9th March2008, New Delhi
Today a group of students and professionals sat on a hunger strike in front of Games Village protesting against deaths in the construction site of Games Village. There are talks of deaths inside games village since last one month and recently some investigations by Youth for Justice revealed that living conditions inside the campus are pathetic which were later proved by one of the national news paper and death of one of the labourer “Shyamal” also got confirmed.
These reports and investigation leads to serious doubt that more than 30 people have died inside the campus.
“Youth for Justice” has conducted an investigation into the matter and have interviewed some of the relatives of labourers who died inside the games village, YFJ have also interviewed some labourers who have left the job because of the deaths, have interviewed some of the labourers who are still working inside and who themselves have seen some dead bodies, have interviewed some of the local residents who have interacted with labourers and who have information on the situation inside. As nobody was allowed to enter the campus, this was the only source of information that we had.
All these facts are indicating towards the fact that labourers are living in an inhuman and pathetic condition inside the campus causing deadly disease leading to deaths of these poor migrant labourers. Saddest part of incident is that both the Govt. and contractor are hiding the facts and are trying to cover up the case.
YFJ has very strong reasons to believe that everything is not alright inside the four walls of this construction site and we strongly demand an immediate independent enquiry into the matter.
We also believe that life, liberty and dignity of these labourers are of equal importance and we demand that it should be maintained and respected. Clean, hygienic working and living environment, proper treatment and medical care, compensation etc. are basic rights of any labourer and that should be protected at all cost.
We also demand that a comprehensive list of all those who have died or who have attacked by the deadly virus should be made public.
We also demand that guilty contractor should be booked under the law.
This is our first step and in absence of any immediate action by the authority, we will intensify our protest.
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