*CPI(ML) Gen Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya Recently Addressed the Striking Maruti Workers ( Oct 2011, Manesar ) *
"The struggle of workers of Maruti Suzuki has not only changed the identity of Manesar Industrial Area, but also sent a message to the whole country. The company owners felt that they could repress the workers according to their whims, and that workers would have no liberty to fight. The ‘goonda-raj’ that was being thrust on the workers has been challenged by the Maruti workers and the workers all over the country are glad that the fight that has begun at Maruti will end the repressive regime of capitalists and looters everywhere in the Country. The workers had a very simple demand of having a union of their own choice, which is their right. This is a right of the workers all over the world. This law came into existence in India in 1926 – even though the country was then not free and still under the British Rule. Every worker has the right to form a union, whatever industry/sector s/he is employed in. But workers are being denied this right in free India! This struggle has sent out the message to all the company owners and managements in the country that the workers have the right to form unions which managements will have to recognise, and that the workers will defend and achieve this right. The issue of right to union is linked with the issue of freedom, Constitution and democracy, and is a fundamental issue of the workers’ struggle in the country. When the SEZ Act was passed no party in the Parliament opposed it, but when the Act was being imposed, the peasants and farmers have opposed it everywhere. No matter what laws get passed in the Parliament and what the governments say, the workers, peasants and the people must have the final say. Threats are being given that the factory will be shifted to Gujarat if the struggle is not ended. They want to silence people’s struggles by branding the struggles as a threat to ‘investment.’ This is not a situation in the Maruti Factory alone, or even of Manesar alone, the situation will have to be changed all over Haryana and the country. Earlier people commented that workers’ struggles are limited to Bengal, Maharashtra; Shankar Guha Niyogi did it in Bhilai. They said there cannot be a workers’ struggle in Haryana, red flags will not be allowed here, but the workers here have shown that if their problems are not addressed then the red flag will flutter everywhere in Haryana and a new situation will come to prevail. And when such a situation will come to prevail everywhere in the country, no owners and managements will have the guts to try to frighten the workers with the threat of shifting the factory to other states. The Maruti struggle will definitely change the prevailing circumstances and strengthen the workers, their identity will be strengthened and the morale of the capitalists will surely go down. Some say that change is happening everywhere. Earlier they used to say that after the collapse of the Soviet Union only the rule of capitalists will prevail. However, at the capitalist headquarter, i.e. in the US itself, the workers and the youth are out on the streets opposing their government. They are protesting the bailouts and immunity given to the capitalists. The Maruti struggle has created history. We will definitely try to mobilize more workers, students and common people in support of your struggle. These days the media does not speak in support of the workers, only the capitalists have a voice there. It advises the Maruti workers to have patience, that they should maintain discipline. We are only demanding that the Union be registered and the management should talk to the workers’ union. If a simple demand of a union cannot be accepted then what remains of democracy in the country. Will this country be only for the capitalists? Will only their goons and the govts that work for them continue to run the country? Definitely a wider debate will rage on this issue in the country. All those who are fighting against corruption, inflation, loot and pro-rich regime will surely join in in this struggle. Our Party has always fought for the rights of the poor and working class. This is a huge modern factory, but inside it, you workers are being treated in the most backward and exploitative way, where the rights that workers won centuries ago are being overturned and denied. A battle is raging in the country against such repression and exploitation, and for democracy, and the Manesar workers are definitely at the forefront of that battle. I offer the red salute to you on behalf of my Party and the nation-wide workers’ organizations and we will make efforts to spread your struggle all over the country. No matter what pressures the govt brings upon, you will definitely win this struggle as all democracy loving people , struggling people and all working class organizations in the country are standing with you." Inquilab Zindabad! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
