At least four people were killed and nine others were injured in a violent clash between the agitating workers and private security guards of a contractor in Kamand in Mandi district, where a new Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus is under construction. The workers on the site were agitating for past few days against the non-payment of wages and EPF by the construction company.
The contractor who had brought some other workers and armed security guards from outside was not heeding to the demands of old workers. In a face-off between the two the private security guards, who were well built armed bouncers from Punjab, opened up the fire and injured many workers including their leaders.
The unprovoked firing flared up the emotions of striking workers and a huge mob gathered, assisted by local farmers and residents. The outside men were immediately overpowered and chased away from the site. Running for their life into the forest, the rival security guards slipped from the cliffs and got badly hurt. Two of them died on the spot and two others succumbed to their injuries in the Mandi Regional Hospital later, said the police.
The nine people who were wounded because of bullet injuries are also admitted in the hospital.
The leaders of workers have long been alleging blatant violation of labour laws and exploitation of the poor workers who were allegedly been forced to live in the most inhuman conditions and also under sub zero temperature during the harsh winters this year. “The non-payment of wages had further made their life hell, says Paras Ram, a leader of CITU. Had the Labour Commissioner, Chandigarh taken some remedial action well in time the loss of precious lives could have been averted, he said.
