Trade union rejects charge of bringing Bangladeshi labourers to Odisha mines

By A Representative 

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has strongly refuted allegations that the organisation, or one of its senior Odisha leaders, supplied Bangladeshi labourers to mining sites in the Koira mining belt of Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts. The charge, directed at Jahangir Ali, State Vice President of CITU’s Odisha committee and a prominent leader of mine workers, was termed “false, conspiratorial and politically motivated.”

In a statement issued on January 8, CITU said the complaint stemmed from a letter dated January 5 by the Deputy Director of Mines, Koira division, seeking information from mining leaseholders about the alleged engagement of Bangladeshi labourers purportedly connected to Ali. CITU claimed the inquiry formed part of a wider “witch-hunt,” driven by the BJP government’s narrative of targeting so-called “guspaithiyas” or infiltrators.

The trade union alleged that Bengali-speaking migrant labourers from West Bengal working in Odisha were being wrongly branded as Bangladeshis for political gain, accusing the state government of using security concerns to advance divisive, communal objectives. According to the organisation, this tactic was being selectively deployed to harass labour organisers and weaken workers’ rights movements.

CITU linked the allegations to recent labour actions, including a successful struggle by contract mine workers against terminations by an Adani-operated mining facility, where the union claimed credit for ensuring continued employment. The statement described the current controversy as retaliation for that victory, asserting that the “double engine” BJP administration was siding with corporate interests and using accusations to discredit trade union leadership.

Calling the claims baseless, CITU urged workers and the wider public to recognise what it described as a “blame game” and remain vigilant against attempts to polarise society and undermine labour rights. The statement was signed by General Secretary Elamaram Kareem.