Hundreds of workers, peasants and agricultural workers throughout the country came out on streets in solidarity with the people of Manipur at the call of Centre of Indian Trade Unions(CITU), All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agricultural Workers Union  (AIAWU). The joint call was given by CITU, AIKS and AIAWU on 15 July 2023, in solidarity with the people of Manipur demanding restoration of peace, disarmament of the people, facilities in the relief camps, and compensation to the damage to the properties of the people.

Later, the shocking videos of the brutal sexual violence against two Kuki women came in public shaking the conscience of the nation. In many places of the country, the workers, peasants and agricultural workers, women and people in general came out in protest against the sexual violence and rape of the women. Many of our units protested the criminal inaction by the BJP led state and central governments on Manipur issue and the selected silence of the Prime Minister of the country.

On 25 July, solidarity and protest actions were organised in most of the states at state and district headquarters, factory gates, workplaces and villages. Although the call was given by CITU, AIKS and AIAWU, in many states the central and state trade unions joined the programme. In Delhi state joint platform of trade unions organised a protest at Jantar Mantar along with AIKS and AIAWU. Leaders of all trade Unions including INTUC, AITUC, HMS, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, SEWA, LPF, MEC, ICTU spoke. A R Sindhu, Anurag Saxena, Virender Gaur, Gangeshwar Dutt Sharma(CITU), P Krishnaprasad, P Tyagi (AIKS) , V Sivadsan MP, Vikram Singh (AIAWU) addressed the gathering. A large number of farmers who are in a sit in protest in Greater Noida on their demands also joined the programme.

In almost all the states, the state government employees also joined the programme. A huge rally was held in Mizoram by the joint NGO coordination committee.

Left Class and mass organisations organised organised a march at the gate of Maniur Assembly today. Rally was addressed by AIKS leader Sarat Salam and CITU leader Kshetrimayum Santa. Around 300 people participated. They demanded restoration of peace and facilities in relief camps.

Programmes were held in AP, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, HP, Jharrkhand, J&K, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajastahn, Tamil Nadu, Telengana, UP, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. In many places the people bunt the effigies of the central and state governments.

The protesters expressed their anger by the insensitive and sectarian reaction of the Prime Minister and other ministers and BJP leaders in such an hour of crisis of Manipuri people and their unity and the kind of barbarity and violence against women. Instead of rising to the occasion and call for unity, the BJP leaders including the Prime Minister is on blame game on timings of exposure etc which is condemnable. The protesters warned the people to be prepared to protect the unity among various sections, as the BJP- RSS combine will resort to such divisive and disastrous moves anywhere and everywhere to retain and capture political power, with the help of their corporate masters.

The response by the working class, agricultural workers and the peasantry and the people in general to the call for solidarity has once again proven that the unity of the basic classes and the people only can fight the communal and divisive forces and bring peace and amity in Manipur as well as other parts of the country.   

 Issued by         

Tapan Sen                                  Vijoo Krishnan                                  B Venkat

General Secretary                     General Secretary                             General Secretary

   CITU                                         AIKS                                                   AIAWU