A team of activists of the LRS visited Gurgaon on 26th July to show solidarity with the workers and people of Gurgaon, who were demanding that the police and other officials responsible for the mayhem on 25th July 2005 be punished, and
that all the workers of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters Ltd be taken back and be paid their full wages. The roads leading to the Civil Hospital, Gurgaon, where many of the workers who were injured the previous day were taken were lodged, had been blocked off by the police. Despite this, a huge crowd of people gathered outside the Civil Hospital to show their anger at the police and administration. Earlier in the day, relatives and friends of the workers and common people of Gurgaon had fought pitched battles with the police.
A big meeting was held outside the hospital in which speaker after speaker reiterated the resolve of the workers and people of Gurgaon to fight for justice. The police had tried to terrorize us, but we will not give up so easily, they said. Denouncing the claim of the police and authorities that “outsiders” had caused trouble; one speaker asked why it was that only the toiling people of Gurgaon who could be branded as trouble makers and “outsiders”. Do the authorities regard the Japanese capitalists who set up industries here to exploit us so badly and insult us only as “insiders”? Was this the face of globalization and liberalization? Another speaker, referring to the events of the morning, saluted the women of Gurgaon who had bravely taken up lathis to fight and punish the police who had beaten up their husbands, brothers and sons.
Speaking on behalf of LRS, Prakash Rao said that the workers and toiling people of Delhi and the rest of India were one with the workers and people of Gurgaon in their fight for justice. LRS fully supports the demand that those guilty of committing the indescribable atrocities yesterday should be given exemplary punishment and that all workers should be taken back by the Honda Company with full wages. Anyone who wishes to cause injustice to the workers and peasants of Haryana does so at his own peril as the people of Haryana have been at the forefront of the struggles for justice. He recalled how, in the wake of a similar police atrocity over 25 years ago in Faridabad, the resulting protests were so intense that they led to the downfall of the then government. Today, the eyes of the people all over India were on the workers and people of Gurgaon. He ended his speech hailing the fighting spirit of the people of Gurgaon.
Some of the LRS activists then went into the hospital to meet the workers who had been seriously injured (see Interviews). Once again the police resorted to tear gas and lathi charge and many people, including LRS National Convener Prakash Rao were affected by the tear gas.
Another militant action was held outside Haryana Bhavan in New Delhi, on the same day (26th of July 2005). The Delhi police also used harsh methods, including lathis and water canons, to break up this protest.
