CITU - Congratulates the People for their Spontaneous Response Braving Government’s Onslaughts; Denounces Police Atrocities on Peaceful Protesters; and Calls Upon the People to Extend Support to the General Strike on January 8, 2020.
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) welcomes and greets all sections of the people for their countrywide spontaneous response to the call for protest mobilizations on 19th December 2019 against the infamous Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which is an outrageous onslaught on the Indian Constitution and the right to equality irrespective of religion, caste and creed as enshrined in the Constitution. In all states and UTs, people in tens of thousands demonstrated their strong protest against and disapproval of the Citizenship Amendment Act through rallies, dharnas, demonstrations etc.
CITU condemns police atrocities in many parts of the country against the peaceful protest demonstrations/rallies. At many places, particularly in the BJP-ruled states and in NCT Delhi, police resorted to physical intimidations, prohibitory orders, lathi charge, mass scale arrests of the leaders and activists etc; injuring several hundreds of people; killing two persons in police firing in Mangalore and one person in Lucknow. More such reports are pouring in.
Earlier, at the dictate of the Central Government, students’ protest in Jamia Milia University was sought to be crushed by Delhi Police even entering the University campus, girls hostels at night with nefarious intent to create atmosphere of terror to suppress all kinds of democratic protests.
The united platform of Central Trade Unions and Federations in a joint statement issued on 17th December 2019 denounced the anti-constitutional Citizenship Amendment Act and its divisive and disruptionist intent; demanded to repeal this infamous Act; and called upon the working class to voice their protest and disapproval.
The Declaration of the National Convention of Workers, held on 30th September 2019, calling for countrywide general strike on 8th January 2020 had emphatically denounced the divisive, disruptive and undemocratic machinations of the Govt. through various measures like abrogation of Article 370; draconian amendment of UAPA Act; announcing NRC process to begin in all states etc. for communal polarization and also aiming to cover up their misdeeds and failures in all fronts. The Joint Declaration of Central Trade Unions called for defeating these destructive and conspiratorial designs through countrywide general strike on 8th January 2020.
CITU calls upon the people to unitedly build strong opposition to CAA and follow it up with the battle cry of general strike on 8th January 2020 with determination to defeat the nefarious game-plan of the Govt. and to defend the rights and livelihood of the workers and the people; Country’s Constitution; national economy and its self reliance.
Issued by
(Tapan Sen)
General Secretary
