The District Magistrate of Gurgaon on Wednesday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in areas surrounding Maruti Company to avoid any confrontation between villagers and agitating workers, who were sacked from the company.
District Magistrate Shekhar Vidyarthi imposed the orders in IMT Manesar, Maruti Company at Manesar, Devi lal Park Manesar, National Highway 8 and Mini Secretariat Gurgaon. Under the order, assembling of five or more persons and carrying of weapons has been prohibited. Holding any kind of procession and dharna at these places has also been banned.
After the district administration imposed prohibitory orders, 426 sacked workers of Maruti have decided to stage a peaceful protest on Thursday demanding their reinstatement. They were jailed last year following violence at the plant. Mahavir, a member of Provisional Committee of the union said, “The total 426 sacked workers, along with their family and trade union members, will assemble at leisure Valley Park at around 9 am and stage a peaceful march covering 30 km from the park to IMT Devi lal Park. If the management of MSIl does not take back the sacked workers, we will go for an indefinite hunger strike.”
He further said, "We have already handed over the memorandum to Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon, city Police Commissioner, and Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon seeking permission for protest at Manesar. But, we have not yet been received any positive response from the district administration. The Union has not received any official communication from the administration so far on their application seeking permission for the protest at Tau Devi lal Park in Industrial Model Township (IMT)."
"The protest march will be joined by Prashant Bhushan and noted author Arundhati Roy as they have assured us to participate and to give us legal aide," claimed Mahavir, who is one of the MSWU provisional committee member.
It may be recalled that apprehending confrontation between villagers and dismissed workers, on July 11 through a public notice, the then District Magistrate PC Meena had prohibited demonstration on and along NH-8 and also in IMT Manesar. The panchayats of villages Kasan, Dhana, Bas Padamka, and Bas Koosla, through their memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, had intimated the administration that they will oppose any kind of demonstration by the agitating workers in IMT Manesar.