Make Migrant Workers’ Action Plan : AICCTU–AIARLA Observes Two-day Hunger Strike against Government Apathy towards Plight of Migrant Workers

AICCTU and AIARLA called for a 2-day hunger strike and indoor protests (inside people’s own homes) to express solidarity with the crores of migrant workers stranded in different states deprived of food and basic needs while facing various kinds of repression and exclusion. The workers’ organisations demanded through this protest to immediately announce a special Action Plan for migrant workers, arrange free transport for the safe return of migrant workers, transfer Rs 10000 as Lockdown Allowance for migrant workers, weaker sections, women and unemployed youth in their bank accounts, job security and full wage guarantee for the period of lockdown for all workers and to guarantee rations, food, drinking water, medicines, child care for stranded workers.

The AICCTU and AIARLA condemned the government for police repression on migrant workers at various places, and demanded to withdraw all cases slapped on people during the lockdown period. They have suggested the governments to form Ward-level and Panchayat-level Lockdown Relief Committees comprising labor unions, organizations and volunteering individuals to take care of the affected people, because such organisations are more in touch with the aggrieved lockdown affected population and they are better placed in helping out the people.

This protest call was supported by CPIML and AIPWA. All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) also took part in support of this call. On 19 April AISA called for an all India protest and hunger strike highlighting the demands stranded students.

Observing all Coronavirus prevention precautions, leaders and activists held the hunger strike in their homes and offices.

In Uttar Pradesh the protest was jointly organized by AICCTU, AIARLA and CPIML. The hunger strike in support of migrant workers was observed in Lucknow, Ghazipur, Banaras, Mau, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Ballia, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, Rae Bareli, Kushinagar, Jalaun, Sitapur, Kanpur, Moradabad, Mathura, Amroha, Ferozabad and Noida. It demanded that the arrangements should be made to bring back all migrant workers safely to their homes, just as students stranded in Kota and pilgrims stranded in Varanasi were safely brought back home by the Yogi government.

Arrests in Ayodhya-Faizabad

But fasting inside homes in solidarity with migrant workers became a pretext for the continuing witch-hunt of ML activists for the Yogi administration even at a time when whole country is fighting a pandemic. In Ayodhya (Faizabad) CPIML leader Atique Ahmed was arrested for sitting on the hunger strike at his own home. Comrade Atique Ahmed and four other activists, including two women activists, were apprehended from inside his home while on hunger strike fully observing physical distancing norms. The CPIML called these arrests acts of police repression and has demanded immediate and unconditional release of the leaders and activists and withdrawal of the cases registered against them. Later in the evening of 19th all were released on personal bonds after being detained for hours in the police station.

In another incident in the same district, police detained 6 activists in Maharajganj after raiding the  house of CPIML UP state committee member and AICCTU leader Comrade Rambharose. The 6 persons including Rambharose’s brother Ramashish were detained at the Thana for a whole night and the following day. On the 20th morning comrade Rambharose went to thana to inquire about the arrests made, but he was also detained even though he went there on his own volition. All 7 persons were booked under sections not told to them before they were released on personal bonds.

These arrests were condemned by the activists all over the state. CPIML UP Secretary Sudhakar Yadav said that the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh wants to silence workers’ voices on the excuse of Lockdown, but the fight will continue.

At many places, including Moradabad, AICCTU submitted a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister through the district Magistrates.

Tamil Nadu: Protests in Face of Police Repression and Arrests

Subsequent to the call AICCTU in Tamil Nadu decided to have decentralised Dharnas on 18th and hunger strike on19th. Overall, thousands of workers and activists joined in with enthusiasm rigorously observing norms of Lockdown. Workers joined in hundreds in several districts, including Kanyakumari, Pudukottai, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Villupuram, and many other areas, in addition to impressive participation in several other districts including Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Coimbatore, Salem, Trichy, Tanjore, Nagapattinam, Madurai, Karur, Dindigul, Cuddalore and Tirunelveli.

The participant workers belonged to sectors such as construction, powerloom, civil supplies, textiles, electricity, transport, beedi, health workers, garment workers, several private companies while agricultural labourers also joined in good numbers. Participation of Pricol union activists at Coimbatore hunger strike was notable.

On 18th April, workers participated in dharnas at both urban and rural centres by observing lockdown norms. They sat on the dharnas inside homes or at doorsteps in urban and rural areas with sloganeering, display of posters etc demanding action plan and package for migrant labours and unorganised workers hit hard by the lockdown, which also included safe passage for migrant labourers to reach their homes.

Significantly, stranded migrant workers also joined with display of Hindi slogans in several places as the demands were echoing their wishes. On 19th April comrades sat down for hunger strike in their residential areas and also in party /trade union offices with display of flags, posters, and banners. At the call of AISA, student–youth activists also joined the hunger strike demanding package for students at the time of Corona.
In spite of rigorously observing lockdown norms, the police highhandedness and harassment was widespread all over the state. The AIADMK government led by the CM Edappadi Palanisami acted like a police raj, displayed extreme contempt against dissent, freedom of speech and expression. In the name of Covid-19, despite observing norms, several comrades and workers are slapped with cases. Edappadi government is more keen on waging a war on democracy than fighting against Corona. Police harassed many migrant and other workers for joining the protest. Cases are filed based on Facebook posts of protests without caring for any actual violation. In spite of police intimidation and highhandedness, it was a successful program with good participation of both men and women from home and localities. Social media circulation of the programs also made an impact.

Comrade Vel Murugan, CPIML district committee member in Coimbatore, who is also a former Corporator and leader of a slum dwellers’ organization and Louis, AICCTU leader and advocate were arrested on 20 April. Comrade Louis was later released on personal Bond after intervention from many quarters, including advocates associations. But Vel Murugan was taken to the Magistrate ordered for his remand in Judicial custody because the police had implicated him falsely in under some non-bailable sections of IPC.

Thousands in Bihar Fasted in Support of Migrant Workers

Many leaders observed the hunger strike at the Party State office, including State Secretary Kunal, Rasoiya leader Saroj Chaube, AICCTU leader Ranvijay Kumar, Patna City Committee members Ashok Kumar and Pannalal Singh, Nirman Mazdoor Union leaders Upendra Prasad, Umesh Sharma, Arjun Yadav and others. The hunger strike was observed at the AIARLA Bihar state office by Dhirendra Jha, Shashi Yadav, Murtaza Ali, Dileep Singh, Akash Kashyap and others.

Speaking on the occasion, Dhirendra Jha asked if arrangements for the safe return could be made for the rich and elite, why similar arrangements cannot be made for the poor and workers. When luxury buses can be arranged for the stranded rich, why must the poor suffer and die cruelly? He said that the government must fulfil the demands including that of Rs 10,000 as Lockdown allowance along with 3 months’ free rations for the poor and workers.

In addition to Patna city, the hunger strike was also observed across Bihar at Dulhin Bazaar, Naubatpur, Paliganj and Masaurhi in Patna District. It was also observed in Bhojpur, Siwan, Buxar, Muzaffarpur, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur, Arwal, Rohtas and other Districts. CPIML, AIARLA, AICCTU, Kisan Mahasabha and AISA also jointly organized the hunger strikes at Supaul, Darbhanga, Western Champaran, Samastipur, Saharasa , Chitkohara and many other places.

All three CPIML MLAs Sudama Prasad, Satyadev Ram and Mahboob Alam were on hunger strike at Bhojpur, Siwan and Katihar respectively.

Administration must not Crush Political Protests in the name of Lockdown

At many places in Bihar the police and administration tried to intimidate the activists for taking part in the two-day protest. CPIML Bihar State Secretary Kunal said in a statement that it is highly condemnable that the administration is troubled even to the demand of basic needs and safe return of workers. He said that we will continue to put forward legitimate demands while observing physical distancing and the administration should curb its repressive behavior and stop smothering democracy.

In Patna and nearby areas many protests were witnessed. While at Chakiya Krishi Bhavan, Punpun the CO and Thana in-charge arrived to tell that any kind of political activity is forbidden during the Lockdown, so they should immediately end the hunger strike. The leaders ended the hunger strike but told the administration in clear terms that this is autocracy. They also submitted a memorandum with their demands and demanded immediate action. Mukhiya Madan Paswan and others were on hunger strike at Lakhna in Punpun, there too the Thana in-charge arrived and insisted on their ending the fast.

Kisan Mahasabha District Secretary Kripanarayan Singh, Block Secretary Devendra Verma, Madheshwar Shrma, Umesh Singh, Pappu Sharma and others were on hunger strike at the Naubatpur inside the office. The police arrived there and threatened to lodge an FIR. Reports have also come in of the SDO obstructing the hunger strike by CPIML central committee member Gopal Ravidas, Nageshwar Paswan, and of another CC member Shashi Yadav at Masaurhi.

Protests in Other States

Thousands of activists and common people participated in this protest in all the states including Jharkhand, Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and the national capital Delhi.

In capital Delhi, workers and activists affiliated to AICCTU protested on 18th & 19th April in various parts of Delhi, while maintaining distancing norms. From construction and industrial workers to street-vendors, student-activists and lawyers, many observed AICCTU’s all-India call for two-days protest in various parts of Delhi including North Delhi’s Narela, Kadipur, Mukherjee Nagar, Wazirpur, Sant Nagar – Burari; South Delhi’s Sangam Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Kapashera and East Delhi’s Mustafabad, Shahdara, Mandavali, Patparganj etc. Maximum participation was seen among the migrant workers, who have been left without any means to fend for themselves during the lockdown.

Memo to Prime Minister by CPIML Legislator in Jharkhand

People of Jharkhand are among the worst suffered states due to lockdown and governmental neglect. CPIML MLA in Jharkhand Vinod Singh is continuously busy in conducting relief works among workers of Jharkhand stranded in other states, in absence of proper governmental efforts. He himself is also directly looking after the Helpline being run by AICCTU and has attended thousands of phone calls himself.

Vinod Singh had demanded a package from the state government along with offering the total funds under his MLA Development funds. He also called upon all legislatures and MPs in the state to spend full amount of their respective Local Area Development funds. Sadly CM Hemant Soren could agree to only a fraction of this fund which is insignificant in face of such a huge crisis.

Earlier, he also sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister demanding serious efforts and release of funds for the lockdown affected poor by the central government. He has said that we cannot win the fight against Corona if we leave such a large part of the population starving and in such inhuman conditions? Dozens of workers died of starvation on the roads while trying to come back to their homes of foot. Those heartbreaking images of lakhs of distressed workers cannot be washed away. We saw workers, women and children carrying their bags on their heads and walking for hundreds of kilometers in the scorching sun. Not only had they to contend with the hot sun, hunger and pain but they had to consistently face police torture and hate propaganda against them. They were caught at various places and put into quarantine but they were not tested. When the quarantine period ended no arrangements were made for them to reach home.

He said a large part of the county’s population consists of daily wage earners who can eat only if they earn their daily wage. The families of migrant workers are dependent on them. Lockdown is necessary during a global pandemic, ensuring rations for families who have to earn daily to eat daily and ensuring the safe return of migrant workers is also a very necessary part of the fight against Corona. When the Dhanbad MP can return to Dhanbad from Delhi by car, when people stranded in Gujarat can be brought home in luxury buses, why cannot arrangements be made for migrant workers? It is a matter of great sorrow and anger that when Modi announced Lockdown-2 he had no plans for migrant workers.