Games the State Plays: A Follow-up Report on the Violations of Workers’ Rights in Commonwealth Games Related Construction Sites

The Commonwealth Games have been an eye opener in several ways. Behind the glitz of fancy stadiums, hotels, and apartments, lies the murky and sensitive death knell of a large majority of people whose livelihoods and habitats are at stake and who have become cheap pawns in the Commonwealth jamboree. In a PIL filed in the Supreme Court at the time of the 1982 Asian Games regarding violations of labour laws, the Court had given a very strong judgment vindicating PUDR’s claims. However, in that case, the workers did not get much relief because by the time the judgment came, the construction work was already over. This time around, while the MC appointed by the HC court submitted its report well in time which allowed the violations to become public knowledge through widespread coverage in the media, it is disheartening to see history being repeated. The connivance of state agencies with the construction companies in perpetuating crimes remains unbroken.The rule of law, especially labour law, seems to have lost all its sanctity with government agencies shamelessly closing their eyes to blatant abuse of constitutional norms. In a scenario where the state institutions fail to deliver on their constitutional responsibilities, where rulings and judgments of even the highest court of the country are not taken seriously, where the authorities are not shamed even by the media coverage of their criminal neglect, what is the way out? [PUDR Report]Commonwealth Games, workers' rights, labour law, violations of law, wages, conditions of work, conditions of life, sports, megaevents, mega sport events, South Asia, India, Commonwealth, Sports Studies

Games the State Plays: A Follow–up Report on the Violations of Workers' Rights in CWG-related Construction Sites

For the last few years , a massive amount of construction work has been going on in various parts of Delhi for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) to be held in October this year. PUDR tried to conduct a fact finding at the Commonwealth Gams Village (CGV) site two years back. PUDR managed to conduct a fact finding at CGV, one of the main Games related construction sites located on the Yamuna bed near the Akshardham Temple in East Delhi, and released a report on 24th April 2009. On the basis of these facts about the violation of labour laws PUDR tried to alert concerned authorities, to no awail. A public interest litigation was filed in January 2010 with the Nirmaan Mazdoor Panchayat Sangam, an organisation which is a part of the National Campaign Committee for Central Legislation on Construction Labour (NCC-CL), and Common Cause, a registered society working on issues of governance in Delhi. This report is a recapitulation of our experiences of the developments that have followed since the time of admission of the petition by the Delhi High Court for consideration.PUDR, Commonwealth Games, CWG, labour laws. violation of labour rights, mega games, mega sports events, Delhi 2010, People's Union for Democratic Rights, human rights, civil rights

India – 1947-79 Six Parliaments and Democratic Rights

Communal riots have become an annual feature of Indian life, although their number varies from year to year. A situation has come to pacs where maddening communal violence, arbitrary actions of executive authorities, large-scale killing of people in police firings, the mysterious disappearance of militant youths and the continued imprisonment of large number of undertrials no longer affect the conscience of the public. All these are an ominous indication of the dangers lying ahead the country as it goes to the polls. Can we remain helpless spectators to the rapid disappearance of all democratic rights and end up by being passive victims of a ruthless tyranny?parliament, laws, human rights, regulations, victims, Indian, India, communal riots, violence, democratic rights, polls, social, economic, political, public, parliaments,

Encounters

The Tarkunde Committee confirmed that the police and the government of Andhra Pradesh were involved in the cruel practice of committing planned murders and covering it up as encounter. It recommended that the central government institute an independent commission of inquiry to verify facts about encounters. Clearly, what was being labeled by the government as encounters was a planned strategy of the government and its security forces to combat dacoits gangsters, members of the underworld, terrorists, naxalites, petty criminals, etc. Moreover, as the chronicle of encounter stories in the next section shows, what is claimed as an encounter by the government is in actual practice a heinous act of planning and committing murder. URL:[http://www.pudr.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=102&Itemid=63].encounters, government, terrorists, naxalities, criminals, tarkunde committee, Andhra Pradesh, security forces, dacoits, gangsters, India,

Unorganised Workers and the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Project: PUDR’s Experience

In 2007 Peoples Union for Democratic Rights had brought out a report on the exploitation of construction workers at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Soon after, as construction work started at a massive scale all over the city for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) to be held in October this year, a need to highlight the plight of the construction workers was strongly felt. Construction workers are at a more disadvantageous position than even casual labour working in industrial units or engaged as security or sanitation staff, because of the time bound nature of their work. Secondly, the shifting nature of their work makes it impossible for them to organise themselves and struggle for their rights. Thirdly, workers recruited through the thekedars, sardars or jamdars (either introduced to them through social networks or not known to them) are in no state to bargain with them because of the workers’ total dependence and insecure economic condition.

Where the State Makes War on its own People

A report on violation of people's rights during the Salwa Judum campaign in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh.salwa judum, chhattisgarh, people's rights, CPI, Maoist Movement, India, adivasi, Indian, Malnutrition