NIA raids on Jharkhand TUs calling them Maoist 'attack on dissent': CASR

By A Representative

On 19th and 20th June, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at 19 different locations spread across Giridih and Bokaro districts of Jharkhand. "The raids had just one purpose, the targeting of trade union organizations, Majdoor Sangathan Samiti (MSS) and Asangthith Majdoor Morcha (AMM)", said civil rights network, Campaign Against State Repression (CASR).

"They aimed to target the leadership, so as to stifle the voices that talked about the oppression and exploitation faced by workers in Jharkhand, in one of the oldest and most populous industrial hubs in the country", claimed CASR, pointing out, "7 years ago in 2017 MSS was banned by the Jharkhand government under the BJP regime" under the pretext that it was the "frontal organization of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)."

Recalled CASR, "Later in 2022, High Court of Jharkhand lifted the ban on the grounds that there it found "no evidence which indicates that MSS is a frontal organization of the Maoist party", noting, "The court also observed that the actions of the Jharkhand government were very irresponsible."

According to CASR, "After the BJP lost the 2019 elections in Jharkhand, they again attempted to ban this organization", stating, in 2023, the state "repressed the same working class organisation on the grounds of a governor's ordinance", observing, this was "against the orders of the High Court judgment to ban MSS."

Amidst this "assault" on the trade union, said CASR, the Asangathit Majdoor Morcha "sprang to organise the unorganized working class in the area." And as this organisation too "became a thorn in the flesh for the state as it aims to organise contractual and unorganized workers", the state "attacked AMM, with the same vile intentions as it has done with MSS."

Commented CASR, "NIA is working towards the aim of completely stopping all trade union activities in Jharkhand to pave the way for intensified exploitation of the workers and the 'red tagging' of organisations as Maoist front is one such way. The politics of ban opens the door for long term repression of the struggles of the oppressed and exploited masses."

It said, quoting the court order, "Upholding Maoism as an ideology without actively engaging or calling for violence is not a crime. This is in line with the democratic ethos of being able to uphold political thought freely and without criminalisation", adding,"Banning and tagging of organisations such as MSS and AMM are an attempt to render the working class toothless."

Comments

From algorithms to exploitation: New report exposes plight of India's gig workers

By Jag Jivan The recent report, "State of Finance in India Report 2024-25," released by a coalition including the Centre for Financial Accountability, Focus on the Global South, and other organizations, paints a stark picture of India's burgeoning digital economy, particularly highlighting the exploitation faced by gig workers on platform-based services.

'Condonation of war crimes against women and children’: IPSN on Trump’s Gaza Board

By A Representative The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has strongly condemned the announcement of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine by former US President Donald J. Trump, calling it an initiative that “condones war crimes against children and women” and “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds.”

India’s road to sustainability: Why alternative fuels matter beyond electric vehicles

By Suyash Gupta* India’s worsening air quality makes the shift towards clean mobility urgent. However, while electric vehicles (EVs) are central to India’s strategy, they alone cannot address the country’s diverse pollution and energy challenges.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C. In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

Fragmented opposition and identity politics shaping Tamil Nadu’s 2026 election battle

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* Tamil Nadu is set to go to the polls in April 2026, and the political battle lines are beginning to take shape. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on January 23, 2026, marked the formal launch of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Addressing multiple public meetings, the Prime Minister accused the DMK government of corruption, criminality, and dynastic politics, and called for Tamil Nadu to be “freed from DMK’s chains.” PM Modi alleged that the DMK had turned Tamil Nadu into a drug-ridden state and betrayed public trust by governing through what he described as “Corruption, Mafia and Crime,” derisively terming it “CMC rule.” He claimed that despite making numerous promises, the DMK had failed to deliver meaningful development. He also targeted what he described as the party’s dynastic character, arguing that the government functioned primarily for the benefit of a single family a...

Over 40% of gig workers earn below ₹15,000 a month: Economic Survey

By A Representative The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while reviewing the Economic Survey in Parliament on Tuesday, highlighted the rapid growth of gig and platform workers in India. According to the Survey, the number of gig workers has increased from 7.7 million to around 12 million, marking a growth of about 55 percent. Their share in the overall workforce is projected to rise from 2 percent to 6.7 percent, with gig workers expected to contribute approximately ₹2.35 lakh crore to the GDP by 2030. The Survey also noted that over 40 percent of gig workers earn less than ₹15,000 per month.

Search This Blog