Press Release

New Delhi, May 5. Several activists and intellectuals of various organisations participated in a demostration today at the UP Bhavan here against the incident of firing by the hired goons of a factory owner and submitted a memorandum with the Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati demanding action against the culprits.
Speakers addressing the demonstrators informed that due to the anti-worker and highly autocratic attitude of the UP Government the workers have been suffering relentless oppression from the administrative and police officers in the state. The Gorakhpur district administration is specially notorious for being under the complete command of BJP MP Yogi Adityanath.
The speakers said that the role of Gorakhpur administration and police throughout this incident is highly deplorable and points towards the nexus between the administrative officers and the factory owners. Two days after the incident the factory owner Ashok Jalan and the chief culprit Pradeep Singh have still not been arrested. Instead attempts are being made to malign the constitutional and lawful struggle of the workers by branding it as “terrorism” and to drag the leaders of the movement in false cases.
The demands made in the memorandum include, immediate arrest and filing of attempt to murder cases against the factory owner and the chief criminal Pradeep Singh, strict action against the officers trying to shield the culprits, judicial probe into the incident, full medical expenses for the tretment of injured workers to be borne by the government and Rs. Ten lakh cash compensation to each one of them, all false cases against the workers be withdrawn and all 18 suspended workers of AnkurUdyog Lt. be re-appointed and to start work in the factory immediately.
The speakers warned the state government that if no action on these demands is taken immediately then a state wide ‘public-non-cooperation’ movement and ‘worker’s satyagraha’ shall be started. The workers of Gorakhpur have already begun a public awareness campaign to generate momentum for a ‘satyagraha’ from May 8.
The demonstration was attended among many by Mr. Srikrishna of JansangharshManch, Haryana, Mr. NareshVirodhiya, Dr. Shanti Sharma, Pradeep and others of JanchetnaManch, Gohana, Haryana, Ashish and Naveen Kumar of KarawalnagarMazdoor Union, Ajay Swami of Delhi Metro Kamgar Union, AbhinavSinha of Disha Students Organisation, Satyam of Rahul Foundation, Kavita, Subi and Shruti of StreeMazdoorSangathan, Shivani of StreeMazdoor League, Rupesh of BigulMazdoorDasta, Meenakshy, Sandeep Sharma and Jai Pushp of JagrookNagrikManch, Rohini, Delhi, Yodesh Swami of Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Smriti, Nandita and Neha of ‘Pahal’, Filmmaker Charu Chandra Pathak and musician Saurabh Banerjee and several activists of other organisations.

Kavita PremPrakash
(Stree Mazdoor League) (BigulMazdoorDasta)
Phone: 9971158783 Phone: 9999 750 940