COORDINATION OF DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS (CDRO)

PRESS RELEASE 

2nd May 2023 

Yesterday, the country’s working-class observed May Day; today, Jharkhand witnessed yet another attack  on the working class and the democratic aspirations of the people. In a fresh attack by the BJP-led Central  Government, today in the early morning hours, the homes of several social activists and trade union (TU) leaders in different locations in Jharkhand were raided by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) team.  The state machinery supported this raid. In continuation to repress the lawful demands and voices of, for  and by the people of Jharkhand, today, homes of Damodar Turi of Jharkhand Jan Sangharsh Morcha at  Dhanbad, Baccha Singh of Majdoor Sangathan Samity at Bokaro, Dinesh Murmu of Adiwasi Moolwasi  Sangarsh Samity at Lalpaniya, Sanjay Turi of Majdoor Sangathan Samity at Bokaro, Nageshwar Mahato  of Majdoor Sangathan Samity at Bokaro and Khanuram Mahato of Majdoor Sangathan Samity at  Madhuban, Giridih were raided. This raid was also followed by the detention of Damodar Turi by the NIA  team in the district of Dhanbad till 2:00 pm, after which he was released. The details of the events related  to and actions on Damodar Turi by the NIA Team during the period of detention as well as the lists of belongings seized from all the victims during the raids are yet not known. 

The activists and TU leaders of Jharkhand have been demanding the rights of the marginalised people of  Jharkhand, mainly the Adivasis and unorganised workers, through peaceful means while abiding by the  legal procedures. Thus, this move by the NIA, in silencing the peaceful, democratic and lawful protest  against the wrong policies and various forms of ongoing atrocities on ordinary people of Jharkhand, is  another step towards trampling the democratic rights of the people. We suspect this is part of a greater plan  to further the central ruling party’s political goals and create another unopposed ruling term for the BJP in  the forthcoming parliament election.  

CDRO strongly condemns these mean-spirited raids of different activists’ homes and Damodar Turi’s  detention. CDRO appeals to all democracy-loving citizens of the country in general and Jharkhand in  particular to voice their grievances against the highhandedness of the NIA. 

CDRO demands: 

1) an immediate apology for the raids from the Central and state governments. 

2) disbanding of unconstitutional organisation, namely the NIA. 

(Asish Gupta) (Tapas Chakraborty) (Kranthi Chaitanya) Coordinators, CDRO 

Constituent Organisations of CDRO:

Association for Democratic Rights (AFDR, Punjab); Association for Democratic Rights (AFDR,  Haryana), Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR, West Bengal); Asansol Civil  Rights Association(West Bengal); Bandi Mukti Committee(West Bengal); Civil Liberties  Committee (Andhra Pradesh); Civil Liberties Committee (Telangana); Committee for Protection  of Democratic Rights (Maharashtra); Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR  TamilNadu); Coordination for Human Rights (Manipur); Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti  (Assam); Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights; Peoples’Committee for Human Rights  (Jammu and Kashmir); Peoples Democratic Forum(Karnataka); Jharkhand Council for  Democratic Rights (Jharkhand); Peoples Union For Democratic Rights (Delhi); Peoples Union for  Civil Rights (Haryana), Campaign for Peace & Democracy in Manipur, Delhi; Janakeeya  Manushyaavakasha Prasthanam, Kerala.