They suffer in their own State!

They suffer in their own State!

Staff Correspondent

DIBRUGARH, Feb 23: The construction work of the gas cracker project being carried out by Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) at Lepetkata in Dibrugarh district came to a halt at the plant site today following clash between two groups of labourers. From the very beginning of the project, an undercurrent of clash between local labourers and labourers imported from outside Assam was prevailing at the project site that witnessed its extremity today. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) resorted to blank fire to bring the situation under control.

According to sources, the clash started with RVR Company bringing some unskilled labourers from outside Assam for works in the project, much to the resentment of the local ones. Sporadic clashes started last night and that reached its crescendo today. According to allegations, some employees of the company assaulted three local labourers and filed a case against them. The three local labourers — Hemanta Phukan, Jantu Phukan and Tarun Phukan — were arrested by the police last night. This morning when the local labourers raised their demand in front of RVR Company site office for unconditional release of the three arrested labourers, a tussle between the local and labourers from outside the State started, leading the CISF personnel to resort to lathi-charge and then blank fire. Police and CRPF personnel soon rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.

Abhijit Bora, SP, assured the agitating workers that the labourers guilty of misconduct would be punished. He also invited their representatives to take part in talks with BCPL and RVR Company for a lasting solution to the alleged discrimination by RVR. The irate gathering, however, insisted on unconditional release of Hemanta Phukan, Jantu Phukan and Tarun Phukan.

The agitated labourers alleged that their colleagues had been beaten up by RVR construction manager Radha Krishna Das in connivance with some non-local labourers and CISF personnel on February 22 at the work site near Kachari Gaon. They also told this reporter that Das was instrumental in sending all the three injured local labourers to police custody by lodging a complaint of assault against them. A number of local labourers engaged in the construction work of BCPL said that Das, in connivance with a few others, had initiated a bid to counter the constant demand of local organizations to engage local unemployed youths.

Today’s incident was condemned by several organizations, including the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), All Assam Mottock Yuba Chatra Sanmmilan (AAMYCS) and Dibrugarh district unit of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU). AJYCP organizing secretary Sanjay Baruah and Dibrugarh district AJYCP president Jayanta Handique, while condemning the incident, demanded punishment to the RVR officials and those involved in the assault of local labourers.

Meanwhile, the local labourers were absent from their regular work today in protest against the detention of their colleagues. They have also called an indefinite “ceasework” till three of the workers are released. They have already lodged a complaint at Barbaruah Police Station against the RVR Company and its officials for beating up three labourers. THE SENTINEL