Assam: Curfew relaxed in Sualkuchi for ten hours

Sulakuchi/Guwahati: Curfew restrictions were relaxed for ten hours today in the silk town of Sualkuchi, where it was imposed following Saturday’s violent protests against synthetic silk.

The curfew was relaxed from 7 am to 5 pm by the district administration as the situation was limping back to normal and because of the Higher Secondary examinations, official sources said.

The restrictions had also been relaxed for three hours on Sunday.

The army was present in the town but did not conduct flag marches as the situation was calm, though the police and paramilitary forces were on patrol, the sources said.

Under Section 144 of the CrPC, Deputy Commissioner SK Roy prohibited the sale of Assamese attires made of genuine Assam Silk and imported Benarasi silk in the same shop from today in the district.

The silk clothes would have to be sold in separate shops with signboards clearly stating which variety was being stocked.

For protection of the local silk industry, the administration would also search for artificial silk clothes being sold as Muga and Paat silk. The process for trademarking the Sualkuchi silk would also be initiated, they added.

The influential All Assam Students Union staged a demonstration demanding protection of the indigenous silk industry and extension of the ban on sale of Benarasi silk as Sualkuchi silk to the entire state.

Earlier, during zero hour, Asom Gana Parishad Legislature Party leader Phani Bhushan Choudhury and party MLA Keshab Mahanta demanded a high-level inquiry into the violence and police firing on protesting weavers and locals on 30 March.

Choudhury said the weavers and the handloom sector in the town, famed for its unique golden Muga Silk and white Paat Silk, was facing threat due to import of cheap and artificial silk from outside the state.

The AGP leader asked the state government to set up a dedicated bank for supplying subsidised threads and handloom materials to weavers and also have a trademark to prevent proliferation of fake goods.

He said that under the Handloom Reservation Act, there was a provision that gamoshas (Assamese towels) and other items made on powerlooms were not considered genuine and the same should be done for Paat and Muga silk.

PTI