Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 26: The jewelers strike entered 25th day today. The jewelers all over India went on strike on March 2 this year against the imposition of Excise duty on production and manufacturing of gold jewellery.
On the 25th day of strike today all the jewelers, Swarnkars, Karigars and artisans assembled at Jain Bazaar here and sat on dharna. Unlike other days , no rally was taken out after the dharna. The protestors adopted the saying, “action speaks louder than words”. All of the protestors tied black cloth on their mouths and sat on dharna, without uttering even a single word.
One of the members of Swankar Sangh, Rahil Verma, who regularly attended dharnas and rallies, died today after short illness and was cremated at Jogi Gate here. A two minutes silence was also observed to pay tributes to the departed soul.
While talking to media, Raman Suri, Chairman Sarafa Association and Swarnkar Sangh Joint Action Committee Jammu province said “ today we
are mum with black cloth on our mouths. This indicates our extreme anger towards the Union Ministry, as the Union Ministry is also mum over this issue”, he added.
He said that yesterday he went to Kapurthala district in neighboring Punjab to attend the Cremation of Kamal Narayan Babbar ,president Sarafa Association and Sawarankar Sangh, Kapurthala Punjab who died of cardiac arrest on the day of Holi due to heavy stress of the ongoing agitation. It was the same day when every jeweler of the country decided not to celebrate the Holi and called it as Black Holi, he added.
He further said that hundreds of jewelers across the country attended the cremation of Babbar, a great social leader who fought enthusiastically for the jewellers.
Parjan Kumar Jain, president Sarafa Association Jammu, Raj Kumar Babber, All India vice president Swarankar Sangh and president Swarnkar Sangh, Jammu province, Kulbhushan Anand president Swarankar Sangh Jammu district , Vijay Verma , general secretary Sarafa Association Jammu, Ajay Vaid general secretary Swarnkar Sangh Jammu and all the prominent jewelers sat on the dharna.