The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Beedi row: TDP takes up gauntlet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 18, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Beedi row: TDP takes up gauntlet

Special Correspondent

Withdraw the notification, say trade unions

N. Chandrababu Naidu showing beedi bundles at a meeting in Hyderabad.

HYDERABAD: A meeting of all trade unions organised by the TDP on Tuesday unanimously resolved to demand the Central Government to withdraw the controversial notification on depiction of skull and bones warning on beedi packets and the freshly imposed tax.

On a suggestion from CPI(ML) New Democracy leader D.V. Krishna, TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu said the party in support with Left and other parties would move a private member bill in Parliament on withdrawal of the notification.

This would not only build pressure but expose political parties not supporting the beedi workers' cause, he observed.

Almost all the major trade unions such as All India Trade Union Congress, Centre for Indian Trade Unions, Indian Federation of Trade Unions, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Telugu Nadu Trade Union Council were represented at the meeting, including Indian National Trade Union Congress.

A majority of them favoured a joint agitation plan in the coming days, including demonstrations in mandal/district headquarters and rallies in Hyderabad and New Delhi.

Action plan

However, there was mild difference of opinion on whether political parties should lead the struggle against pictorial warning or the trade unions. Seeing the difference of opinion, Mr. Naidu said the trade union leaders could meet among themselves on Wednesday and decide whether to involve political parties and give their approval to the action plan discussed at Tuesday's meeting.

"Either way, we extend our full cooperation," he said and accepted another suggestion to consult CPI and CPI(M) leaders on the course of political action.

Mr. Naidu said Union Health Minister A. Ramadoss's statement that the notification would come into effect on June 1 revealed that the promise given by the Congress before the Karimnagar Lok Sabha byelections to withdraw it was a `drama.' INTUC representative from Karimnagar M.A. Rashid called for united struggle cutting across party lines.

Sudha Kishore of CITU said the Centre seemed least concerned about the loss of livelihood to 15 lakh people.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh