Normal life in the State capital was affected on Monday following State bandh called by jewellers who were protesting under various banners against the Centre slapping 1 per cent excise duty on the non-silver ornaments. Shops and private offices were allegedly forcibly shut down by the protesters in Kuman region too. Interestingly, a section of the BJP leaders, including the party’s Mahanagar president Umesh Aggarwal, were seen supporting the jewellers’ demand while hitting the roads on Monday.
Several other parties like Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiv Sena and Communist Party of India (CPI) threw weight behind the agitating jewellers on the issue of excise duty that triggered the dragging stir in the form of shuttering—down of the jewellery shops interspersed with Dehradun shutdown calls against the ‘unmoved’ Centre. Importantly, the protest entered its 34th day on Monday.
Dehradun based jewelers have been agitating under the banners of various associations like Sarafa Mandal, Jewellers’ Association of Uttranchal, District Jewellers Union, Uttarakhand Jewellers Union, Doon Udyog Vyapar Pratinidhimandal and Prantiya Udyog Vyapar Pratinidhimandal.
The bandh evoked partial response in Dehradun with the shops and markets remaining mostly closed. Public transport was partially affected. In many areas in the city, the protesters allegedly forced the traders to shut down the shops. They took out a rally from Dhamawala in support of the bandh. They were, however, stopped at the barricade put up by police at Clock Tower. In order to maintain peace in the city, district police had deployed Rapid Action Force at the protest site and other places in the State capital. In Rishikesh, police arrested several protesters who were later released.
The protesters had used several vehicles and fitting them with loud speakers, they moved about the city, asking the people to make the bandh a success. Their target was the shop -keepers who chose to keep shops open. Many of the shops were closed subsequently. Bandh was partial in Kumaon region too. Most of the shops and the markets were closed while traffic was thin as compared to normal days.
In Dehradun, shops, business establishments and commercial centres remained shuttered. Educational institutions mostly remained closed too. The number of city buses and auto-rickshaws, including Vikrams, was less than that of the normal days, particularly, in the morning hours. Things continued till noon.
A protester said, "Our bandh call has evoked overwhelming support from the public. It is peaceful and a complete success."
Heavy police forces were deployed to avoid untoward incident when the agitators took out the rally. later, they sat on demonstration and shouted slogans against the Central government.
Vice—president, JAU which has been spearheading the stir along with others, Sunil Masson said that they have been protesting for the past 34 days with the Centre remaining unmoved. The Centre should immediately roll back the decision and raise the limit of requirement of PAN card for jewellery transaction from `2 lakhs to `10 lakh, he said, adding warningly that their stir would intensify further unless the Centre steps in to meet their demand.