In a novel protest, thousands of handloom weavers from across Telangana have sent postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding immediate withdrawal of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on handlooms.

Before taking a rally to the General Post Office (GPO) at the Abids here on Monday with bags full of postcards, scores of farmers held a dharna at the Nizam’s College Grounds.

Holding placards and raising slogans against levying 5 per cent. GST on handlooms and raw materials, they displayed bags containing postcards written by handloom weavers in different parts of the State.

“The tax on handlooms and raw material could make weavers jobless. Future looks bleak for them,” they said.

In the postcards, they asked the Centre to revive facilities like life insurance and subsidy on yarn. They also demanded the government to revive boards to take care of issues related to handloom and powerlooms.

“The Government had planned to increase the tax slab to 12 per cent. But they had shelved the idea following widespread protests,” legislator L Ramana said.

Online petition

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President K T Rama Rao has launched the postcard campaign a week ago. He also started an online petition, appealing to the Union Government to remove the GST on handloom products in order to safeguard the lives of weavers and protect India’s cultural heritage. The petition said that the country is home to about 50 lakh handloom workers that produce unique products. “GST on handlooms is a direct threat to millions of people who earn their livelihoods in the handloom sector. Weavers across the country unanimously oppose taxes on handloom since it had resulted in huge losses, forcing many to turn away from the traditional craft,” he said in the petition.

“The handloom sector is reeling under the impact of the Covid pandemic and any move to increase the tax will sound the death knell for the sector,” he said.

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