Three years ago, the Honda workers were brutally attacked by the police. On 25 March 2008 hundreds of workers of Honda Motor and Scooter Company (HMSC) and workers and unions from various districts in Haryana participated in a public meeting at the Secretariat in Gurgaon to mark this third anniversary as “Unity Day”.
Following this incident three years ago the Honda workers have continued their struggle and won a few victories with respect to their rights, like the right to organise and form unions among both contract and regular workers.
The meeting was addressed by many speakers from different unions and organisations in the area including Lok Raj Sangathan. AITUC President Com. G L Dhar, Secretary Com. Suchdev, Com. Bhim Sen Prabhakar, Rajbir Chahal of Rewadi Mazdoor Parishad, CITU State Secretary Satbir Singh addressed the gathering. Other speakers included Secretary of Honda Motor and Scooter India Employees Union Vinod Tiwari, general Secretary Harjit Singh, Govind Behra, and Pankaj Aire.
Speaking on behalf of Lok Raj Sangathan Santosh Kumar said that the UPA government has done nothing for the people of different sections. On the contrary, the government has increased its attacks on the workers, peasants, women and youth. The evidence of all this is obvious in the fact that more than 1.5 lakh farmers have been driven to commit suicide, and thousands of workers (as in the case of Honda workers) are being stripped of their right to agitate, organise for their just economic and political demands. Prices of food and other essential commodities are soaring and the main cause behind the misery of the working people and their families is the economic policy of globalisation through privatisation and liberalisation. While the working people suffer, a handful of big corporate houses in our country are growing richer and bigger as well as buying over companies within the country and abroad. He recalled that 100 years ago the working class of Mumbai had organised a mass political strike against the arrest and sentencing of Lokmanya Tilak. Hundreds of thousands of workers came on to the street against the colonial rule. He pointed out that the working and toiling people of this country have always been at the forefront of the struggle against anti-people and anti-national policies of the rulers. Santosh concluded that if we want to change the situation, we will have to fight for Lokraj, i.e. power in the hands of the people.
At the conclusion of the programme a street play “60 Saal baad” (After 60 years) was staged, depicting the reality of last 60 years of “independence”.
