Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 9: As the indefinite strike entered 39th day today, the bullion traders asked the Government to hang them but revoke the excise duty decision on non-silver jewellery.
Amid anti-Government slogans, large number of jewellers, swarnkars, karigars and artisans assembled at Jain Bazaar and held protest.
Tying ropes around their neck, the protesters asked the Government to hang them but don’t punish them by imposing excise duty on gold ornaments as the decision will force jewellers to die on daily basis.
Addressing the protestors at Jain Bazar, Raman Suri, Chairman, Sarafa Association and Swarnkar Sangh Joint Action Committee Jammu Province said “If the Government is trying to punish the jewellers, then it should clearly announce hanging punishment for bullion traders. Imposing excise duty will force the jewellers to die on daily basis”.
“We are protesting on the roads for over a month now but the Government is still mum towards our issue. The time has come to change the strategy of our protest”, Suri said and warned that if the Government failed to revoke the excise duty decision before Ram Navmi, then jewellers will change their peaceful protest to aggressive mode.
Vijay Kumar Verma, General Secretary Sarafa Association Jammu, Parjan Kumar Jain, President Sarafa Association Jammu, Kulbhushan Anand, President Swarnkar Sangh Jammu District, Surinder Jain, Treasure Sarafa Association Jammu and executive members of Sarafa Association Ajay Talla, Rakesh Mahajan, Sanjay Jain, CL Khajuria, CL Puri, Vijay Saraf and Darshan Dhalla besides many others were present during the protest.
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