trade unions – Page 3 – free them all

Joint Trade Union Call: Drop the false charges against Prof. Anand Teltumbde Immediately

26/01/2019 Rani

We stand together to strongly condemn the baseless allegations and defamatory and concocted charges pressed against Prof. Anand Teltumbde by the Pune police, under the Unfair Activities Prevention Act, 1967 (UAPA), to wrongly frame him in the Bhima Koregaon case and to accuse him for plotting the assassination of the Prime Minister.
The police forces of the State of Maharashtra led a witch hunt of human rights activists, poets, teachers, lawyers and trade union leaders on 28 August 2018 across several locations in the country. It has viciously attacked those who fight for the rights of the working class, Dalits and the poor and marginalised and raise their voice against state repression.
Read more

4 Reliance Workers, First to be Falsely Implicated under UAPA for Bhima Koregaon Violence, Released on Bail

27/12/2018 Rani

Peoples Union of Democratic Rights / By PUDR

Press Release
PUDR welcomes the release on bail of four workers of Reliance Energy/ Infrastructure Ltd. (REIL) and trade union activists implicated under numerous sections of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for alleged Maoist links. The workers were released today on default bail after the 17 December order of the Bombay High Court setting aside the extension of time granted to ATS Mumbai to file the chargesheet in April 2018. Months before 6 June and 28 August, when 10 rights activists were arrested under UAPA on fabricated connections to the Bhima Koregaon violence, workers at RIEL were the first to be targeted for alleged ‘Maoist’ links at Elgaar Parishad.
Read more

Mumbai: Over 11 months in jail, four workers arrested for ‘Maoist links’ get bail

27/12/2018 Rani

Indian Express / By Sadaf Modak

In January, eight men working in private firms were arrested by the ATS and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. ATS claims that they were involved in raising funds for the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Read more

Bombay HC paves way for former Reliance workers to get bail

19/12/2018 Rani

Sabrang / By Sushmita

Exactly 11 months after workers of Reliance industries were arrested on charges of UAPA and for their alleged connection to BhimaKoregaon case, the Bombay High Court, has, on December 17, has set aside a Sessions Court order granting extension of time beyond 90 days period for filing charge sheet. This will now make it a little bit easier to approach the courts for bail.
Read more

‘Maoist plot’ in Mumbai: 12 identical witness statements put police claims under doubt

19/12/2018 Rani

By scroll.in / Mridula Chari & Shone Satheesh

Five workers, who barely earned enough to support their families, have been arrested on charges of funding the Maoists.
Read more

How Contractual Labourers Uprooted BJP’s Rule in Chhattisgarh

15/12/2018 Rani

Newsclick / By Saurabh Sharma

The workers were especially angered following the arrest of activist Sudha Bharadwaj in a “false” case. Bharadwaj had been associated with the CMM for many years.
Contract workers of Chhattisgarh seem to have played a significant role in the defeat of the 15-year-old BJP-led state government in the recent elections.
Read more

Trade unionists branded as ‘Urban Naxals’, arrested under UAPA shows State repression of labour activists has peaked

19/11/2018 Rani

The Leaflet / By B Sivaraman

The NDA government in the Centre and the Maharashtra government are trampling upon the entire gamut of rights and not only human rights as understood in the conventional manner. Labour rights, women’s rights and Adivasi rights all are turning into human rights issues because of repression.
Read more

Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha- Mazdoor Karyakarta Samiti (CMM-MKS): A Political Engagement of Sudha Bharadwaj

11/11/2018 Rani

Countercurrents / By Dillip Kumar Dash

One can debate and dispute with the entire matrix of formulations, activities and experiments happening there. And, that constitutes the history of politics. But, narratives of violence attempt to create setbacks for peoples’ struggle by creating a legitimacy crisis. Such efforts fail. Today, even the kids from the workers’ families shout slogans identifying themselves with Didi, the way some others did when Niyogi was condemned. The very slogan they give is Sudha Didi Naxali hai to hum bhi Naxali hain (if Sudha Didi is a Naxalite, we are also Naxalites).
Read more

Workers in Bhilai Protest Arrest of Sudha Bhardwaj

31/10/2018 Rani

Groundxero / By Kaladas Daheriya

Workers in Bhilai condemn the arrest of worker-leader, human right activist and peoples lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, calling it an attack on the working class and toiling masses.
Read more

Statement of central Trade Unions against UAPA

29/10/2018 Rani

Statement by AICCTU, AITUC, IFTU, NTUI

We shall Resist! We shall Defend! We are not be Afraid!
Enough is Enough! Repeal the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967

A vengeful and duplicitous BJP Government in Maharashtra moved the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court quashed the remand order and therefore the arrest of Gautam Navalakha. At the same time, the champions of Hindutva, Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide, against whom demonstrable evidence exists for their role in inciting the attack against Dalits at Bhim-Koregaon, continue to roam free and the FIRs against them have been closed.