TRS (BRS) working president and Minister KT Rama Rao’s postcard and online petition campaign against the Centre’s GST on handloom products is set to ramp up in the coming days. The party leadership also intends to pursue it at the national level after the Munugode bypoll.
Rama Rao had been vocally opposing the Centre’s decision to impose GST on handlooms, and on Saturday he launched a postcard campaign, while on Sunday he posted an online petition, urging the union government to remove the GST on handloom products in order to protect the interests of weavers and the country’s cultural heritage.
Soon after, TRS (BRS) leaders and cadre, as well as a number of citizens, joined both campaigns which are picking up pace.
Others who joined the postcard campaign on Monday included national award-winning poet Suddala Ashok Teja, Padmashri awardee and innovator Chintakindi Mallesham, Padmashree awardee and master weaver Gajam Govardhana, and Padmashree awardee and master handloom designer Gajam Anjaiah.
However, with several TRS (BRS) leaders and cadre involved in the Munugode bypoll, the party leadership is said to have decided to ramp up both campaigns at the national level in order to put pressure on the BJP-led union government to reverse the GST imposed on handloom products. According to TRS sources, the handlooms and textiles sector in India is the second largest employer with over 50 lakh weavers.
“The imposition of GST on handlooms will not only affect the livelihood of these 50 lakh workers, but also levy additional financial burden on the pockets of crores of Indians. Hence, the party is keen to scale up both these campaigns,” a senior functionary of the TRS said.
Plans are being developed to bring together like-minded forces from across the country in order to put pressure on the Centre. Furthermore, the party leadership is eager to take up these campaigns in a more organized manner, as failure to do so would result in the loss of livelihood and traditional crafts.
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