J. Satyababu, general secretary of the Ballari district unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) cautioned the working class that days were not far when their right to protest too would be taken away with the government and the corporate sectors coming together until and unless they [working class] remained united and raised their voice for justice.
Speaking at the May Day celebrations organised by CITU in association with Karnataka Prantha Raita Sangha, Anganwadi and Mid-day Meal Workers Associations here on Monday, Mr. Satyababu accused the Union and State governments of adopting anti-working class and anti-poor and anti-farmer policies and making all attempts to deprive the workers of their due.
“Amendments were being brought to the Labour laws to suit the requirements of the industrial/corporate houses ignoring the interests of the working class. Subsidies for agricultural inputs are being withdrawn and no minimum support price is announced being to protect the interests of farmers leading to farmer suicide. Above all, the unity among the workers is being broken to ensure that they did not raise their voices. Such being the situation, if workers do not unite and fight, there was the danger of they being deprived of all their rights,” he said.
He also underlined the need for the workers to elect from among their own fraternity in the coming elections to ensure that the elected representatives raised their voices in favour of the working class in the Assembly and Parliament besides working for the welfare of labour.
T.G. Vittal of the LIC Pensioners Association criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for what he said turning a blind eye and maintaining a studied silence on serious issues concerning the working class. “The Union government is not ready to waive farm loans while it is keen and willing to waive bad debts of big corporate houses, which is inhuman,” he said.
U. Basavaraj of KPRS underlined the need for the working class to awaken and realise the dangers being perpetrated by the BJP-led NDA government which had given away natural resources to corporate houses and was also playing the communal card, and fight against it.
Citing several instances, Mr. Basavaraj expressed concern over the attacks in the name of cow protection in which Pehlu Khan was killed. He said that the attackers were still at large and no action had been taken by the government concerned. He said that the KPRS had decided to collect donations through its organisation to be handed over to the victim’s family.
Yerramma, Chandrakumari, P.M. Venkatesh were among other leaders present.
