SOLIDARITY APPEAL FROM WEST BENGAL:
The International Union of Food Workers (IUF) -their "short name", see our 'Other Interesting Links' section- has passed on a solidarity appeal from one of their affiliates in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS-West Bengal Agricultural Union) has been lending support to agricultural workers and small peasant farmers in the West Bengali community of Singur who were resisting eviction so that the Tata Group , an Indian multinational, can build a small car factory on their land. The factory would employ 2,000 people and displace up to 30,000 people from their land.
The West Bengali police have acted in a violent manner towards the villagers on several occasions. On February 4th, 2007 the police attacked a rally of the villagers and assaulted several people. Six leaders of the PBKMS were arrested, threatened with rape (all were women) and arraigned on many serious charges the next day. The PBKMS and the IUF are asking you to protest the criminalization of protest in West Bengal by writing to the Chief Minister and Governor of West Bengal. To join in this campaign go to the following e-address:
http://www.iuf.org/den4067
It should be noted that the government of West Bengal that is sponsoring these attacks is a coalition of communist parties that has been in power in that state for some time, and this is one more example of how the managerial interests of the rulers trump any ideological commitment to justice.
Molly