Theatre personality Prasanna resigns from special cell to promote rural industries in Karnataka

Noted theatre personality Prasanna, who is also the founder of Charaka Multipurpose Industrial Co-operative Society, has resigned as head of the Mahatma Gandhi Vastrodyama Kosha, a special cell under the Department of Textiles and Handloom of Karnataka, which was set up to promote Gandhi-inspired rural industries.

He cited recent developments concerning rural institutions. In a letter to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar dated November 12, Mr. Prasanna said he was hurt by what he described as a series of setbacks to the rural development sector at a time when villagers were migrating to cities.

At Heggodu in Sagar taluk, he said, officials demolished a pedestal built to mark the dedication of a tank rejuvenated by Charaka, and the organisation was ‘unnecessarily accused of encroaching on the tank’. The tank had been dedicated by local MLA Belur Gopalakrishna after Ganga Pooja.

At Badanavalu in Mysuru district, he said, officials demolished the Gandhi Ashram of the Badanavalu Khadi Kendra about two months ago, against a Gram Sabha decision. He also said the government of Karnataka had closed the Handloom Development Corporation.

He told The Hindu that the Constitution envisaged village administration being carried out at the village level. Gram Sabhas were intended to function on par with legislative assemblies, and this principle had been recognised in the Constitution itself.

However, it was not being implemented in letter and spirit, he said. He was also upset that gram panchayat employees and officers were being treated as servants by tahsildars, deputy commissioners and ministers. Their opinions were neither sought nor respected, and the views of people living in the respective areas were not given due consideration.

Mr. Prasanna said the cell was conceived after then chief minister Siddaramaiah announced it in his Budget (2023-24) with a grant of ₹1 crore. It was to be a Section 8 company (under the Companies Act), with 51% of the shares held by participating institutions and 49% by the State Government.

He said there had been no progress since then. He said he would go on a hunger strike if the Chief Minister did not respond positively to the concerns raised in his resignation letter.