Mysuru silk saree supply may be hit by protest against stadium at KSIC filature factory

The protest against the proposal to build a stadium on the KSIC filament mill premises at T. Narsipura in Mysuru district of Karnataka intensified on February 25 when employees of KSIC’s weaving units in Mysuru and Channapatna joined the agitation.

Around 700 workers from the Mysuru weaving unit, 150 from Channapatna and around 190 from the spinning mill remained away from duty, disrupting operations and raising concerns about the potential impact on the production of GI-tagged Mysuru silk saris.

Striking weaving unit workers came together with their colleagues in T. Narsipura in a show of solidarity. “Without raw silk from the filament mill, the weaving units in Mysuru and Channapatna cannot function,” said a KSIC source.

The ongoing disruption may affect the supply of Mysuru silk saris, which are in high demand, officials said.

KSIC, a major buyer of cocoon markets in Kollegal, Ramanagara and Sidlaghatta, may also trigger a ripple effect; The strike is likely to affect cocoon prices and therefore sericulture farmers.

The protest in T. Narsipura also attracted environmentalists under the banner of Parisarakkagi Naavu, led by former MLA AT Ramaswamy. Environmental activist Parashuremegowda said the group will continue to support the workers until the Karnataka government abandons its plan to build the stadium.

The five-acre filament land is home to hundreds of trees, many over a century old, and supports a rich ecosystem of birds, animals, insects and butterflies, he said. “It’s unfair to destroy so much biodiversity for a stadium,” he said.

Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, who visited the protest site on February 24, said he had written a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah opposing the project. He questioned the logic of building a stadium within a functioning factory, especially as Mysuru silk saris produced from raw silk supplied by the unit continue to see strong demand.

He also underlined the historical importance of the factory, which was established by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1912, and called for its preservation.