India: IFTU Trade Union office set on fire few days after union leaders visited a former worker Aflaq Ahmed's home in Dadri (who was killed by a lynch mob on the rumour of eating beef)

INDIAN FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS (IFTU)
Delhi Office : 1797, Parsadi Gali, Giani Bazar, Kotla Mubarakpur, New Delhi – 110003 Phone: 24645276

Press Statement

Early this morning the room from which IFTU National Committee member Com. Radheyshyam operates in Greater Noida was set on fire and more than 500 books, manuscripts and papers related to trade union work, photographs of great teachers of working class and great patriots like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad were totally gutted. Com. Radheyshyam is the ex-President of the Shramik Sangh of Denso India Ltd., a multinational company.

On 29th September Com. Radheyshyam had led a team of the workers’ leaders of the company [t]o the home of their colleague whose brother, Aflaq Ahmed, was lynched in Bisada village the previous night. Aflaq had worked in Denso for some time as a temporary worker while his brother is a permanent workman of Denso. The arsonists specifically attacked this room; Com. Radheyshyam owns this flat but lives somewhere else. The room is above the floor which is empty and was left untouched. His relative lives on the ground floor and woke in the morning in time to see someone going out from the house. He found his house bolted from the outside and his power switched off from the meter. Meanwhile neighbour saw smoke emanating from the rood and alerted Com. Radheyshyam.

Com. Radheyshyam is a known trade union leader in the area and people including Hindutva forces were aware of his role in mobilizing workers’ leaders to stand with their colleague whose brother was lynched in Bisada village. He had been active in upholding workers’ unity against communal conspiracies. The report prepared by the workers’ team was circulated countrywide by the National Committee of IFTU.

The IFTU National Committee condemns the dastardly vandalism and arson, undoubtedly carried out by Hindutva elements who have only displayed their depravity by such an act. It seems to be a warning to people like Com. Radheyshyam not to take up the cause of communal amity and workers’ unity. We understand that RSS started active work in the area post the Modi Govt. coming to power and shakha is being organized since past six or seven months.

IFTU National Committee vows to continue to oppose all communal conspiracies against the unity of the working people.

AparnaB. Pradeep
President General Secretary
Dated October 7, 2015