Mysore/Mysuru: Leaders of various organisations that supported the fortnight-long strike by employees of the Mysore Silk Filature Factory, run by the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC), have set a Mar. 15 deadline for the State Government to withdraw its proposal to construct a stadium within the factory premises.

The strike had brought operations to a standstill at the thread extraction unit in T. Narasipur and also affected silk weaving units in Mysuru and Channapatna.

The protest was withdrawn after authorities assured the workers that an alternative site would be identified for the stadium and that the Filature Factory would not be disturbed. Following the assurance, the employees resumed work.

Wearing black armbands

At a meeting held on Friday, leaders of the supporting organisations passed several resolutions. They warned that if the Government fails to formally withdraw the stadium proposal by Mar. 15, environmental groups, farmers’ associations, Dalit organisations, Kannada advocacy groups and progressive organisations will unite to launch an intensified agitation.

According to Parashuramegowda, General Secretary of the ‘Parisarakkagi Naavu’ organisation, the assurance given by Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah to reconsider the stadium proposal based on a technical report was welcomed.

“Trusting the assurances of Dr. Yathindra and the KSIC Managing Director, the workers have returned to duty,” he said. However, he added that until the Government officially withdraws the stadium plan, the workers will continue their protest by wearing black armbands and refusing to work overtime. Organisations that supported the workers’ strike said, they will continue to exert pressure on the Government through various forms of protest.

Among those present at the meeting were Hosakote Basavaraju, Alagoodu Shivakumar, Kiragasuru Shankar and several other leaders, including Prasad Nayak, Jeevanuru Vijayendra, Yogesh, Mahesh, Mahadevaswamy, Karohatti Kumaraswamy, Boodalli Shankar, Shanthakumar Kothegal, Raju, Mahadev and representatives of ‘Parisarakkagi Naavu’ such as Banu Prashanth, Gantaiah, Vishwanath and Sindhuvalli Akbar.