Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Blot on democracy

The Gurgaon incident in which the Haryana police beat Honda workers to pulp is a blot on our democracy. If the police resort to such extreme brutality at every instance, the people will be deterred from exercising their rights. Is the police barbarity a manifestation of the Haryana Government's intent to make Gurgaon the safest foreign investment destination (with no labour unrest and trade unions)? If yes, the suburb will soon be reduced to a mere shadow of what it is as history bears testimony to the fact that no society prospers by oppressing blue-collar workers.

Erina Chatterjee,
Kolkata

The impatience of rulers with those who oppose fund-bank dictated policies has come to the fore. Next comes the abrogation of all rules by MNCs, with active support from the establishment. The media, keen on the rights of corporates, hardly care for the rights of the working class. The divide has reached dangerous proportions.

M.S.R.A. Srihari,
Khammam, A.P.

In the gruesome Gurgaon incident, the Honda management was the real enemy. The policies of the Central Government under the liberalisation programme afford scope for companies to siphon off funds, show losses, cease workers' salaries, retrench staff, merge companies, etc., at their will. The management gurus find loopholes in the company laws and the open economic policy. There will be more Gurgaon-like battles in future.

Nitin B. Hoskote,
Mumbai

The whole issue has been sidetracked to appear as though it is between the workers and the police, with calls for police reforms renting the air. Discourses on democracy are meaningless when workers and other deprived sections are not treated as part of it. If violation of prohibitory orders is a serious offence, denying salary for months — and forcing the workers to the roads — is more serious.

S. George,
Karur, T.N.

Visuals of lathi-wielding Haryana policemen ganging up and brutally raining blows even on workers who had fallen down were disturbing. However, trade union leaders should realise at least now that labour unrest, often violent resulting in production losses, has been the single most compelling factor for industry and business to go in for unprecedented capital investments that render labour redundant. Heralding labour reforms alone can help increase employment generation and defuse the rapidly ticking unemployment bomb.

N. Narasimhan,
Bangalore

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