The Election Commission of India
Nirvachan Sadan,
Ashoka Road,
New Delhi – 110001 

Urging to issue directive under Model Code of Conduct

Not to use the name of the profession of ‘Chowkidar’ for Election purpose

Sirs,

1. I am an all India functionary of the central trade union namely the ‘Centre of Indian Trade Unions’ (briefly called as ‘CITU’) which has currently more than 55 lakh workers as members across the country.
2. ‘Chowkidar’ is the name of the profession under Chowkidari Acts, both of Centre and of all States.
3. The ‘Chowkidars’ are sufferers of economic and social injustice and are deprived of reasonable job security, minimum wage and social security. They are organised in trade unions at some places, which are registered under Trade Unions Act, 1926 and which bears name ‘Chowkidars’, commensurate with the name of their profession. They are pursuing their just demands agitationally and legally in different parts of the country.
4. At this juncture, their professional name ‘Chowkidar’ has been usurped by several political parties and prominent persons, who are contesting the 17^th Lok Sabha election including the present Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, for electoral propaganda purposes either to project ‘Chowkidari’ as a high profile job (which in reality is not) or lampooning the name of this profession.
5. The use of the professional name of ‘Chowkidar’, as being used in the election propaganda by the political parties and candidates, as illegal, unfair, misleading and insulting and, therefore, urge you to issue urgent directive under Model Code of Conduct not to use the professional names of ‘Chowkidar’ for the 17^th Lok Sabha election.    

Yours Sincerely
(J. S. Majumdar)

In the background of the increasing aggression by the US Government and its allies to destabilise the democratically elected government in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Indian affiliates of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) organized a “Workers’ Convention in Solidarity with the people of Venezuela, Against the Imperialist Aggression” on 19 March 2019 at CITU Office, BTR Bhawan, New Delhi. The convention organized at the call of WFTU, was attended by nearly two hundred people from CITU, AITUC, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC and other WFTU affiliates AISGEF, BSNLEU, CCGEW, AIIEA and BEFI.
The Convention was jointly presided over by a Presidium composed of Swadesh Dev Roye(CITU), Deputy General Secretary, WFTU, B V Vijayalakshmi(AITUC), Santosh Roy(AICCTU) and M Chaurasia(AIUTUC).
The Convention was addressed by Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary, AITUC, Tapan Sen, General Secretary, CITU, Rajeev Dimri, General Secretary, AICCTU and R K Sharma, AIUTUC. Tapan Sen said that it is the same neoliberal policies under the imperialist forces which make the life of the working class of our country miserable that is directly attacking the sovereignty of Venezuela and making the life of the people unbearable. So it is all the more important for the Working class of India while intensifying its struggle to change the policies, to come out on the streets in solidarity action with Venezuelan people.

The convention adopted a Resolution expressing the solidarity of the working class of India with the people of Venezuela. The convention denounced the attitude of the Modi Government deviating from India’s most popular foreign policy, refusing to come out categorically in defence of Venezuela’s sovereignty and the right of its own people to decide their political leadership. Further, India’s own national interest in bringing oil from Venezuela is coming under severe strain due to US sanctions.

The convention demanded the government of India must reiterate its long cherished policy of long standing friendship and mutual co-operation with the Venezuelan people, and not to succumb to the pressure of Donald Trump’s calls against Venezuela.
Convention appealed to the Indian working class and the patriotic people of the country to mobilize mass of the people in support of the people of Venezuela.

A delegation of WFTU affiliates will meet the newly appointed Ambassador of Venezuela Ms. Coromoto Godoy on 22nd March 2019.