Salon owners and workers under the banner of the Jharkhand Salon and Beauty Parlour Association took to the streets on Thursday, protesting against the state government’s decision to keep salons shut because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around 600 men and women held banners and placards with slogans like “Hamara Salon Kab Khulega” (when will our salons open) and “Corona ne kiya arthik prahar, hum kaise chalayenge ghar parivar” (coronavirus has hit us economically, how shall we run our family) and went around various thoroughfares in Sakchi after the rally kicked off from the Aambagan grounds.

After covering about 2.5km, the rally culminated at the district collectorate where a delegation of the association went to the deputy commissioner’s office and submitted a memorandum highlighting their demands.

“We are suffering a loss of earnings due to the lockdown . It’s high time that the state government allowed us to work as thousands of salon and parlour workers are suffering in the lockdown. It’s disheartening to see that everyone is resuming business while we are sitting idle . We do not have big savings. The government must consider allowing us to reopen otherwise we have no option but to protest,” said D.C. Choudhary, the president of the association and owner of DC Lounge, a leading salon in the city.

The association’s members also demanded that they should be allowed exemption for three months’ rent, water, electricity and school fees.

There are around 1, 200 small and big salon and beauty parlours in Jamshedpur.

Around 22,000 people are associated with this profession.