 35, and his 20-year-old wife Indramma, both silk farmers, committed suicide in Valageredoddi, Halagur, in Mandya district, leaving behind three children.

Speaking at the protest, Gowda said: “I do not need anything, but help the children.” After losing his son and daughter-in-law, he said, it had been difficult to get back to work. Organised by IT employees, IISc Concern, Sugathi and AID Bangalore, the candlelight vigil was organised to draw attention to the suicide.

Krishna Gowda of Karnataka Prantha Raihta Sangh (KPRS), who accompanied Bore Gowda to the rally, said the KPRS had demanded that a minimum of Rs10 lakh relief and the government take responsibility for the education and employment of Swami Gowda’s children.

He pointed out that the problem arises as, “The land records are in Bore Gowda’s name. So, authorities do not consider Swami Gowda a farmer.”

Currently, the authorities have promised to give each child Rs25,000 compensation, Bore Gowda has the copy of the bank account that was opened for them.

The problem
“They have cut the import duty on raw silk from 31 % to 5% and they there are also allowing duty-free import,” says T Yashwantha, sericulturist and KPRS member.

“This means that raw silk can be purchased from international markets at a very low price,” he added. How does this affect farmers?

“About 5-7 kg cocoons adds up to 1 kg of raw silk. The farmer buys cocoons at Rs300. So, 7 kg will cost Rs2,100. Silk reelers machine cost and labour cost comes up to Rs1,000. So, 1 kg of raw silk costs ¤3,100. However, with the cut in import duty, the same raw silk can be procured for ¤2,000 per kilo,” he says.

“The investment for 1 acre land is Rs40,000 per year.” However, the investment cost for a landless farmer increases as he works as a sharecropper, paying rent to work on a farm. Swami Gowda and his wife’s death is the first among sericulturists farmers after the announcement in the Union budget.

IT employees pitch in
“There is a disconnect between the urban and rural India. I have brought some students to the protest so that they can understand the problems being faced by our farmers,” said Prabodh CP, a college lecturer.

Hailing from a farming family, he said he felt the pulse of the situation. “We have a social responsibility as 70% of India still lives in rural areas and students need to be sensitised to these problems plaguing our farmers, because tomorrow, they are the ones who will be our future leaders and policy-makers,” he said.

Subhankar Chakraborty from Concern, an IISc students’ group, said: “Our first step is to, along with the IT employees, help this family. Secondly, we need to criticise the general policies of the government as it is withdrawing support from farmers.”

The protestors demanded that the family of the affected be given support and that silk industry and weavers be protected by the state and central government. Senthil S, one of the organisers, pointing out that while the medical fraternity has Dr Devi Shetty, there is no one to take up the cause of the farmers.

Showing support at their levels, students and IT professionals plan to screen Nero’s Guest, a film that highlights the plight of farmers and the suicides.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement