WEST BENGAL: POLITICAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CITU UNIONS

WEST BENGAL: POLITICAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CITU UNIONS CITU DEMANDS IMMEDIATE STOPPING OF POLITICALLY SPONSORED VIOLENCE AGAINST CITU UNIONS IN WEST BENGAL The CITU Secretariat meeting held on 26-27 May 2011 at New Delhi expressed grave concern over the continuous violence and atrocities engineered by the hoodlums of Trinamool Congress and Congress on the trade unions and other mass organizations in different parts of West Bengal in the aftermath of the Assembly elections-result. Since May 13, already twelve were killed including two with a child burnt alive, which demonstrates extreme barbarism in the process of politically sponsored violence by the ruling regime. Reports of physical assaults on the leaders, activists and even members of trade unions and other organizations, severely injuring many, and forcing the workers to leave CITU and join TMC led trade unions are pouring in every day. The preliminary reports contain information of incidents involving violent capturing of CITU affiliated union offices by armed TMC goons in different parts of the state; tearing off CITU flags, posters, placards, festoons, banners etc; ransacking of CITU offices etc. In many places, the employers also joined the armed TMC goons in intimidating and forcing to leave the CITU union. Apart from incidents at various locations in Kolkata involving CITU trade unions in industries including Taxi and Auto Rickshow operators, Street Vendors, districts like Howrah, both the 24-Parganas, Bardhaman, Birbhum, Coochbehar also witnessed continuous violence, hurling of bombs in the office, extortion of huge money from the common workers and residents at gun-point. The Secretariat of CITU condemns such vindictive and barbarous atrocities and violence on the workers and common people perpetrated by the ruling TMC-Congress led regime keeping the law and order authority a silent onlooker to such grievous and continuing incidents of arsons, physical assaults, loot, extortions and killings. CITU demands upon the State Govt to out a stop to such continuing politically sponsored violence and atrocities on trade unions, workers and common people throughout the state. CITU also appeals to all trade unions irrespective of affiliations to raise their voice against such politically sponsored violence on trade unions and mass organization with is designed to empower the employers and capitalists to benefit from terrorizing and weakening the workers’ organizations. Continuity of such politically sponsored violence is also an assault on democratic set up putting the peoples’ interests into jeopardy. CITU Secretariat calls upon all its affiliated unions, state committees and industrial federations to unleash a countrywide campaign against the politically-sponsored violence on trade unions, workers and common people in West Bengal and observe a “Campaign-cum-Protest Week” on 6th to 11th June 2011 through public-meetings, issuing pamphlets in thousands detailing the barbarous atrocities on the workers and people in West Bengal, rallies, processions etc all over the country.

Courtesy: www.citucentre.org/