Sir,
Sir,
I was proud and happy to read about the powerful expression of solidarity for the striking Maruti-Suzuki workers in Manesar from the ranks of the working class in the Manesar-Gurgaon belt that was described in a moving report posed on the CGPI web-site on June 12, 2011. The conditions under which the tool down strike have started are now well known and even as this is being written, there does not seem to be any end in sight to the crisis that has led to this pass. The main sticking point is the refusal of the Management to recognize any union except the official union.
The conditions of work at the plant have been described in detailed elsewhere and are nothing short of horrendous. The enormous potential for profit making at the plant is predicated upon the savage exploitation of the labour, and it is indeed the basic right of the workers to protest against such exploitation and the strike action is one of the important tools in their armoury. What has not received sufficient attention in this strike and in strikes elsewhere is the extreme viciousness and vindictiveness with which the management responds to the legitimate demands of the working class, especially in their retaliation towards the leadership of the strikes including dismissal. Also noteworthy is the immediate response of various arms of the state machinery, with Governments and Courts invariably declaring strikes as illegal and with large battalions of security landing up and harassing striking workers. Any one who has any illusions about the nature of growth in the country can simply open their eyes and look at the circumstances under which the growth is taking place.
Capitalist growth within India ever increasingly is a violent process with much of the violence stemming from the bourgeoisie and its state. Its increasing intolerance to dissent is there for everyone to see. On the other hand, these experiences have been teaching the working class that it is impossible for it to be part of a system where there can be a human face to capitalism. The CGPI through its work has been highlighting these developments and is carrying out its role as the vanguard of the class. I once again thank the party for carrying the factual and objective report of the working class response to the strike in the region.
Sincerely,
A. Narayan, Bangalore