Attack by company security guards on activists addressing public meetings in support of Maruti Suzuki workers

Musclemen and Group Four security guards beat activists, snatch pamphlets, try to kidnap activists

New Delhi, 15 June. Activists of Bigul Mazdoor Dasta who were addressing public meetings in support of the workers agitation in Maruti Suzuki were attacked in Gurgaon and Manesar last evening and this morning by private security guards of Maruti Suzuki and musclemen allegedly hired by the company.

Roopesh Kumar of the Bigul Mazdoor Dasta said that they are holding street corner meetings in Manesar and Gurgaon and distributing pamphlets tomobilise support in favour of the workers’ demands. They were addressing a meeting in Aliyar village near the Maruti factory in Manesar when more than a dozen armed men reached there on bikes and a jeep and attacked them. They included uniformed guards of the Group Four company hired by the Maruti Suzuki company. They abused and beat them and chased away about 250 workers assembled there by threatning them with their weapons. They were shouting that this is "Maruti'sarea and no one will be allowed to speak against the management of Maruti".

This morning, the private security guards of Maruti Suzuki again attacked the activists in Maulahera village and sector 22 near the Gurgaon based plant ofMaruti Suzuki. A large number of Maruti workers live in this area. Armed guards in two vehicles beat up 8-9 activits and snatched about 2000 workers from them. They were trying to forcibly take two activists with them in the jeep but had to back off due to resistance of the workers and other activists. They went away brandishing their arms and shouting threats. The name of one of the guards was Rajkumar and his mobile number is 9891982269.

Bigul Mazdoor Dasta, Delhi Metro Kamgar Union and Citizens Front in Support of Workers Movement of Maruti Suzuki have severely condemned this incident. They have said that hired goons of Maruti in the garb of security guards are now attacking even those who are supporting the workers in a democratic manner. It seems like Gurgaon is now ruled by the Maruti Suzuki company instead of the Haryana administration and Maruti's security guards have usurped the role of police in the reagion.

They said the company is only hurting itself by indulging in such cheap tactics. This goondagardi and cheap tactics to break the workers strike by the company will be exposed throughout the country and even on international level. The recently formed Citizens Front in Support of Workers Movement of MarutiSuzuki has appealed to civil rights activists, intellectuals, jurists, media persons and social activists to support the Maruti workers agitating peacefully for their lawful rights. It has also called upon the people to send their protets to the Haryana Chief Minister and the top management of Maruti Suzuki India and Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan.

The front has said that the management is trying to end the strike by tiring out and threatening the workers and is using all sorts of lowly tactics. They are forcing the contract workers to take their wages and go away. Even the family members of workers are being pressurised to ask them to end the strike. For this reason the negotiations are dragging on despite the Maruti management adament on not accepting any of the demands.

The front has criticised the role of the central unions saying that some unions have been trying to "own" the agitation and claiming that the newly formed union is affiliated to them but the reality is that they have done nothing to support the workers except issuing statements in the media.

At least 2 million workers work in hundreds of units situated in the vast industrial belt in and around Gurgaon. There are around 1 million workers work in the units of automobile industry alone. These workers who produce auto parts for companies from all over the world in modern factories have to work in very bad conditions. More than 90 percent of these are contract workers who work for 10-12 hours for 4000-5000 per month. The workload and speed is extremely high and they have to face verbal abuse and even beatings by the supervisors and security guards. Most of the factories do not have unions and where the workers have managed to form a union, they have to face constant harrassment. The established big unions do nothing except paying lip service to the issues and in many cases have ditched the workers in favour of the management. In this scenario, the issue of the right to form a union is a common and universal issue in the Gurgaon industrial belt.

The pamphlet distributed by the Bigul Mazdoor Dasta says that not only the workers of Maruti Suzuki but workers all over the country are being denied the right to form their unions so that they can raise their voice unitedly against their exploitation. That's  why the demands of Maruti workers find resonance accross the region. If the Maruti strike is crushed the owners will become even more aggressive in the factories of Gurgaon and the workers' voice will be even more stifled.

– Citizens Front in Support of Workers Movement of Maruti Suzuki, New Delhi

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Sandeep, Phone:  8447011935, mail: sandeep.samwad@gmail.com

– Roopesh Kumar, Bigul Mazdoor Dasta, Delhi

Phone:  9213639072, Email: bigul@rediffmail.com

– Ajay Swami, Delhi Metro Kamgar Union

Phone:  9540436262, Email: ajaynbs@gmail.com

Demonstration in Kolkata against the repression of workers’ movement in Gorakhpur, activist Sandeep Pandey expresses concern

Fact-finding team led by social activist Sandeep Pandey expresses concern over violation of labour laws in the factories of Gorakhpur

Veteran social activist Kamla Pandey writes another letter to the Chief Minister Mayawati

New Delhi, 29 May. Hundreds of workers staged a demonstration in Kolkata against the repression of workers’ movement in Gorakhpur and the anti-labour policies of the Uttar Pradesh government and sent a memorandum to UP Chief Minister Mayawati through the governor. More than 500 workers belonging to various factories including Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation, Hindustan Engineering and Industries Ltd., Bharat Battery, Calcutta Jute Mill, Sura Jute Mill, American Refrigerators co. etc staged a protest demonstration yesterday at Esplanade, the administrative hub of Kolkata, under the banner of Shramik Sangram Samiti. Some organizations from Delhi, Punjab and Maharashtra are also planning protests on this issue.

After the demonstration, a three member delegation met Mr M.K. Narayanan, the governor of West Bengal and presented him a memorandum in support of the demands of agitating workers in Gorakhpur and against the anti-labour policies of the Uttar Pradesh government. The delegation urged the governor to convey the feelings of the workers and intellectuals of West Bengal to the UP CM Ms. Mayawati.

Addressing the protest meeting, the speakers said that a new consciousness is emerging among the workers against the attacks on their rights and they are organising and waging struggles by breaking away from the status quoist established trade unions. Though this phenomenon is still in its embryonic form, the ruling classes leave no stone unturned to crush it at this stage. The attacks on the workers struggling in Gorakhpur for last one month by the factory owners and administration needs to be seen in this regard. The speakers stressed the need to form a nationwide platform of the leading workers of all such struggles so that a united resistance could be posed against the onslaught of rulers and exploiters. Apart from the leaders of different factory unions, the meeting was addressed by Tushar Bhattacharya, editor of ‘Shramik Ishtehar’ a newspaper published from Kolkata and Subhashish D. Sharma, editor of ‘Hamari Soch’ a fortnightly published from Ghaziabad.

In the meanwhile, a joint fact-finding team of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Peoples Union for Human Rights (PUHR) led by Magsaysay Award winner social activist Sandeep Pandey visited Gorakhpur and investigated the reasons behind the firing incident in Ankur Udyog Ltd. on May 3 and the continued labour unrest since then. The team met Pappu Jaiswal, the injured worker who is in hospital ever since the firing incident and then reached Bargadwa to meet the workers of Ankur Udyog where the workers of the two locked out factories of V N Dyers also reached.

The workers described the violations of labour laws in the factories and the working conditions in detail to the investigation team. The team was shocked to find that there was no arrangement of even first aid within the factory in the event of an injury to workers. They saw that a worker’s finger was injured and he had to be taken outside even for a simple bandage. 900 workers work in 3 shifts in this yarn-making factory. The workers who sustained bullet or pallet injuries in the incident on 3rd May have not received any aid from the factory owners and administration. Apart from Sandeep Pandey, the investigation team consisted of Fateh Bahadur Singh and Rajeev Yadav of PUCL and Manoj Singh of PUHR. The investigation team would issue a detailed report on June 3 in Lucknow. However, in a press release issued in Gorakhpur, the team demanded that a judicial enquiry should be ordered in the firing and lathicharge on workers and the lock out in the two factories of VN Dyers should be ended by taking back all the 18 dismissed workers.

In Lucknow the veteran ex-teachers’ union leader and chairperson of Anurag Trust, Kamla Pandey sent another letter to the chief minister Mayawati saying that if the continued repression and harassment of the workers in Gorakhpur is not stopped, she would go to Gorakhpur and start a fast-unto-death herself. She said that in the arrogance of power, perhaps Ms Mayawati has forgotten that she is also a representative of the lakhs of workers of the state. If the voice of workers is continuously ignored in this manner, she would have to face its consequences in the next assembly elections.

The campaign of condemnation of the repression of the workers in Gorakhpur and sending memorandum to Mayawati is continuing. A delegation of some prominent social activists and intellectuals is also planning to go to Lucknow to meet the chief minister.

12 labour leaders released on bail, announce that the movement will be intensified

Letters written to the Prime Minister, President and National Human Rights Commission informing them about the partisan attitude of the administration and the repression-oppression unleashed on workers

27 May.  The 12 labour leaders of the Gorakhpur workers movement who were arrested on May 20 have been released on bail today. After getting released Tapish Maindola of the Joint Workers Rights Struggle Front said that the agitation for the demands of workers would now be intensified further.

He said that at the behest of the factory owners, administration is threatening and intimidating the workers and it is trying to crush the labour movement through bullets, canes and jail but it would not succeed. The workers are fighting for their basic rights and now they would not backtrack. Tapish also said that the factory owners have imposed this fight on the workers by forcefully locking out the V.N. Dyers Mills and by firing on workers in Ankur Udyog Ltd. But the administration is speaking the language of the owners and terming us as anarchists and anti-development.

Meanwhile on behalf of the Joint Workers Rights Struggle Front, Prashant wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, President of India and the National Human Rights Commission to inform them about the partisan attitude of the Gorakhpur district administration and police. It is mentioned in the letter that the workers are not being allowed even to stage peaceful sit-in and demonstrations and are not being allowed to meet any official. The S.H.O of Chiluatal police station Gajendra Rai is visiting the workers’ homes personally to threaten and force them to go to the factory.

Shweta, a student of journalism in Banaras Hindu University who was arrested for supporting the labour movement, has also written a letter to the National Womens Commission to complain about the misbehaviour and threat and intimidation by the police.  After being released on bail five days after her arrest Shweta said that the S.H.O. of Chiluatal Gajendra Rai has threatened her of dire consequences and of destroying her career. After their arrest she and Susheela Devi, old mother of a worker, were threatened and intimidated even in the ladies police station.

It is to be noted that when the workers were going to meet the district magistrate on May 20 along with the five workers who were on fast, they were lathi-charged multiple times by the police and 25 workers were injured. The police had detained 73 workers, 59 of whom were released late in the night, but 14 labour leaders including Tapish Maindola and two women activists Shweta and Susheela Devi were sent to jail.  Each one of them was charged with three cases under different bailable and non-bailable sections.

In the meawhile the Joint Workers Rights Struggle Front has stated in a memorandum given to the principal secretary, labour today that even the basic labour laws are being violated in almost all the factories of Gorakhpur and the local labour officials are openly doing favour to the owners which is the root cause of the continuous labour unrest there. Hence a high level investigation team should be sent there and the condition of all the factories and the role of the local labour office must be investigated. Action should be taken against the officials of the labour department who conducted unilateral talks on May 19 with the owners of V.N. Dyers by keeping the workers out in a biased manner.

Meanwhile the campaign of exposing the industrialists-administration nexus and to gather popular support in favour of the workers’ demands continues through the street meetings in both the industrial areas of Gorakhpur, offices and main spots of the city and through public contact in the residential areas.

The campaign of the condemnation of the repression of the labour movement in Gorakhpur and putting pressure on Mayawati government also continues. Today the issue of repression of the workers of Gorakhpur was raised and solidarity was expressed with the struggling workers at the hunger strike going on in Mumbai in the leadership of Medha Patkar against the demolition of slums in Golibar area. Various activists in the leadership of social activist from Bengaluru Kavery Indira registered their protest with the Chief Minister of UP and other officials through phone and fax. Tomorrow various organisations in Kolakata will protest against the increasing repression of the workers in Uttar Pradesh by sending a memorandum addressed to UP CM Mayawati through the governor.

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PUNJAB GOVT ATTEMPTS TO CRUSH DISSENT & PEOPLE'S STRUGGLES THROUGH DRACONIAN LAWS

Punjab Govt has passed four anti-people black-laws through its last Assembly session in October, which is awaiting governor's green signal to be put on effect. These laws are nothing but out to silence dissent in the name of combating terrorism where as ironically Punjab has no such threats in reality as the top police officials frequently claim with pride. But the people of Punjab mainly the working class people to whom these laws will have a gravely impact are not the mute spectators. By now it has become clear to them the wicked intention of the capitalist ruling class and the Fascist state to suppress any voice raised against their barbaric atrocities. 

On 20^th Jan Punjab, mainly Ludhiana has witnessed a huge demonstration against these draconian laws. About 40 different people’s organization consisting of workers, peasants and govt employees jointly took to the streets and raised a militant voice against these laws which also implies that it won’t be easy for the state govt to ultimately put it into effect. In this course they also staged a protest in front of DC’s office in every district. The parties and groups spear heading the demonstration in Ludhiana are Karkhana Mazdoor Union (Factory Worker’s Union), Textile Mazdoor Union and Naojawan Bharat Sabha. The leader of these unions have equivocally warned the govt and administration that if any of the protesters is arrested and tortured while protesting, they will not let the govt go with it and also warned of militant agitation and cordoning of the police stations with millions of workers and laborers if needed. The other groups have also pledged their solidarity with the agitating people of Punjab till the end.

The laws with all its tentacles are as follows.

The Punjab (Prevention of Damage to Public & Private Property) Act – 2010, under this law, the protest demonstrations, marches, rallies etc, without prior permission from the District Magistrate or Police Commissioner is completely banned. Even in case permission is granted, the organizers have to give an undertaking to the concerned SHO, failing which will attract 2 years prison term plus fine. The route and slogans has to be approved by the police while lathis-even for carrying the flags shall be forbidden. The police will be authorized not only to get the rallies, demonstrations etc video-graphed, but will also have the power to get photographs, video-graphs etc from press-persons, which shall be used as an un-rebuttable evidence against the protesters in the courts. If the police complains of a damage to any public or private property by the protesters, in the course of such activity, the protesters shall get five year jail term plus Rs.20,000/- fine and if a damage is alleged to have been caused by fire or explosive substance, the jail term will be raised to seven years including a fine of Rs. 70000/-. An administrative officer shall be appointed as a competent authority to assess the damage and extract the compensation from the organizers of the protest activity. If one can’t or refuse to pay, the amount shall be recovered by auctioning their properties. All the offenses under this Act shall be non-bailable and cognizable by any Head Constable of the police. The onus to prove that they have not caused any damage to public or private property shall be upon the protesters, in view of the video-graphic evidence produced by the police.

Punjab Special Protection Group Act-2010, through this the state is going to constitute an elite armed force, equipped with ultra-modern weapons, gadgets and advanced training, for "combating anti-national forces" and for "providing proximate security to highly threatened persons and their families" to be so declared by the State Govt. The Act also considers any person or organization which violates the above said law as “anti-national”. If one smokes in public or violates any traffic law, he/she will be considered as “anti-national” under this Act and the Special Protection Group will have all the power to proceed against him. Like the Armed Forces Special Power Act, the members of Special Protection Group have been given complete immunity from any civil, criminal or other legal proceedings for the acts done by them in the course of their duty. The State Govt, through a notification shall authorize the extent to which the Special Protection Group can use force in dealing with so called “anti-national” forces or persons. It can be shoot at sight also. As the “highly threatened person” requiring proximate security for himself and his family members is to be designated by the State Govt, it can provide such security to any person who is target of people’s ire or a mass agitation. Reading this Act in conjunction with the provisions of the Punjab (Prevention of Damage to Public & Private Property ) Act-2010, leaves no doubt that this Act is primarily aimed at crushing the people’s struggle through armed forces of the State, operating under complete immunity from any legal action.

Punjab Govt passed two more laws amending S.153-A & 295-A of the Indian Penal Code and some provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, through which the said offenses have been made non-bailable, triable by Sessions Court and the sentence has been enhanced from 3 years to 10 years. The Court is bound to award a minimum of 3 years sentence in all cases of convictions under these sections. S.295-A deals with offenses against religion, nay the blasphemy. If any one complains that you have injured his religious feelings or insulted his religion, you shall be charged under S.295-A. No anticipatory bail is to be allowed. In Pakistan Penal Code, they have introduced S. 295-C, under which death sentence has been provided for insulting Prophet Mohamed. Akali-BJP Govt has increased the punishment for blasphemy from 2 years imprisonment to 10 years and could be developed further to death sentence. A few months ago dramatist Kirti Kirpal and his entire team was booked under S.295 by Bathinda Police on a complaint by a VHP activist. Mr. Megh Raj Mittar, of Tarksheel Society (Rationalist Society) is also facing a threat to be implicated under this law for having written a scientific article on Cow’s Urine. These laws are also used or misused by the political parties in power to secure their vote-banks.

It is highly shameful for the democratic values to which our politicians so fondly swear that such draconian laws were passed by the Punjab Legislative Assembly within a few minutes, without contesting any debate. The Congress as always being wickedly diplomatic, made a verbal protest and rather walked out to facilitate passage of these bills. No political party worth the name launched any protest against these Acts. Here lies the conspiracy.

Actually the capitalist ruling class is well aware of the fact that due to the economic oppressive policies of market liberalization, globalization and privatisation the working class people are already boiling in anger and frustration as they are chronically being stripped of all their basic rights related to labor, food, home, medical, education, employment etc. Data shows 83% of total Indian population is reeling under Rs 20/day expenditure. They know the situation is in the offing which could ultimately lead to a militant mass agitation against the state and its ruling class. And it is their crooked intelligence which asked them to safeguard themselves and their interests in advance. Hence are these laws, to strengthen army and administration (the most useful state apparatus for oppression) to nip any chance of mass revolt in the bud. I wonder how hard it would be for them to realise in near future that the laws, bullets and batons are not enough to suppress the voice of resistance. It can hardly delay but revolt is inevitable. History too suggests the same.