The workers of the Gouripore Jute Mills, a closed mill since 1997, organised a Hunger Rally, baring their bodies and brandishing empty plates to signify the struggle of workers at starvation point. On 15 November, from Sealdah station to Esplanade under the leadership of BCMF (AICCTU), more than 500 workers participated in this spirited rally, marked by the overwhelming presence of women. They displayed posters, placards and red flags and the rally resounded with the sound of slogans and beating plates. The rally blockaded the busy 4-point Esplanade crossing for some time. The rally converged at Metro, where a Dharna was held till 5 PM.
The rally demanded disbursement of their legitimate PF and pension dues forthwith. It is to be mentioned that the Calcutta High Court passed an order, directing the PF department to disburse PF to the workers, which the PF department flouted. Com. Gayatri Das, one of the leading organisers of the rally, addressed the gathering, exposing the role of the local CPIM MLA and present Transport Minister Sri Ranjit Kundu, who hobnobbed with criminals and the corrupt nexus of the erstwhile PF trustee Board and openly opposed the workers’ just demand of PF-Pension disbursement. Com. Ramshakar Paswan, another organiser of this movement, spoke of the sustained struggles of workers under the banner of the BCMF (AICCTU). Sri Somnath Basu of ‘Naihati Shilpa Bachao Manch’, and Sri Bankim Dutta, an organiser of the science movement, also addressed the gathering.
Prominent Trade Union leaders of AICCTU, AIUTUC, UTUC, Comrades Rabindra Prasad, Amal Sen and Barun Choudhury expressed their fighting solidarity with the ongoing movement. Prominent intellectual and economist Sri Subhendu Dasgupta, Columnist Pachu Roy, Convenor of Nagarik Manch Sri Naba Dutta, and Prof. Sri Salil Biswas also greeted and cheered the fighting workers. The meeting was also addressed by AICCTU & BCMF leaders Comrades Basudev Bose, Subrata Sengupta, Dibakar Bhattacharya, Batokrishna Das, and Atanu Chakravarty.