Facing flak, CITU leader retracts statement that Tamil extremists behind Munnar agitation

Later he claimed that his statement was misconstrued by the media
Facing flak, CITU leader retracts statement that Tamil extremists behind Munnar agitation
Facing flak, CITU leader retracts statement that Tamil extremists behind Munnar agitation
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 CITU state secretary Sahadevan, the CPM's trade union, retracted his statement that the role of Tamil extremists in the Munnar agitation against Kanan Devan Plantations needs to be provedm
 
Sahadevan had urged for a probe to be conducted to find out the motive behind the tea plantation worker’s protests, which went ended after nine days of protest on Monday.  Under pressure, he withdrew his statement in which he also said that the protest was staged as per instructions given through mobile phones.
 
He demanded that the protestor’s link with Tamil organizations and source of their support to be investigated.
 
"Tamil terrorists groups had sneaked into the estate workers' agitation. It is hard to believe that the protesters continued the strike for days without any outside support. The workers were constantly in touch with someone over the phone. Let the government find out who they were in contact with," Sahadevan told the reporters.
 
"It is quite difficult to provide one time meal for workers during strikes. It should be probed how the plantation workers in Munnar numbering over 5000 handled the situation neatly and perfectly till the end," he added.
 
According an article in Manorama online, he told that the agitation was not aimed at improving the living conditions and the demands raised were only for hike in salary and bonus. He claimed that even after trade unions including CITU giving attention to worker’s interest, but the tea plantation workers distanced themselves from them in this protest.
 
In a press meet held in Kannur, Sahadevan demanded the government and media to investigate who were behind this agitation.
 
During the protest, the estate workers had chased away S. Rajendran, CPI(M) MLA from the venue alleging that he had called them terrorists.The MLA's arrival angered the women workers to such an extent that many of them removed their chappals to shoo him off.
  
The protesters had made it clear that they had no leader or action committee, and were determined to keep political parties and unions out.
 
4,000 women, who work in Kannan Devan Hills Plantations Limited, took to the streets of Munnar from September 6 to demand better wages. Workers had alleged that the company was making profits, but they saw only a small sliver of it while the biggest portion goes to the officers. 
 
 

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