People's Democracy

DIVYA YOGA MANDIR TRUST 

CITU Condemns Anti-Worker, Dubious Activities

DIVYA Yoga Mandir Trust (DYMT) is a huge business in the name of god and yoga; from a scratch it has grown into a sprawling complex worth hundreds of crores of rupees and is patronised by the rich and powerful. Some state governments too also going out of the way to pamper Baba Ramdev and the so-called trust.

Some time ago, the trust started producing so-called Ayurvedic drugs in a number of pharmacies, employing 400 workers, most of whom are women. These drugs are being sold at exorbitant prices, but the workers are not paid even the minimum wage. There is no record of their employment and therefore no system of provident fund or any other statutory benefit. The workers were being used as slaves.

The workers, united under the CITU’s banner, went in on an agitation and a tripartite agreement was signed in the office of the DLC, Haridwar, on May 21 this year. The agreement enjoined upon the trust to pay statutory minimum wage to the workers and reinstate all dismissed workers.

But on May 22 the trust refused to take the workers back; on the contrary, it implicated many workers in false police cases. The workers are still continuing their agitation for implementation of the May 21 agreement.

The CITU has demanded that the Uttaranchal government must enforce the agreement and not allow the administration to be used by the trust against the workers and their families.

The CITU has also demanded that the government of Uttaranchal should institute an enquiry into the methods of production and quality of medicines. For, it has been reported that human skull, horns of endangered species of animals or body parts of slain animals are being used illegally to make these ‘Ayurvedic’ medicines. The issue warrants a CBI enquiry into the affairs of the trust so that the truth is brought out and those found guilty are brought to book. (INN)