Goldsmiths in Kashi protest PM’s appeal, sell ‘jhalmuri’ to highlight business woes

Members of the goldsmith community staged a unique protest at the district headquarters on Wednesday against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to the public to avoid purchasing gold and silver jewellery.

During the protest, members of the community sold jhalmuri as a symbolic gesture to register their dissent against the government’s appeal.

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The protesting goldsmiths said the Prime Minister’s recent appeal, made in the interest of the nation, had directly affected their businesses. Traders alleged that the number of customers in the market had declined following the appeal, adversely impacting trade.

Representatives of the goldsmith community said that if the situation continued, thousands of families dependent on the trade would face financial hardship.

They added that people engaged in the jewellery business conduct their trade honestly, pay taxes to the government, and support their families through this profession.

They urged the government to reconsider such appeals and not leave the goldsmith community “in the lurch.” The protesters also warned that if their concerns were not addressed soon, they would intensify their agitation in the coming days.