People's Democracy

Kaithal: Workers Protest Maruti Repression

THOUSANDS of workers and peasants staged a militant demonstration at Kaithal in Haryana May 29, in protest against the repression the state police has let loose on the struggling Maruti workers. The large protest demonstration was organised by the district unit of the CPI(M), against the police brutalities on dismissed Maruti workers and their family members on May 18 and 19 last.

Addressing the demonstrators, Tapan Sen, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), made a strong criticism of the Congress government of Haryana and its administration, accusing it of trampling upon the democratic rights of workers and throwing trade union rights to the winds in order to appease the Maruti management at Manesar, Gurgaon.

It is to be recalled that several workers and leaders, including the CPI(M) state committee member Prem Chand who is also a municipal councillor of Kaithal, were arrested under concocted charges including the attempt to murder, after the police had resorted to a massive lathicharge injuring many workers including women.

Tapan Sen alleged that the Maruti episode, with its repression of workers, was enough to expose how the Hooda government was nakedly colluding with the corporate bosses. The January 18 happenings in the Manesar plant of the Maruti company were being used as an excuse to perpetrate totally illegal acts like dismissal of workers, prosecution of several innocent workers under totally false charges, etc. Sen stated that tax concessions to the tune of over 4.80 crore rupees had been showered on corporate houses by the UPA government, which amount would have been enough for ensuring food security and free education to all as demanded by the Left parties.

Sen, who is a Rajya Sabha member, also met the additional deputy commissioner (ADC) and lodged strong protest against the slapping of false cases against workers’ leaders and activists as well as the beating and abusing which women union leaders were subjected to by male police. Accompanying by CITU state president Surender Singh, Kisan Sabha state president Phool Singh Sheokand and CPI(M) district secretary Kundan Lal, Sen demanded withdrawal of false police cases against workers and their leaders and action against the guilty policemen including the SDO (Civil) who is reported to have slapped women protesters on May 19. The CITU leader also visited the jailed leaders and addressed a press conference condemning the Haryana government for gross violation of human rights. He said that while the state government was boasting of making the state ‘Number One,’ it was keeping the socio-economically poorer sections deprived of land and housesites, enough food, healthcare, education, employment, social justice, remunerative prices of crops and other basic livelihood needs.