VASCO: Goa Congress President Luizinho Faleiro has said that the Azad Maidan in Panjim, a memorial dedicated to the freedom fighters of Goa, has actually become a maidan for struggle for workers suffering from injustice.
Faleiro was addressing the reporters in Vasco after meeting Western India Shipyard Limited (WISL) workers at Headland Sada, on Tuesday.
Faleiro also lashed out at the State BJP government “for turning a blind eye towards the difficulties faced by workforce serving in private companies as well as in different departments of government.”
The WISL workers were on a two-day long hunger strike demanding their pending salary. They have now decided to hold a five-day long hunger strike at Azad Maidan, Panjim, from July 20-25.
Faleiro assured the aggrieved WISL workers that the Congress MLAs would, on their behalf, corner State government in the forthcoming assembly session.
“There is so much of struggle, suffering and injustice faced by the people of the State. And yet the BJP is quite and has been acting blind. Today, we feel pained to see people either sitting on hunger strike, or for some other protest at Azad Maidan. In Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, people used to go and hold such protest only as last resort but in Goa, Azad Maidan has become a maidan of struggle for workers, government employees, unemployed and for those who are suffering with injustice which is unacceptable at all,” Faleiro said.
He demanded that the government come to the rescue of the 350-odd WISL workers, as the same way it went to the rescue of mining dependents.
“Today, the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has been expanding its operations after getting Rs 32,000 crore minesweepers project Thus, it is in the hands of State government to find ways and take over WISL,” Faleiro said and suggested that a part of the minesweepers project could be transferred from GSL to WISL after government takes over the company.
This, he said, would provide employment guarantee to the WISL workers.
The senior Congress leader informed the WISL workers that his party activist and leaders would be with them during their hunger strike in Panjim and that he would also march to State assembly along with the WISL workers to protest against the injustice done to them.
Earlier in the day, Opposition leader Pratapsing Rane also met the WISL workers and assured them that the Congress MLAs would corner the government demanding a concrete action for resolving their problem.
