URGENT ACTIONS

India: Weavers in Andhra Pradesh face hunger and starvation

On 2nd October 2008, two weavers Galipalli Laxman (male, age 55) and P. Raju (male age 35) committed suicide in Sircilla town, Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. The reason for committing suicide was that they were no longer able to feed themselves and their families and to pay their debts due to lack of earnings and no means for survival. A day before on 1st October 2008, four people in Sircilla town died due to illness caused by long periods of under nourishment.

Background

Sircilla town with a population of 100,000 persons is a major power loom weaving centre in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. Handloom weaving developed in Sircilla town in the 1920s. Over time, the skilled weavers of Sircilla developed unique designs and a niche market for their products. The looms gave employment to thousands of people, directly or indirectly. By 1990, the area had 10,000-12,000 power looms (owned by 800 people), providing a reasonable livelihood to over 15,000 families. However, their situation drastically deteriorated due to government policies.

In the 1990s the government vigorously pursued policies of liberalisation. With a thrust on increasing production, power looms were encouraged to upgrade technology and funds were allotted for upgrading. They were also provided subsidies to import looms. But this approach failed as the policy-makers had not looked at the issue comprehensively. For instance, the yarn from the extra-long staple cotton grown in India is not suitable for the imported looms. Similarly, they did not consider the availability of power and water, which are required to run the imported jet and water looms. The government has systematically withdrawn from providing the weavers market guarantee or access to inputs at a reasonable price, thereby worsening their situation.

The result was that the weavers do not have work, sustainable wages and means to feed themselves and their families. Presently around 12,000 families depend on weaving in Sircilla to feed themselves. They are deeply indebted because they take loans to run their power looms or meet their household expenses. Due to low income they are unable to pay back their loans and get into a cycle of debt. Almost all the weaver families are below poverty line but they are however not identified as the poorest among the poor and only some of them have the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration cards that would help them avail subsidized food grains from the Public Distribution System (PDS). Even for families who have ration cards the food grains from the PDS allows a second meal only for 7 to 10 days. The quantity of rice from the PDS does not cover all the days of month. Giving meagre rations to the family cannot replace guaranteed cash transfers and/or employment guarantee programmes and the weavers will continue facing imminent death for want of food or lack of means of livelihood.

The situation faced by women is very grave. When men commit suicide because of unemployment and increasing debts the women in the family who have never performed wage labour before are forced due to difficult circumstances to go to work in the beedi industry. Beedi is hand rolled cigarette and the monthly income for rolling beedis is INR 1000 - 1500. This income is not enough to feed the family and women face hunger and threatened by starvation. In Sircilla around 5,000 widows work in the beedi industry.

FIAN Mandate

India is a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Therefore it is duty- bound under international law to fulfil its people’s right to feed themselves. By not admitting weavers to any programme meant to fulfil their right to food and by failing to introduce an action plan to find a solution to  the situation of the weavers the state of Andhra Pradesh and hence India is in breach of its international obligations under the Covenant and violates their right to food .

Call For Action

An international action is urgently needed to fulfil the right to food of weavers and their families in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. Please write polite letters to the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh with a copy to the Prime Minister of requesting them to meet their obligations under the human right to food and guarantee access to food to the families who lost members of their families and others in a similar situation in Karimnagar district.