Conspired, intentional move of Bengal police to manhandle, arrest tea plantation leader

Statement issued by CK Unnikrishnan, President, All India Plantation Workers Federation (AIPWF) to unconditionally release AIPWF General Secretary:

***

The All India Plantation Workers Federation (AIPWF) condemns the conspired and intentional move of the Bengal Police Administration which brutally manhandled and arrested Comrade Ziaul Alam, the General Secretary of AIPWF on 16th August 2023 night, at Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Most unfortunately, Comrade Ziaul Alam and other 4 arrested comrades were produced in Court on 17th August 2023 and found to be maliciously framed with non-bailable charges and were not granted Bail, which is nothing but an atrocious onslaught on entire working class movement an specifically the tea workers of our country.
The Joint Forum of Trade Unions Operating in Tea Industry of West Bengal, the United platform of more than 30 Tea trade unions have already announced a series of programme starting from demonstration at all the Police Stations of North Bengal Tea Districts on 19th & 20th August 2023 followed by the gate meetings and demonstrations at all the Tea gardens on 21st & 22nd August 2023, and have warned the administration to withdraw false charges failing to which will lead to further stringent form of actions all over the region.
AIPWF warmly welcomes and endorses the plan of protest demonstrations adopted by the Joint Forum and appeals to all of its Bengal constituents to be an active part of it.
In line to the adopted programme, AIPWF has decided to hold one hour gate meetings at all plantation units of India, from Tripura to Kerala, including rubber, spices and other plantation crops on 21st August 2023 morning and to submit a memorandum to the Hon'ble Chief Minister and Home Minister of West Bengal to intervene immediately and withdraw all intentionally framed false charges against our leaders.
AIPWF appeals to all its constituents to ensure the holding of demonstrations with rigorous campaigns among plantation people about the attack of the ruling class and their puppet anti-worker governments intended to bulldoze all kinds of trade union movements in our country.
We, the plantation workers, being the most marginalized and deprived as well as the most productive and revenue generating working section of our country must be heard by the ruling dispensation both at Centre and State. AIPWF requests the west Bengal administration to immediately intervene and ensure the unconditional release of our comrades.
We appeal to the broader section of our plantation society to come forward, condemn and protest this nefarious design.
Release Ziaul Alam.
Release our Leaders.
Stop brutal Police Raj in West Bengal.

Comments

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Where’s the urgency for the 2,000 MW Sharavati PSP in Western Ghats?

By Shankar Sharma* A recent news article has raised credible concerns about the techno-economic clearance granted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) for a large Pumped Storage Project (PSP) located within a protected area in the dense Western Ghats of Karnataka. The article , titled "Where is the hurry for the 2,000 MW Sharavati PSP in Western Ghats?", questions the rationale behind this fast-tracked approval for such a massive project in an ecologically sensitive zone.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Structural retrogression? Steady rise in share of self-employment in agriculture 2017-18 to 2023-24

By Ishwar Awasthi, Puneet Kumar Shrivastav* The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017 to provide timely labour force data. The 2023-24 edition, released on 23rd September 2024, is the 7th round of the series and the fastest survey conducted, with data collected between July 2023 and June 2024. Key labour market indicators analysed include the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR), which highlight trends crucial to understanding labour market sustainability and economic growth.

Venugopal's book 'explores' genesis, evolution of Andhra Naxalism

By Harsh Thakor* N. Venugopal has been one of the most vocal critics of the neo-fascist forces of Hindutva and Brahmanism, as well as the encroachment of globalization and liberalization over the last few decades. With sharp insight, Venugopal has produced comprehensive writings on social movements, drawing from his experience as a participant in student, literary, and broader social movements.

Authorities' shrewd caveat? NREGA payment 'subject to funds availability': Barmer women protest

By Bharat Dogra* India is among very few developing countries to have a rural employment guarantee scheme. Apart from providing employment during the lean farm work season, this scheme can make a big contribution to important needs like water and soil conservation. Workers can get employment within or very near to their village on the kind of work which improves the sustainable development prospects of their village.

'Failing to grasp' his immense pain, would GN Saibaba's death haunt judiciary?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The death of Prof. G.N. Saibaba in Hyderabad should haunt our judiciary, which failed to grasp the immense pain he endured. A person with 90% disability, yet steadfast in his convictions, he was unjustly labeled as one of India’s most ‘wanted’ individuals by the state, a characterization upheld by the judiciary. In a democracy, diverse opinions should be respected, and as long as we uphold constitutional values and democratic dissent, these differences can strengthen us.

94.1% of households in mineral rich Keonjhar live below poverty line, 58.4% reside in mud houses

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Keonjhar district in Odisha, rich in mineral resources, plays a significant role in the state's revenue generation. The region boasts extensive reserves of iron ore, chromite, limestone, dolomite, nickel, and granite. According to District Mineral Foundation (DMF) reports, Keonjhar contains an estimated 2,555 million tonnes of iron ore. At the current extraction rate of 55 million tonnes annually, these reserves could last 60 years. However, if the extraction increases to 140 million tonnes per year, they could be depleted within just 23 years.

Search This Blog