
INDIA: CASR STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE ABDUCTION OF ANIRUDH RAJAN
We hereby share a statement we have received from Campaign Against State Repression.
CASR STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE ABDUCTION AND SLAPPING OF UAPA ON LABOUR RIGHTS ACTIVIST ANIRUDH RAJAN
9-9-2024
REPEAL UAPA !!
Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) strongly condemns the recent abduction of labour rights activist, Anirudh Rajan. In the past year, we have observed an increasing number of raids and harassment by the NIA and various other State Forces on trade union and democratic rights activists. On 5th September 2024, Comrade Anirudh Rajan was abducted by the State when on his way to meet his family. Anirudh is a labour rights activist who had been working in Delhi-NCR.
He started his work with the NTUI and then moved on to work for the release of political prisoners in the CASR. More recently he has been unionising workers in the Manesar area under the banner of Manesar General Mazdoor Sangh. He led several protests to ensure better conditions for the working class in Manesar and dreamt of an end to the oppression and exploitation of the working class. Anirudh has also written several articles on the issue of the public money and taxes being used for the development of big corporates, who would use the money for anti-people projects.
He travelled from the NCR to Bengaluru to meet friends and family. He was abducted by the police as he was boarding a bus for his hometown, Chennai. It has been falsely alleged that he was there to meet his girlfriend and was a courier trying to raise funds for the CPI (Maoist) party. He was red-tagged by the state and arrested under the draconian UAPA. The Indian state is continuously attacking trade union activists across the country. Several trade union activists are being surveilled, raided and arrested under fabricated and trumped-up charges over the last 10 years.
The Indian state wants to ensure a complete silence on the exploitation and oppression of the working class. All forms of unionisation are being met with strong repression. With this targeting and red tagging trade union activists are being falsely ‘linked’ to conspiracies which in turn is used, by the State, to attack trade unions and other lawful worker activity. Anirudh is another victim of the NRB conspiracy case which is targeting democratic rights activists across the northern states of the country. Activists unconnected to the case are being linked to it, and are then intimidated and harassed under trumped up charges. All these actions of the state are aimed at criminalising all public action under the fundamental rights of our country’s Constitution which includes the freedom of association i.e., the right of every individual to join or form a trade union of their choice. Trade union activists along with all other democratic rights activists are being targeted along with people from oppressed castes, communities and religions who stand up against social and economic injustice.
The repression and illegal arrests of activists in the progressive movement are aimed at creating fear among ordinary people and creating the space for the unchallenged advance of the fascist, crony-capitalist state.
Campaign Against State Repression condemns the abduction and illegal arrest of trade unionist and labour rights activist Anirudh Rajan. We demand the release of Anirudh and all other political prisoners.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION
Organizing Team:
(AIRSO, AISA, AISF, APCR, ASA, BAPSA, BBAU, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, COLLECTIVE,CRPP, CSM, CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, , NAPM, NAZARIYA , Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad,Samajwadi Lok Manch, Bahujan Samajvadi Manch, SFI, United Peace Alliance, WSS,Y4S)
