Srinagar July 21,(KNS): Speaking at a press conference on Monday, senior CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami paid tribute to the martyrs of the 1924 Silk Factory protest in Srinagar and used the occasion to highlight the plight of today’s working class.

According to KNS, Tarigami said that on July 21, 1924, unarmed silk mill workers took to the streets in darkness, demanding fair wages and better working conditions. Instead of listening, the Dogra regime responded with bullets. “They gave their sweat, blood and even their lives to produce silk, while others wore it in luxury,” he remarked.

He recalled that 7 to 10 workers were killed and many were arrested that day. “Today, that old silk factory still stands, though very few care for what happened there. It was a turning point in Kashmir’s labour movement,” he said.

Tarigami accused successive governments of failing workers.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“Even now, thousands of scheme workers Anganwadi, ASHA, mid-day meal cooks wait for their wages for months. They serve the people but are denied dignity,” he stated, urging the government to implement the recommendation of ?26,000 as minimum monthly wage.

He also expressed concern over growing curbs on press freedom. “Even small advertisements are being weaponised to silence newspapers. We fought for the freedom of expression don’t choke it,” he said.

Calling upon the Union and J&K governments, Tarigami said, “Don’t dishonor democracy. Don’t dishonor the workers. Treat them as human beings.”

He ended by saluting the martyrs of 1924 and said their sacrifice should remind everyone that the struggle for workers’ rights and dignity must go on.(KNS)