Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF)

Contact: 67A, Rameshwar Nagar, Azadpur, Delhi – 100 033

Phone: 011-27675001

E-mail: rdfindia@rediffmail.com; rdfindia@yahoo.com; rdfindia@hotmail.com

Delhi
11 August 2005

RDF Condemns Dhanbad Arrests

Dear Friends,

Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF) strongly condemns the illegal arrest of five activists of different mass organizations, viz., 1. Jeetan Marandi, the Executive Committee Member of RDF. 2. B P. Rakshit, Labour Leader of Jharkhand. 3. Animesh, Labour Leader of Jharkhand 4. Sunil, the Office Secretary of Mazdoor Sangathan Samiti, Katras and 5. Rajender Mahato, the Local Labour Activist.

All of them were picked up, without any warrant of arrest, by Dhanbad police from the Mazadoor Sangathan Samiti office of Katras (Dhanbad, Jharkhand), on 29^th July, 2005, when they were holding their regular meeting. It is to note that Mazdoor Sangathan Samiti and its office are duly registered by Govt. of Jharkhand. The police seized some of the files and literatures of the office and implicated them under some sections of 17 CLA, a draconian Act enacted by the British colonialists. They were illegally put in the police custody for three days, violating the mandatory direction of the Supreme Court of India. During interrogation process, some of them were subjected to physical torture. Owing to the pressure from different democratic circles, the police had to produce them in the court after three days. The court has sent them to Dhanbad Jail, where they are being treated like criminals by the jail authority.

With an active cooperation of central government, the BJP led government in Jharkhand is creating a rein of terror, treating each and every democratic movement as terrorist activity. It is using the draconian 17 CLA, on wide scale, as an instrument to curb the democratic voice of the people. Widespread raids and arrests have become normal phenomenon in different areas of struggle.

We demand the immediate release of the 5 arrested political activists and the withdrawal of false cases implicated against them. We appeal all the democratic people and organizations to raise the strong voices against raid in the office of Mazdoor Sangathan Samiti and the arrests of the political activists.

With Regards,

Raj Kishor, General Secretary,Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF)

Dr. Darshan Pal,Voice President,Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF)