LF gov succumbing to dictates of industrial houses: Cherian

Kolkata, Dec 16 (UNI) Former All India CITU secretary V B Cherian today said that the Left Front government in West Bengal was succumbing to the pressures of industrial houses by snatching away livelihood of farmers.

'' I am ashamed and shocked to see that the Left Front is committing atrocities on the farmers. The government has no transparency in their policy which is unbecoming of a LF government, '' Mr Cherian told newspersons at a meet organised by the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity here.

He said the government should divulge the details of Singur deal.

''I don't know if there is a secret behind the deal. But what they are trying to do is only honouring the wish of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee,'' he added.

He said '' the CPI(M)-led LF government is only succumbing to the dictates of the industrial houses. Is it the LF government we all know?'' he asked.

'' All of us want industry. But it should not be on multicrop land. At least 40,000 factories have been closed down in the state. Besides there are several barren or non-agricultural lands in the state so why can't they set up industries there,'' he said.

A fact finding team of four trade union leaders consisting of former All India CITU secretary V B Cherian, National Federation of Sales Representative Union general secretary Chandan Sanyal, State and National committee member of All India Council of Central Trade Unions(AICCTU) Bibhas Bose and executive member of All Bengal Sales representaive union Ashish Kusum visited Singur on December 15 to document for themselves the true scenario there.

He said the agricultural labourers must be consulted before any policy decision is taken that may affect their lives and livelihoods, especially in Kulpi(for a port and a special economic zone) and Haripur(for a nuclear reactor).

The PBKMS called upon the International Federation of Unions of Food and Allied workers and its affiliates to render solidarity to the movement of agricultural workers in West Bengal and to start an international campaign in support of their movement against acquisition of agricultural land for the corporate sector.

UNI AKM KK MSJ HT1812