Cries for revival of Cachar paper mill falling on deaf ears

From a  Correspondent

Silchar, Aug 10: The employees and workers of two units of Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd, Cachar and gaon Paper Mills, are on the threshold of starvation. The government is yet to clear their dues and allowances. It seems that the cries of these employees along with their family members are falling on deaf ears. Every section of workers and people are agitating against this step motherly attitude of the government. In this regard, members of different trade unions, peasants’, farmers’, youth’s, students’ and women’s organizations, held a sit-in protest demonstration in front of the statue of Khudiram Bose at Park Road in Silchar on Thursday.

 Addressing a huge gathering at the 3rd phase of the protest demonstration, Supriya Bhattacharjee of Centre of Indian Trade Unions Cachar-Hailakandi district committee said, “We have always been cheated. Both Congress and BJP government have been fooling us. It is high time that a mass scale protest demonstration be organized not only here but also across the district. We are ready to shed blood for this. We demand revival of the mills and then an enquiry into the reasons for its sickness and irregularity. Due pay and allowances of the employees should also be cleared with immediate effect.”

 Tapash Choudhury of All India Kisan Seva, district committee, said, “Prime Minister rendra Modi is good at acting and can play different roles for fooling people around. Employees of the paper mills are on the verge of starvation. Their children have been forced to discontinue their studies owing to the fincial paucity in the family.” Their Right to Education, it seems, has been curtailed at this moment. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar. It has been stated in the memorandum that revival of the paper mills is necessary for socio-economic development of Assam.

 They have placed the demand for a quick enquiry into the root cause of sickness of these mills. Privatization, as stated in the memorandum, is not the answer to the present situation. It is to be noted that both the paper mills generated employment to a huge extent and thus their revival should be given topmost priority. Only proper and impartial investigation can unearth the truth behind the present state of affairs of these paper mills. Two well established industries in Assam are groaning under the apathetic attitude of the Central Government.

 Members of the district committees of All India Democratic Women’s Association, Democratic Youth Federation of India, Students Federation of India, Sodou Asom Nirman Shramik Union, All Cachar Unorganized Workers Union, Cachar Paper Project Mazdoor Union, Kagajkal Thikadar Shramik Union and Trade Union of ONGC workers actively participated in the protest demonstration.