It is 20 days since Com. Sukenderpal Singh, District Secretary of BSNLEU, Ghaziabad, U.P(West), has been brutally murdered in the GM’s office on 22^nd October 2012. FIR has been filed on the same day at Kavi Nagar Police Station, Ghaziabad under IPC No. 147 and 302, charges including murder, against Adesh Kumar, General Manager, BSNL, Ghaziabad and other culprits. Post-mortem report has shown serious wounds on the head which might have caused the death.

In addition to filing the FIR by the children of Com. Sukenderrpal, memorandum has been given by the BSNL Employees Union on 23^rd November to the Sr. Superintendent of Police, Ghaziabad to immediately arrest the GM and other culprits. Although assurance was given in this connection, no action has been taken so far.  Against the delay in the arrest, on 8^th November, more than 1500 workers gheraoed the office of the SSP, Ghaziabad sitting in dharna for more than two hours shouting slogans demanding arrest and against the inaction on the part of the police authorities.  Union leaders met the District Magistrate as also the Addl. DM and demanded that the police authorities be directed to take immediate action. The workers of UP(West) went on one day strike in immediately after the murder demanding arrest of the culprits.

BSNLEU leaders have met the Member (Services), CMD BSNL and other senior officers demanding the suspension and repatriation of the GM immediately. Later we met the Communication minister Shri Kapil Sibal and demanded that immediate action be taken. But the GM has been neither suspended nor repatriated.

The BSNL Workers all over India organised lunch hour demonstrations protesting and demanding the arrest and suspension of the GM and culprits.

Workers have understood that both the Police and the BSNL Management will not take any action unless there is strong agitation in the matter. The Police- Management nexus involving money & influence as also the affinity of the higher classes have been exposed. If it was an ordinary worker involved, hundreds of workers would have been arrested and kept in custody as we have seen in the Maruti company  incident, where 200 workers have been retrenched and 147 workers are in jail for the death of a Manager of the company. But here, the police and the Management have completely refused to take any action.

It is in this contest that BSNLEU and the United Forum have called for a one day strike on 16^th November. The Forum of BSNL & MTNL Unions/Associations have declared their solidarity and support  to the struggle and demanded the BSNL Management  to immediately arrest the GM or repatriate him to DOT.

This is a fight for justice. Neither the police nor the BSNL Management/DOT is giving any  human consideration or value for a valuable life butchered.  Let us give a suitable and strong reply to them. The agitation and struggle will continue till justice is met.

It is in this contest that BSNLEU and the United Forum have called for a one day strike on 16^th November. The Forum of BSNL & MTNL Unions/Associations have declared their solidarity and support  to the struggle and demanded the BSNL Management to immediately suspend/repatriate him.  But the management is still keeping a stoic silence.