‘Govt thinks it can crush jewellers easily’

Congress has lent its support to the striking gold traders and jewellers, who have been demanding a rollback on excise duty. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi during his Mumbai visit said that imposing excise duty on jewellers is an assassination attempt on small traders and workers. However, he did not speak about gold workers who had committed suicide due to the strike.

Mr Gandhi reached Zaveri Bazaar after his visit to Deonar dumping ground. In his eight-minute speech, Mr Gandhi assured the gold trade community that Congress would be with them till the Narendra Modi government rolled back its decision to impose excise duty.

Mr Gandhi said, “This is not excise, but an assassination attempt on small traders and workers. It is the government’s job to balance things in the country. The government job is that of a judge and not of a lawyer,” he said.

Jewellers have been on strike since March 2 demanding a rollback of one per cent excise duty. Mr Gandhi added that the problem before India was that the government was doing the job of lawyer and not judge. “It is oppression of the weaker sections,” Mr Gandhi said.

Recalling Congress’ stand against the land acquisition amendment ordinance brought by the Centre, Mr Gandhi said, “Five-six big corporates and the government together sought to snatch farmers land, but Congress stood with the farmers. The government then backtracked.”

Three times the government wanted to enact the land bill but farmers and the Congress didn’t let that happen, he claimed.

“The government thinks that it can easily crush you (jewellers) that is why they have attacked you, he said, adding that seven crore workers engaged in the trade were being crushed.

The reality is your work is being sought to be given to a handful of big companies, he added. Mr Gandhi assured those gathered at Zaveri Bazaar that Congress would raise this issue in Parliament.

“Make in India is needed but justice is also needed. One-way development won’t benefit anyone,” Mr Gandhi said.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan and MRCC chief Sanjay Nirupam said Mr Gandhi was in Mumbai to show the Congress’ solidarity with the agitating jewellers.

Former Union minister Milind Deora said the 45-day-old agitation by jewellers was an unprecedented occurrence in the country. The traders asked me to bring Mr Gandhi to Mumbai, he said.

Also, a jewellers’ representative I. Singhal alleged their leader Fatesingh Ranka was threatened by a minister in the BJP-led government.

Meanwhile, gold workers were disappointed by Mr Gandhi’s speech. Babloo, one such artisan, said, “Mr Gandhi didn’t speak about our issue. Three gold workers had committed suicide during the strike due to unemployment and we are still ignored by traders and by political leaders, including Mr Gandhi.” Babloo, who came to the city from West Bengal in the late 90s, works at DG jewellers. According to him, the workers had suffered greatly during the strike.