Actor-social activist extends support to ITI workers

Bengaluru: On the 72nd day of the day-and-night protest of ITI workers, social activist and actor Chethan Ahimsa, extended support to them by participating in Thursday's strike. Addressing the protestors, Chethan said, "While the attachment to any film ends with the making of it, the deep-rooted bond that he feels for the struggling workers is long lasting, deeply emotional and built on the foundation of non-discrimination. We have been fighting for our dignity and economic demands."

He further added: We enjoy the fruits of the struggle of Ambedkar, Periyar, Kuvempu, and have to unitedly fight against the oppressive situation today. These struggles are necessary because it protects not just our rights but the rights of the future generations."

He said that it was extremely unfortunate that a prestigious public institution like the ITI Ltd, has thrown the workers out of their jobs. The management of ITI must remember that it gained this prestigious status solely on the labour of workers. "Through our struggle we must secure better lives for the working class, who are oppressed by capitalist and Brahmanical forces. In combating this, the legacy of Babasaheb Ambedkar can guide us." He also cautioned that the present political scenario, steeped in casteism, communalism, patriarchy, and Brahmanism can only be fundamentally changed by forging solidarity between the anti-caste struggles, working class struggles, feminist struggles and anti-communal struggles.

He said that whatever difficulties we face, we cannot stop our struggles, and we can draw inspiration from the year-long farmer struggles in Delhi. He expressed his belief that the struggle of the ITI workers is just and fair and has gained the support and solidarity from all sections of society including Dalit, farmer, women and other progressive forces. He assured that he, too, would be with the workers' struggle till the end. He also said that the course of privatization that is being chartered by the Union government is disastrous for the workers and is beneficial only to a handful of dominant caste capitalists like Adanis and Ambanis. The protestors were also addressed by Chandrashekhar, from SASMOS Workers Union. He said that the management of SASMOS had refused employment, and they were demanding reinstatement for the past 10 months.