By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: The CPI (ML) Delhi State unit and AICCTU held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on May 25 to protest the ongoing crackdown on and demand the unconditional release of all arrested trade union leaders and Dalit agricultural workers in Punjab.
The demonstrators submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister demanding his intervention to release the arrested activists and end the spree of repression on the rural poor who are demanding the state government to fulfil its promise of house plots for them.
“The SAD-BJP Government of Punjab, frustrated at its setback in the recent Lok Sabha polls, has unleashed terror on poor Dalit labourers in Mansa district, Punjab. Thousands of agricultural labourers protesting against betrayal of the promise of house plots to rural poor have been arrested, jailed, and lathi-charged, while CPI (ML)’s entire state leadership as well as Comrade Swapan Mukherjee, General Secretary of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) have been picked up from offices and homes and jailed,” said Govind Uniyal, Member, State Committee of CPI (ML).
In Mansa district, agricultural workers, in protest against the failure on part of the state government to distribute the promised house plots, held a peaceful dharna and occupied a portion of panchayat land allotted for lease to workers, and began constructing hutments on this land. One-third of panchayat land is allotted for lease to agricultural workers – the land occupied is therefore land that is legitimately allotted to the workers. All over Punjab, when rich farmers habitually occupy common land, land allotted for waste disposal, etc… governments never lift a finger against them. But when the poorest of the poor Dalit workers occupy land that is in any case legitimately for their use, to build a roof above their heads, they are facing a brutal crackdown, he said.
Ever since a massive rally by protesting poor workers on May 19, the crackdown has been underway, with around 3000 people arrested through raids on their homes and the CPI(ML) Mansa office. Women living on the occupied panchayat land have borne the brunt of a severe lathi-charge.