[Reader-list] Jailed Maruti workers’ kin launch 17-day foot march

[Asit Das]

*Jailed Maruti workers’ kin launch 17-day foot march*

The Hindu | ASHOK KUMAR| GURGAON, January 16, 2014





*Release workers, families ask Haryana Govt.*

The families of workers jailed for violence at Maruti Suzuki’s plant in
Manesar on July 18, 2012, set out on a 17-day-long Jan Jagran Yatra from
Kaithal in Haryana on Wednesday.

The workers have so far failed to get any respite from the courts.

The families’ march will pass through Jind, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Gurgaon
before culminating in a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on January
31.

*Meetings planned*

The protesters will hold meetings and press conferences in villages to
garner mass support for their cause and to put pressure on the Bhupinder
Singh Hooda Government to release the 148 Maruti workers.

Passing through Chief Minister Hooda’s hometown Rohtak and the Lok Sabha
constituency of his son, MP Deepender Hooda, the march also holds political
significance with both Parliamentary and Haryana Assembly elections due
this year.

“With the Congress having lost elections in four States recently, the aim
behind the *yatra* is to seek public support and mount pressure on the
Congress Government in Haryana to agree to our demands. Several trade
unions, employees’ unions, social organisations and the Aam Aadmi Party
have extended their support to the *yatra* ,” said Rajpal, provisional
working committee member of the Maruti Suzuki Workers’ Union.

*Continuing struggle*

The union said in a statement that it would continue the struggle against
injustice despite attempts by the government to create hurdles.


After the July 18 violence at the Manesar plant, in which one senior
executive was killed, the company had fired 546 regular workers and 1,800
contract workers.

More than a year after the incident, 148 workers are still in jail and
non-bailable warrants have been issued against 65 others.

*Families ask the Haryana Govt. to release the 148 jailed workers*



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