Lynching may be tip of iceberg

SURAT, May 19: The public lynching last week of an Oriya youth in Pandesara might have been an extreme case, brought to light by its shee...

SURAT, May 19: The public lynching last week of an Oriya youth in Pandesara might have been an extreme case, brought to light by its sheer brutality, but workers have several instances of atrocities to narrate. They also admit, in the same breath, that they have singularly failed in their attempt to unite and take on the might of the unit-owners.

The textile industry of Surat depends heavily on workers from states like Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra; without them it would be paralysed, a fact that became obvious in the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition, when the State8217;s industry minister had to go all the way to Orissa to plead with the workers to return.

If workers and several of their associations are to be believed, the employers not only violate every law in the book but also ensure that the unions remain too weak to challenge them.

President of Katargam GIDC Association Jayanti Gajjar admits as much: 8220;There are several such incidents, but the owners manage to keep them under wraps.8221; He holds the current recession responsible for such episodes. 8220;Frustration leads to unnatural outbursts of anger8221;, he says. 8220;But they shouldn8217;t have gone to such extremes.8221;

President of the Pandesara Industries Association Kamal Vijay Tulsian, however, says, 8220;The incident is highly exaggerated. It8217;s but natural that people caught stealing are thrashed up; sometimes it leads to death.8221;

He alleges that Oriya workers are militant and cites murders and quarrels in the locality to shore up his argument.

Deputy Commissioner of Labour D K Patel begs to differ. 8220;None of our officers has ever received such a complaint against workers from Orissa. They come here to make money, and are happy with whatever they get,8221; he says.

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A Socialist Unity Centre of India activist alleges, 8220;Rarely, if ever, do atrocities on workers come to light. From the police to the other departments concerned, everybody is won over by the owners, who treat workers like dirt.8221;

He claims Manu Patra, who was beaten up and hung upside down in public view, was a regular worker, though not on the rolls of any unit. 8220;The allegation of theft was just an excuse the owners needed to create terror among workers and ensure they don8217;t stand up.8221; While that may not be the case, it is undeniable that workers are often beaten up by owners on flimsy grounds and for common mistakes.

8220;Some workers are branded cycle thieves and beaten up when other charges against them do not stick. A worker was beaten to death in similar conditions a few months ago near Devchand Society in Pandesara and another near Gujarat Housing Board Colony8221;, alleges an SUCI activist from Orissa. Meanwhile, the powerloom units in Pandesara and nearby areas continued to be shut for the third consecutive day on Wednesday.

Though there is an unofficial call for closure of units till May 31, industry sources point out that owners will have to start work sooner rather than later. Even workers will find it difficult to survive without money for long.