25th-day on Strike
KEA demands rollback of act
While the Valley jewelers strike against government’s proposal to levy 1 per cent excise duty on gold, entered 25th day on Monday, the association held protests march from Saraf Kadal to Baba demb and were demanding rollback of the act.
The jewelers who have pegged their tents in Srinagar city at Saraf Kadal marched towards Khanyar via Baba Demb and were chanting slogans like ‘we want justice’.
Led by Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) president, Muhammad Yaseen Khan, the protests were holding banners displaying ‘Rollback the act’.
Speaking during the protest march, KEA president said that the government of India’s proposal to levy 1 per cent excise duty on gold should be roll backed from the state. “With the proposal by the GoI, the valley jewelers are going to face tough time in the state. The authorities are ignoring the hardships of valley jewelers,” he said.
He said that the authorities should fulfill the demands of valley jewelers soon as the strike entered into 25th day today and due to which they faced tremendous loss.
Khan also said that the recommendations given by the Government of India should be looked seriously. “We are living in the sensitive state where such kinds of act will prove dangerous to the people belonging to this trade. In this state, there is administrational pressure too. We appeal Government of India as well as the state government to look into the matter and redress the genuine grievances of traders soon,” KEA president said.
The members of (Anjuman-e-Zargaraan) association also spoke in the rally and were demanding rollback of the recently implemented law in the state. “We are facing tremendous hardships from last couple of days and the authorities are acting as mute spectators with taking no action in this regard,” they said.
They later appealed Government of India to look into the matter and redress their genuine grievances at earliest.
