Workers of a stone plant at Dhaudand in Sasaram Block of Rohtas District and the residents of the workers’ colony of Madaitola are a living example of crude exploitation and oppression, which shows the barbaric face of the MNCs and their units. The MNC that has taken contract of the Prime Minister’s Golden Quadrilateral Project has subcontracted to its associate companies – Nagarjuna and ECE the work of the stone-crushing plant for the supply of stones (boulders, gilti etc.). For the last two years workers of Dhaudand, Madaitola and nearby areas are being subjected to uninterrupted exploitation. Non-payment of minimum wage, non-payment of wages on time, lack of provision for the necessary facilities as per the Mines Act and oppression by agents of the company have been the main problems of the workers. Recruiting local contractors, bad gentry and lumpen elements, the company has been brutally suppressing the workers. For the last 4-5 years an MCC squad, which used to initially go among the workers of Dhaudand, and Madaitola, got enmeshed among the associates of the company and paid no attention to the problems of workers.

Workers of Madaitola were subjected to double assault. Besides being deprived of minimum wages and other facilities, they also had to endure losses due to illegal explosions by the company. Madaitola is situated 200 yards from the explosion site, while explosions within 500 yards of a residential colony are prohibited as per the Mines Act. This illegal work has been going on in connivance with corrupt officers of forest department and district administration. Houses of the workers were damaged, their cattle killed and many residents were injured by the stones flying from the explosion.

Suresh Singh, a local resident, started organizing the workers on their problems and against the atrocities of the company. To advance the struggle of workers, he contacted CPI (ML)-New Democracy. District Secretary of the Party, Com. Ashok Kumar, and other comrades studied the problems of workers and inspired the workers for organized struggle. A workers’ organization, Shramik Sahayog Samiti, formed first under British rule, was revived and reorganized. Workers submitted an 18-point charter of demands to the management and administration for solution of their problems, but the administration remained a silent spectator.

In this situation Shramik Sahayog Samiti, with the support of the Party, went on strike from September 8, 2004 paralysing work and stopping the management from taking out goods. Hired goons of the company attacked the workers, but the workers beat them back. Sensing the failure of their goonda team, the management took the help of police who made false FIRs against the leaders of the workers. On 14th September Shramik Sahayog Samiti and the Sasaram Committee of the Party held a dharna on workers’ demands at the DM office in which more than 500 stone workers participated. On several occasions workers demonstrated their militant strength in this struggle which continued from September 8 to October 20. On October 19, SDM and SP forcibly took away Com. Ashok and pressurized him to reach an agreement. Workers foiled this bid of the management and the administration. Having failed in this, the administration presented a proposal on October 20 which included immediate payment of the dues of workers’ wages, Rs. 550 per month as compensation for repair of damaged houses, reduction in the power of explosions, and provision of drinking water and medical facilities, safety centre etc. that covered the main demands of the workers. With the approval of the workers an agreement with the management of the company was reached on October 21, 2004.

Only one day after this splendid victory, on October 22, the MCCI squad struck. With a strength of about 35, they raided the house of Com. Suresh Singh. Not finding him at home, they advanced towards Madaitola. They caught Com. Suresh who met them on the way and took him towards Dhankadha, beating him all the way. Hearing of this attack, a party activist, Com. Harendra Ram, ran towards the MCC squad and behind him came a large number of workers and dalits from the colony. When Com. Harendra Ram asked them the reason for this attack, the MCC squad tied his hands. This was strongly protested against by the workers present there. Particularly women courageously tried to save their leaders. On being persistently questioned by the people, MCC squad levelled baseless allegation against Com. Suresh of having taken Rs. 5 lakh from the management. Workers strongly opposed this allegation. Workers also rejected the accusations of forcible collection from them. Confronted by the workers, the leader of the MCC squad clearly asked them that when MCC takes P.C. (levy) from the company, how the workers could have dared to stop the work? The squad further asked Com. Suresh’s father to bring the licensed gun belonging to Suresh’s brother. When the squad started taking these two leaders away around 500 people followed. The squad mercilessly beat Com. Suresh and Com. Harendra Ram and threatened the people with laying landmines. Workers emphatically told the MCC squad that if you do not leave out leaders, we would burn down the company’s plant. Due to the stubborn opposition of the workers, the squad, leaving the injured comrades behind, left the place threatening the workers against organizing under the banner of New Democracy and resorting to strike again.

With this attack of the armed squad on the leaders of workers’ struggle, several questions arise about MCC’s act. Calling itself a party of working class, why MCC intervened on behalf of the MNC and its contractors? Why MCC raised guns against workers’ struggle? Does the MCC want its squads to degenerate into the service of capitalists, landlords and contractors, or wants to develop them into an armed strength for the liberation of the people? These actions of the MCC squad are against the interest of the revolutionary movement from every angle.

It is also noteworthy that MCC not only did not take any initiative for organizing the workers against exploitation, but also they did not extend any support to the movement that continued for 40 days nor did they extend any help to the workers in repulsing the attack of the goondas and police. Not only that they seriously injured leaders of the workers’ struggle only the day after the workers had won this struggle on the basis of their militant strength.

The declaration of the whole area as their exclusive domain and prohibiting other organizations from working there by the MCC, while there is no movement in the entire area under their leadership nor they enjoy people’s support there is totally wrong. MCC should correct their understanding, otherwise people of other areas too, like workers of Dhaudand, will challenge them.

A week after Dhaudand incident, a team lead by Com. Aparna, Secretary, Delhi Committee of the Party, went to the area on October 29. They talked to hundreds of workers. They noted that over last five years, stone industry has increased in the area. The team also inquired into the conditions of workers in the area and studied the lack of implementation of the labour laws. They praised the role of workers, particularly women, in opposing the attack of October 22, 2004.