People's Democracy

SHOCKING ATROCITY IN GURGAON

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on July 26, 2005.

THE brutal assault by the police on the workers of the Honda Motors and Scooters in Gurgaon has shocked the country. In a systematic and premeditated fashion the police launched a savage attack on workers protesting against the illegal actions of the Honda company. Hundreds of workers have been injured, many with serious head injuries in this attack shown on television screens. This is an outrageous example of the police acting as agents of the multinational company. The district administration’s complicity in suppressing the rights of the workers is also well established.

Workers in factories in Gurgaon are not allowed to form trade unions and efforts are made by the big companies to suppress all trade union activities. The Honda factory is an illustration of how workers rights are suppressed.

The chief minister showed his callousness to this atrocity by ordering a magisterial enquiry by a civil servant. The first step to be taken is the suspension of the Deputy Commissioner, the SSP and all the police officials involved in this attack. None of the district administration officials should be in position when the judicial enquiry is conducted. The state government has to ensure the best medical treatment and provide compensation for all the workers injured in the attack.

The Honda management must be prosecuted for declaring an illegal lockout and the workers must be reinstated without any conditions. The central government must ensure that all the multinational corporations in the National Capital Region conform to labour laws strictly.

To protest against this brutality, to demand action against those guilty and to ensure justice for the Honda workers, the CPI(M) calls upon its units and the democratic forces to hold protest actions throughout the country. (INN)