01-09-2006, 10:14 AM
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CPM fumes as Ramdev finds support
New Delhi, Jan. 7: Exploitation of women workers by Swami Ramdevâs Divya Yog Mandir Trust attracted the CPI(M) to Hardwar to fight for minimum wages and workersâ rights. It was during the course of this struggle that Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat discovered that the women were being made to powder bones for use in ayurvedic medicines and as a side measure obtained samples of the medicines and gave these to the Union health ministry for testing.
The results confirmed that human and animal bones had been used in the medicine and Ms Karat, who announced this, was surprised to find herself in the midst of a political controversy with Swami Ramdev himself in the lead. His supporters attacked the CPI(M) office in New Delhi while railway minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav came out in support of Ramdev.
The Congress, meanwhile, criticised the CPI(M) for trying to seek political mileage out of the issue. A stunned CPI(M) refused to react, and on Saturday the workers who had petitioned the party arrived in New Delhi with fresh statements insisting that they were made to break the bones or to ferry these in rickshaws. Swami Ramdev, who has workers at his ayurvedic pharmacy up in arms over having to carry and break bones, burst on to the national scene only three years ago when he was promoted by a major business house in Uttar Pradesh.
The swami, reportedly a Yadav from Haryana who had set up base in Hardwar about 15 years ago, held a major camp in Lucknow in which he had women testifying to a weight loss of 26 kg in 15 days thanks to his efforts. He promised people that he could cure a variety of ailments with his medicines, now the centre of a political controversy.
Speaking to this correspondent, Ms Karat said she had taken up the issue only after being asked to do so by 70 workers of the pharmacy, mostly women, who complained that they were being denied appointment letters, minimum wages and other rights. The workers had lodged complaint under the Industrial Disputes Act with the deputy labour commissioner of Uttaranchal.
The management of the trust had agreed to follow the rules, and not take disciplinary action against them, but then refused to allow the workers to resume work and filed cases against them. Several workers arrived here on Saturday to plead their case with the CPI(M), worried about a possible coverup with Swami Ramdev having emerged as a politically influential person. Interestingly, his recent press conference was held at the residence of a senior member of the UP business house.
The CPI(M)âs trade union arm, Citu, in a statement deplored the âdiversionary tactics of the Divya Yog Mandir Trust to deflect the attention of the people from gross violation of the laws of the land by the trust management.â It said that 113 workers had been denied their jobs till date.
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Now Karkat is for women workers, Her facts and fiction are still not clear to me. Please help me to understand what this madam Zero want or fighting for?
CPM fumes as Ramdev finds support
New Delhi, Jan. 7: Exploitation of women workers by Swami Ramdevâs Divya Yog Mandir Trust attracted the CPI(M) to Hardwar to fight for minimum wages and workersâ rights. It was during the course of this struggle that Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat discovered that the women were being made to powder bones for use in ayurvedic medicines and as a side measure obtained samples of the medicines and gave these to the Union health ministry for testing.
The results confirmed that human and animal bones had been used in the medicine and Ms Karat, who announced this, was surprised to find herself in the midst of a political controversy with Swami Ramdev himself in the lead. His supporters attacked the CPI(M) office in New Delhi while railway minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav came out in support of Ramdev.
The Congress, meanwhile, criticised the CPI(M) for trying to seek political mileage out of the issue. A stunned CPI(M) refused to react, and on Saturday the workers who had petitioned the party arrived in New Delhi with fresh statements insisting that they were made to break the bones or to ferry these in rickshaws. Swami Ramdev, who has workers at his ayurvedic pharmacy up in arms over having to carry and break bones, burst on to the national scene only three years ago when he was promoted by a major business house in Uttar Pradesh.
The swami, reportedly a Yadav from Haryana who had set up base in Hardwar about 15 years ago, held a major camp in Lucknow in which he had women testifying to a weight loss of 26 kg in 15 days thanks to his efforts. He promised people that he could cure a variety of ailments with his medicines, now the centre of a political controversy.
Speaking to this correspondent, Ms Karat said she had taken up the issue only after being asked to do so by 70 workers of the pharmacy, mostly women, who complained that they were being denied appointment letters, minimum wages and other rights. The workers had lodged complaint under the Industrial Disputes Act with the deputy labour commissioner of Uttaranchal.
The management of the trust had agreed to follow the rules, and not take disciplinary action against them, but then refused to allow the workers to resume work and filed cases against them. Several workers arrived here on Saturday to plead their case with the CPI(M), worried about a possible coverup with Swami Ramdev having emerged as a politically influential person. Interestingly, his recent press conference was held at the residence of a senior member of the UP business house.
The CPI(M)âs trade union arm, Citu, in a statement deplored the âdiversionary tactics of the Divya Yog Mandir Trust to deflect the attention of the people from gross violation of the laws of the land by the trust management.â It said that 113 workers had been denied their jobs till date.
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Now Karkat is for women workers, Her facts and fiction are still not clear to me. Please help me to understand what this madam Zero want or fighting for?