India – CASR STRONGLY Condemn the Arrest of Trade Union Activists and Workers

We hereby share a press statement issued by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR).

PRESS STATEMENT
Date – 20 April, 2026

CASR STRONGLY Condemn the Arrest of Trade Union Activists and Workers — Stop Criminalizing Workers’ Struggles

The Campaign Against State Repression strongly condemns the ongoing crackdown on trade union activists, social activists, and hundreds of workers protesting against harsh working conditions, minimum wages, job insecurity, and unsafe workplaces. Women workers, including domestic and informal sector workers, have also been at the forefront of raising their voices against exploitation and are now facing repression.

We particularly condemn the arrest of activists associated with the Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra—Shyamveer, Ajit, Pintu Yadav, Harish, Raju, and Akash, along with social activist Niranjan Lal—who have been falsely implicated in grave charges such as rioting, arson, conspiracy, and attempt to murder.

We are also deeply concerned about the illegal detention of senior journalist and public intellectual Satyam Varma, following raids on Janchetna Bookstore in Lucknow, where poet Katyayani, artist Ram Babu, and others were also detained. These actions reflect a dangerous escalation in targeting democratic voices.

A deeply troubling pattern is now emerging: the police and administration are deliberately branding certain workers and activists as the “masterminds” behind the entire protest in Noida. By selectively arresting individuals and projecting them as conspirators, the state is attempting to distort the nature of this movement—falsely portraying a genuine workers’ struggle as a pre-planned conspiracy aimed at inciting violence.

Such tactics are extremely dangerous. They are meant to delegitimize the real demands of workers and justify repression. There is a serious apprehension that ordinary workers are being turned into scapegoats. By imposing draconian charges and constructing a “mastermind” theory, the state is paving the way to criminalize these workers and keep them incarcerated for long periods.

We also express our deep concern for several workers and common protesters who remain untraceable after the protests. Their families are desperately searching for them, but police stations are refusing to provide clear information about their whereabouts, often giving vague and evasive responses. This raises serious fears of illegal detentions. There is a strong apprehension that such detentions may later be used to falsely implicate these workers in a broader “conspiracy” narrative, further sidelining the genuine demands of informal and contract workers.

This is not just an attack on individuals; it is an attack on the fundamental right to organize, protest, and demand dignity in work.

We demand:

– Immediate and unconditional release of all arrested trade union activists, workers
– Immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of all detained and missing workers and protesters
– Withdrawal of all fabricated charges
– An end to the practice of branding workers and activists as “masterminds” to criminalize legitimate protests
– Accountability for illegal detentions and police excesses
– Protection of workers’ democratic rights to organize and protest

We call upon all democratic forces—trade unions, women’s organizations, student-youth groups, writers, and civil rights activists—to stand united against this repression and resist the criminalization of workers’ struggles.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION (CASR)
Organising Team:
(AIRSO, AISF, APCR, ASA, 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 Magazine, Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Samajwadi Lok Manch, Bahujan Samajwadi Manch, United Peace Alliance, WSS, Y4S