The 12 labour leaders arrested in the false cases since May 20 can’t get bail even today

Strong condemnation of the anti-worker attitude of Mayawati government throughout the country

Gorakhpur, May 25. In order to broaden their agitation against the adamant attitude of district administration and the negligent stand of the Mayawati government on the issue of the repression of workers’ struggle in Gorakhpur and the illegal lock-out, the workers have intensified their propaganda campaign among workers-peasants, students-youths, employees and common citizens in and around Gorakhpur. On the other hand the nationwide condemnation is now being directed against the Mayawati government for the continued repression of this movement which has been going for almost a month and for taking no action against the guilty.

‘Shramik Ishtehar’ and various labour organisations, writers and intellectuals in Kolkata are collectively planning to stage a demonstration against the anti-worker attitude of the Mayawati  government on May 27 and send a condemnation proposal and memorandum to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister through the governor. Mr. Subhashish said today that the issue of increasing authoritarianism in UP and the repression of  workers would be strongly raised. Some organisations are also planning protests in Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai.

In the meanwhile, 12 labour leaders including Tapish Maindola who were arrested on May 20 could not get bail even today. It is to be noted that the police has filed three cases each on the labour leaders under different bailable and non-bailable sections. Two women activists Shweta and Susheela Devi were released from jail last night after getting bail.  In a statement issued after her release, Shweta accused the police of misbehaving and threatening and intimidating the arrested labour leaders.  She said that at the behest of the factory owners few police officials are threatening the workers and their leaders of dire consequences.  She also said that if any of the labour leader is harmed in any way, the administration would be directly responsible for it.

Meanwhile various social activists, lawyers, civil rights activists, writers and trade union activists continue to sign on the petition regarding the Gorakhpur firing episode to be sent to the chief minister Mayawati initiated by senior lawyer and human rights activists of Mumbai Kamayani Bali Mahabal and other jurists.  Large number of people have signed between yesterday and today which include Prof Jagmohan Singh, nephew of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Major General (retired) S G Vombetkar, human rights lawyer from Mumbai Gayatri Singh, Sukumar Chakraborty from IIT Kharagpur, Dr Devbrata  Dutta from Kolkata University, Dr Ish Mishra from Delhi University, senior columnist Subhash Gatade,  editor of Loksurabhi from Mumbai Vedprakash Singh ,  Bonojeet Hussain of New Socialist Initiative, Carol Murfy from Ireland, Geoff Guest from Australia, Milon Mondal from the Netherlands, Dr Lisa Clarke from USA, Dr J Sill, Actor Avtar Gill etc.

Besides, several labour organisations and student-youth activists from Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Mandi Govindgarh and Patiala in Punjab conducted signature campaigns and sent  memorandums to the chief minister and governor of Uttar Pradesh. Various intellectuals and social activists from Jaipur have sent a letter on behalf of Lok Adhikar Sangathan demanding that the labour leaders be immediately released and the demands of workers should be accepted.

The Joint Workers Rights Struggle Front has speeded up the campaign to gather mass support  for exposing the industrialists-administration nexus and in favour of the demands of workers which was started two days ago through street meetings in the two industrial areas of Gorakhpur, offices and the main spots of the cities and door-to-door campaigning in the residential areas.  The pamphlets distributed on large scale during the campaign say that whatever the workers have gone through in the past three weeks has thoroughly exposed the anti-worker face of the Gorakhpur administration and it has shown the true picture of the democracy in our country. Right from the May 3 firing incident, the workers have peacefully and patiently continued their ‘Satyagraha’ for their just demands but instead of justice they have only got canes, abuses and jail. The police and administration are blatantly serving the factory owners by keeping the law at bay.  The criminals are roaming fearlessly and those who demand the implementation of the laws have been pushed behind bars. The Front has appealed to the workers-employees, students-youth, intellectuals and common citizens to help and cooperate with their struggle.

Citizens Front in support of Gorakhpur Worker’s Movement

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

Email: satyamvarma@gmail.com, sandeep.samwad@gmail.com

Please sign this online petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/mayawati/petition.html

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Workers-Charter-Movement-2011/217462924935252