Newmai News Network
Imphal | January 6
Families of the labourers of FCI (Food Corporation of India) staged a protest in Imphal on Monday against the arrest of agitating labourers of the corporation.
It can be mentioned here that labourers of the FCI have been agitating against their termination from work. During the course of their agitation, police arrested 31 of them. They are currently in jail.
The labourers were terminated from their works following a series of protest against alleged undesirable practices in FCI by private contractors. Under the banner of CAF and PD Labour Welfare Association, the labourers have been demanding stringent action to be taken up against certain enterprises.
Families of the arrested and sacked labourers have been staging various forms of protests, pressing the authority to release the jailed labourers. Few days ago, wives of the workers had demonstrated in front of FCI building in Imphal and threw their utensils in protest against "injustices".
The protestors had lamented that their families had been struggling to make both ends meet following the arrest of the workers.
Children of the labourers had also handed over their books and bags to the Education Directorate few days ago to highlight the plights of their families after their sole bread earners are put in jail.
Continuing their pressure to release the labourers, their wives and children on Monday came out in the streets and protested at crowded Imphal Bazar near Shamu Makhong.
One of the protestors, Irom Ranjana, lamented that after her husband has been arrested and jail, she has been leading a miserable life with her children.
Her husband is the sole breadwinner of the family and in his absence she is unable to afford her children even a meal in a day, she lamented. She has been begging from the neighbours and relatives since her husband was arrested, she added.
