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.

------------------------------------------------------ 

Please sign this online petition: http://bit.ly/kvIuIq

Website: www.workerscharter.in

Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/ke5kI9

Gorakhpur: 12 labour leaders sent to jail on false charges

Maya’s reign turned into reign of terror: Police chase out labourers throughout the day

The labour leaders start fast-unto-death in jail

New Delhi, 21 May. Today police and administration created a new record of pro-factory owner misrule. But despite the police repression, workers continued their satyagrah. 

When the workers who were sitting on hunger strike since 16 May were proceeding towards district collector’s office for giving a memorandum regarding the demands of arresting the culprit of the incident of firing on 3^rd May etc,  police brutally lathi-charged on them and took 73 workers into custody. Most of them were released by late night but a B. H. U. Student Shweta, woman worker Susheela Devi and 12 others were arrested. The police took away labour leader Tapish Maindola from some other place and was refusing to show his arrest till today morning. Later in the afternoon Tapish was suddenly presented before the court. The Police have registered a case of suicide under section 309 against all the labour leaders. It is ridiculous because most of the arrested leaders were not among those who sat on the fast. Shweta and Susheela Devi whose health had worsened after five days of hunger strike have been later released on bail. Rest 12 workers have been sent to jail. The labour leaders have started fast-unto-death in the jail itself.

On the other hand, hundreds of workers were proceeding towards the office of district collector even today according to a pre announced program, but police did not allow them to gather by charging them with lathis at several places. After that the workers tried to stage a dharna at Gandhi statue in Town Hall but the police did not let them reach even there.  For hours, the office of district collector had turned into a cantonment and the police personnel chased out the workers by searching in the neighbouring areas.  As soon as police was finding four to five people looking like workers, they were dispersed through lathi-charge.

Despite the repression which continued throughout the day, the workers are determined to carry on their Satyagrah. By the evening , hundreds of workers again gathered at the gate of the locked out factories of V.N.  Dyers at the same place where the fast-unto-death was stopped by police through arrest. Large number of workers from different factories are sitting on dharna in support of the labour leaders  on hunger strike in  jail.

Meanwhile the owners of the V.N. Dyers factory have taken a more stubborn approach and have put up a notice on the factory gate stating that the workers who do not join work from tomorrow shall be dismissed and new recruitments shall take place.

The United Workers' Rights Struggle Front has strongly condemned this step and said that the owners of the factory are doing such things only by the support of the labour department and the district administration.

On the other hand, the workers have sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Mayawati through the District Magistrate's office and have warned her to intervene immediately and do justice otherwise the labour unrest will spread even more. The main demands in the memorandum include immediate release of all 14 arrested leaders and false cases against them be withdrawn, Ashok Jalan, AnkurJalan, Pradeep Singh (History-sheeter of the Sahjanwa area) and others responsible for firing on workers on 3rd May in which about 20 workers were injured be arrested immediately and charged with relevant sections for attempt to murder and stern action be taken against them, strict action be taken against the officers responsible for the brutal attacks on workers on 9th May, a high-level judicial enquiry be ordered in the whole incident, adequate compensation be paid to the injured workers, suspended workers be taken back on work and the illegal lock out of the factories be lifted immediately so that they become operational.

For, 

Citizens Front in support of Gorakhpur Worker's Movement

Contacts: 9936650658 (Katyayani); 9910462009 (Satyam); 8447011935  (Sandeep) Email: 

satyamvarma@gmail.com, sandeep.samwad@gmail.com  www.workerscharter.in

Workers lathi charged in Gorakhpur, 25 workers badly injured, 73 workers arrested

Workers lathi charged in Gorakhpur, 25 workers badly injured, 73 workers arrested along with their leader Tapish whose whereabouts are still unknown

The administration is blatantly supporting the factory owners – has not shown any inclination to dialogue, administration adamant on suppressing the movement and disbanding the striking activists

An independent team of journalists and social workers reaches Gorakhpur to carry out an investigation

Gorakhpur, 20 May. The Workers' Satyagraha which started in Gorakhpur from May 16 was dealt with lathi charge today by a heavy police force in the presence of the DIG. Police arrested 73 workers and one of their leaders Tapish Maindola but there is still no official word about their arrest. Tapish has been arrested on the basis of a concocted FIR lodged by factory owner Ashok Jalan in relation to the incident of firing by his hired goons in which 19 workers were injured. Serious charges under different sections of IPC have been pressed on him including attempt to murder, rioteering etc. The administration is unabashedly siding with the factory owners. The workers had submitted a complaint to the police naming the factory owner Ashok Jalan, history-sheeter Pradeep Singh and others as responsible for the incident of firing but the police have taken no action on their complaint instead they have arrested workers' leader Tapish Maindola on the false FIR of the factory owner Ashok Jalan. Ashok Jalan had stated that Tapish and other workers themselves were involved in the firing on the workers, however, news reports from media clearly say that the firing was done from inside the factory, and it was a well planned attack. The workers' union has expressed concern for the life of their leader Tapish.

In the meanwhile 50 workers who had gone to protest against the arrest of workers at the DM office were heavily lathi charged and 25 workers sustained injuries.

 In the afternoon today about 500 workers taking part in a peaceful demonstration for their legal rights were detained near Gorakhnath Temple here. All 500 workers had tied themselves with a long rope and they sat at the same spot in protest where a heavy police force in the leadership of the DIG had stopped them. According to latest updates, the police resorted to  lathi charge and dispersed the workers arresting 73 of them. But the police did not officially record the arrest of 30 of them and their leader Tapsih. Despite this about 250 workers are still sitting on a dharna at the townhall near Gandhi statue.



It is noteworthy that Tapish was arrested from some other place as he was not a part of the procession. He has been taken to some undisclosed location and the workers fear for his life and safety. It should be known that some police and administrative officials had been continuously warning the workers' leaders of 'dire consequences'. They had been particularly targeting Tapish, Pramod Kumar and Prashant and branding them as 'moists-terrorists'. Even two years ago these leaders had been dealt brutal physical attack by the administration and it is said that the police were planning to kill them in false encounters. However they had to retreat after severe condemnation from all over the country gained momentum and the officers came under huge public pressure. But the administration seems hell-bent on suppressing this movement this time. Under such circumstances there is clear danger to the life and security of Tapish.



The hunger strike was initiated since the morning of 16th May on the demands of the arrest of the accused of the firing incident on 3rd May, action against the guilty officers, judicial enquiry of firing and repression, compensation to the injured workers and ending the lock out in the two factories of V.N. Dyers and reinstatement of all the 18 dismissed workers. Suheela Devi, mother of a worker, three workers - Bindweshwar Rai, Susheel Srivastava and Mahesh Pathak and women activist Shweta are sitting on hunger strike and among them the condition of Susheela, Shweta and Mahesh Pathak has worsened. On the night of 18 May the administration forcibly took away Mahesh Pathak and admitted him to the district hospital but he continued his fast even there and on the morning of 19thMay he again came back and joined the hunger strike.  

Hundreds of workers of the area also have been present day and night on the spot. Meanwhile the administration is acting in favour of the factory owners and is hell bent on ending the hunger strike and dharna and is not paying any attention to the demands of workers. Two rounds of unsuccessful talks were held on the first day in which the owners were adamant on not taking back the dismissed workers. After that the administration did not make any attempt for dialogue. Even last night, police force in the leadership of the top officials of police and administration was prepared to remove the workers from the spot. Sensing this, huge number of workers sitting on dharna tied each other through big ropes. When police saw that the workers could not be removed from the spot without the use of heavy force, it withdrew.

The administration and owners had to relent in face of the massive public pressure and resolute struggle of the workers after the 3 May firing and brutal police repression of workers  in Gorakhpur, and the workers achieved a partial victory. All the 18 workers of Ankur Udyog who were dismissed after they went to participate in the May Day rally in Delhi were taken back and the factory started from May 11.  But the owners of VN Dyers Ltd. are  adamant on their demands. Even the administration was making no attempt to call the owners for talks. They wanted to break the movement by tiring out the workers. But the workers are ready to fight it out.

The workers staged a bicycle rally in the Gorakhpur city today to gather popular support in favour of the workers’ agitation. Even the workers of GIDA industrial area staged a demonstration in their area in support of the agitation. The workers of various factories of Bargadwa are planning to stage a huge demonstration.

Meanwhile an investigation team of journalists and social activists reached Gorakhpur to investigate the incident of firing on workers, their repression and the accusations of violation of labour laws. The members of the investigation team also went to the spot and talked to the workers.

The strong condemnation of the continued repressive attitude of administration towards the workers agitation going on for more than two weeks and its neglect by Uttar Pradesh government is building momentum once again.

We will try to keep you updated of any new developments. Please call on these numbers and ask the Gorakhpur officials to stop the repression immediately and listen to workers' demands:

Div. Commissioner, Gkp, Mr K. Ravindra Nair: 09454400207

District Masgistrate, AK Shukla: 09454417544

DIG: 09454417500

City Magistrate, JK Singh: 09454416213

Commissioner                                    

Office of the Commissioner

Collectrate, Gorakhpur - 273001

0551 - 2338817 (Fax)

Gorakhpur (0551)      

Divisional Commissioner

2333076/2335238 (off)

2336022 (Res)

2338817 (Fax) 

9454417500

District Magistrate                              

Office of the District Magistrate

Collectrate, Gorakhpur - 273001

0551 - 2334569 (Fax)

City Magistrate: J.K. Singh

9454416213

Dy Inspector General of Police         

Cantt., Gorakhpur:
09454400207

0551 - 2201187 / 2333442

DLC, S.P. Shukla 

Labour Office, Civil Lines, Gorakhpur-273001

09453043030

Governor, BL Joshi

Raj Bhavan, Lucknow-226001

0522-2220331, 2236992, 2220494
Fax: 0522-2223892

Special Secretary to Governor: 0522-2236113

Km. Mayawati,

Chief Minister

Fifth Floor, Secretariat Annexe

Lucknow-226001

0522 - 2235733, 2239234 (Fax)

0522 - 2236181, 2239296, 2215501 (Office)

0522 - 2236838 2236985 (Res)

Shri Badshah Singh :                         

Labour Minister,  Department of Labour

Secretariat , Lucknow

0522 - 2238925 (Fax)

Deepak Kumar Singh
Home Secretary
09454405003

Principal Secretary, Labour               

Department of Labour

Secretariat, Lucknow - 226001

0522 - 2237831 (Fax)

Anand Kumar Singh
joint secretary
9415159087

Gorakhpur (0551)      

Divisional Commissioner
09454417500       

2333076, 2335238 (off)

2336022 (Res)

Workers' Struggle Continues in Gorakhpur

Relay Hunger Strike against lockout in two factories and dismissal of 18 workers continues at the Town Hall

Administration and owners under pressure but adamant, workers also ready for a long drawn fight

Gorakhpur, 13th of May. The administration and owners had to relent in face of the massive public pressure and resolute stuggle of the workers after the 3 May firing and brutal police repression of workers  in Gorakhpur, and the workers achieved a partial victory. All the 18 workers of Ankur Udyog who were dismissed after they went to participate in the May Day rally in Delhi have been taken back and the factory started from May 11.  But the owners are adamant on the demand to end the illegal lock-out in two factories of VN Dyers Ltd. in Bargadwa area and reinstatement of the 18 dismissed workers from these two mills. Even the administration has made no attempt to call the owners for talks. Clearly, they want to break the movement by tiring out the workers. But the workers are also ready to fight it out. Due to the feeling of solidarity developed over two years among the workers of Bargadwa, workers from different factories are participating in the relay hunger strike.

The 'workers satyagraha' launched on 9 May was postponed after some of the demands were met, but the relay hunger strike is continuing since then. The demands include arrest of the accused of the firing, action against the guilty officials, judicial inquiry into the firing and repression, compensation to the workers and ending the lockout in VN Dyers and revocation of all dismissed workers. On two occasions the police arrested 5 and 12 workers sitting on hunger strike but released them after the workers protested. 

Meanwhile, various democratic organisations and trade unions of Gorakhpur are preparing for a joint demonstration in support of the workers' movement. Workers of several factories of the the GIDA industrial area have also announced their support to the movement. Preparations have been made to file a petition in the Allahabad High Court and Gorakhpur court to demand an inquiry.

In the meantime, condemnation of the repression of workers of Gorakhpur and support for their movement continues from all over the country.

district administration today attacked the peaceful demonstration of workers in Gorakhpur, leaders arrested

The district administration today attacked the peaceful demonstration of workers in Gorakhpur who were proceeding to the Divisional Commissioner's office to start a Mazdoor Satyagrah to demand justice in the case of firing on workers injuring 19 workers and a girl student.

Around 800 workers, including a number of women workers, had assembled in the FCI ground near the Bargadwa industrial area in Gorakhpur for the program announced and intimated to the officials 4 days before. As soon as they tried to proceed they were stopped by lathi (cane) wielding policemen and two of their leaders Prashant and Shweta were arrested. When the procession went ahead the police charged them with lathis and water cannons. 

The workers are trying to regroup after every attack and are slowly but resolutely proceeding towards the commissioner's office. The workers have decided to stage a sit-in at the commissioner's office till their demands are met. The situation is tense and the adamant attitude of the officials may may lead to further violence from the administration.

We will try to keep you updated of any new developments. Please call on these numbers and ask the Gorakhpur officials to stop the repression immediately and listen to workers' demands:

Div. Commissioner, Gkp, Mr K. Ravindra Nair: 09454400207

District Masgistrate, AK Shukla: 09454417544

DIG: 09454417500

City Magistrate, JK Singh: 09454416213

Labour leaders arrested in false cases in Gorakhpur

Police lathi charged repeatedly on protesting workers

 

Gorakhpur: The Gorakhpur police arrested two worker's leaders Tapish Mandola and Pramod Kumar of Bigul Mazdoor Dasta and Textile Workers Union on false charges from the Bargadwa Industrial area of the city. The protesting workers who went to talk to the SHO were badly lathicharged while the police went ahead and arrested two other leaders Prashant and Raju along with some workers. 

As the news spread a large number of workers from various factories gathered in protest at the police station where they were again lathi charged. Some anti-social elements at the behest of the industrialists resorted to stone pelting to flare up the situation even more but the workers acted promptly to stop them. It is clear that such things are being done to provoke the workers so that the police could get an excuse to unleash more repression. For a long time the industrialists of the city have been furious at the amount of enthusiasm and support extended by the workers of Gorakhpur to the Worker's Charter Movement-2011. With the support of local industrialists and the city MP anti-social elements have launched a tirade against this movement through pamphlets-posters with dubious names and the propaganda machine of the industrialists has tried to stop workers from participating by branding the movement as being run by Maoists.

During the day a minor scuffle took place between some workers and a security guard of one of the factories which had nothing to do with the Textile Workers Union or Bigul Mazdoor Dasta. But it was enough excuse
for the police to arrest two leaders Tapish Maindola and Pramod from a tea shop. about 100 workers reached the police station when they came to know about the arrest. The SHO indulged in abusing and threatening the workers and ordered to lathi charge them while arresting two more leaders Prashant and Raju.
After a little while some more workers gathered in front of the police station when some anti-social elements (who were surely working for the indurtialists) tried to throw stoned on the police. But the workers acted hastily and controlled them. Although no stone reached the police station and nobody was hurt the SHO once again ordered to lathi charge the protesting workers. It is very clear that all these activities are being conducted in a very planned way by the police in collusion with the industrialists and the leaders of the workers are being targetted.

In the meantime the workers of the factories whose shift ended came out and joined the protesters and about 500-600 workers began to move towards the District Magistrate office in the form of a procession. But they were detained by the police as soon as they came out of the Bargadwa Industrial Area and were threatened. A large number of police and PAC personnel were also deployed. However the workers insisted to release their leaders, and ADM City and other district officials reached the spot and promised to release all the arrested people on individual bonds. By the time of writing this report the arrested leaders have not been released and the workers were trying to move towards the DM office which is about 6-7 kms from the spot.

This incident makes it very clear that the widespread support of the workers to the Workers Charter Movement-2011 has made the factory owners furious and they are trying to break the unity of the workers by
employing their goons and with collusion with the police and city administration. The workers are being intimated in every possible way. They are also trying to project this peaceful movement for the basic constitutional demands of the workers as a 'Moist Movement' and a movement being organised with foreign capital. It is noteworthy that ever since the workers united and began to fight for their demands in 2009, the indurtialist-administration-local MP nexus has resorted to false propaganda to malign the movement .

-- Tapish Maindola (09451957218)
Bigul Mazdoor Dasta

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.