India - Massive public meeting on the 10th anniversary of state terror against Honda workers

A massive public meeting was organized by the workers’ organisations in the industrial area of Gurgaon-Manesar, on 25th July, to mark the 10th anniversary of the barbaric state attack against the struggle of the workers of Honda Motorcycle and Scooters, Manesar.
Office bearers, activists and thousands of men and women workers from more than 60 unions of industries located in the Gurgaon, Manesar, Rewari, Dharuheda, Baval and other locations, participated in this meeting. Among these were Honda Union, GGAN Industries (Manesar, Dharuheda and Baval), Maruti Industries, Suzuki Two Wheelers, Hero, Sona Steering, FCC, Satyam, Rexin, Sunbeam, Haryana Roadways, Luma X, Nippon, Indorays, ASTI, Munjal Shova, Munjal Keeru, Prefeti, Auto Décor, RICO, RGP, Subros, Belsonic, Badi, Suzuki Power Train India, GKN, P and writer, etc.
Activists of AITUC, CITU, AIUTUC, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Mazdoor Ekta Committee, INTUC, BMS, and ANTUI participated militantly in the meeting.
Ten years ago, the workers of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter had waged a struggle to form a union. The management of Honda and Haryana government unleashed barbaric terror on the workers in order to crush this demand. The Haryana police surrounded a peaceful demonstration of the Honda factory workers at the Mini-Secretariat in Gurgaon, and brutally lathi charged them. The police broke quite a few bones through this inhuman attack. This incident unified the workers of the industrial area in and around Gurgaon, against state terror. Hundreds of rallies were organized against the workers. Worker organisations from across the country and the world condemned this state terror. Finally, the Haryana government had to allow the Honda workers to establish their union.
This instance and other incidents of state terror before and after this, is linked to the course of privatization, liberalization and globalization. Earlier, the state had unleashed terror on the workers of Maruti Udyog and RICO in Gurgaon. Other incidents following these were the attacks on the workers of Orient Craft and Maruti Suzuki (Manesar). There are countless such incidents of state terror across the whole country. The State administration, police, courts, etc. become active to crush the struggles of the workers the moment they come out to fight for their rights.
The bourgeoisie is ensuring maximum profits by getting the government to change labour laws against the interests of the workers. Every government at the state makes every effort to fulfil this interest of the bourgeoisie. On the other hand, the working class is getting united to resist the attacks on its rights. The working class is uniting in struggle against loot and plunder despite the state organized terror attacks on them.
Office bearers of the various unions, who were participating, addressed the meeting.
The speakers expressed their view that be it the state government or central government, all are eager to be the first to take anti-workers steps. They are stepping up attacks on the right to form trade unions. it is the policy of the government to dismiss, terrorise, attack workers through hired goondas, file fraudulent cased against them, and carry out such like acts against workers who have formed their unions. Our experience shows that whether the government is of the Congress or BJP or any other party, their main aim is to protect the interest of the bourgeoisie and work against the interests of the workers and peasants. Lastly, the speakers gave a call to make the 2 September strike successful.
Among those who addressed the meeting were Com. D.L Sachdev (AITUC), Com. Satbir (CITU), Com. Satyavan (AIUTUC), Com. Amit Yadav (INTUC), Com. Pawan Upadhyay (BMS), Com. Jaspal (HMS) and others.
The meeting presented a demand to the Haryana government with the following demands:

• Payment of minimum wages of workers in Haryana at Rs.15000/month
• Reinstatement of dismissed workers of Maruti-Suzuki (Manesar) at full wages and release of those who have been jailed
• Enforcement of the implementation of labour laws and elimination of contract work
• Provision of housing to workers at reasonable cost
• Enabling satisfactory resolution of all demands of the workers who have submitted the same and immediate resolution of all outstanding disputes with workers
• Registration of unions within a guaranteed period of 45 days
• Withdrawal of fraudulent police cases filed against workers and keeping the police out of disputes between workers and management
• Implementation of safety measures in industry to prevent industrial accidents

The struggles of workers in Gurgaon and countrywide show that the workers are not willing to put up with bourgeois rule. The working class has to unite and bring down the government of the bourgeoisie and take the reins of power in its hands. The society has to be renewed fundamentally and socialism must be established so that the workers and society can live in prosperity.