CASR Condemns Crackdown on Workers, Trade Union Activists; Alleges ‘Mastermind’ Narrative to Criminalize Protests

New Delhi – The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has strongly condemned the ongoing crackdown on trade union activists, social workers, and hundreds of workers protesting against harsh working conditions, low wages, job insecurity, and unsafe workplaces. The organization has also raised alarm over the alleged illegal detention of a senior journalist and the use of a “mastermind” theory to delegitimize legitimate labor struggles.

In a statement, CASR specifically criticized the arrest of six activists associated with the Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra, identified as Shyamveer, Ajit, Pintu Yadav, Harish, Raju, and Akash along with social activist Niranjan Lal. According to CASR, the seven have been falsely implicated in serious charges including rioting, arson, criminal conspiracy, and attempt to murder.

The organization also expressed deep concern over the detention of senior journalist and public intellectual Satyam Varma following raids on Janchetna Bookstore in Lucknow. Poet Katyayani, artist Ram Babu, and several others were also detained during the operation. CASR described these actions as “a dangerous escalation in targeting democratic voices.”

A troubling pattern is now emerging, CASR alleged, with police and administration deliberately branding certain workers and activists as the “masterminds” behind the entire protest in Noida. “By selectively arresting individuals and projecting them as conspirators, the state is attempting to distort the nature of this movement, falsely portraying a genuine workers’ struggle as a pre-planned conspiracy aimed at inciting violence,” the statement read.

CASR warned that such tactics are “extremely dangerous” and designed to delegitimize the real demands of workers while justifying repression. The organization expressed apprehension that ordinary workers are being turned into scapegoats, and that draconian charges combined with the “mastermind” narrative could lead to prolonged incarceration.

The rights body also raised serious concerns over several workers and common protesters who remain untraceable following the protests. Families are desperately searching for them, but police stations are reportedly refusing to provide clear information, often giving vague and evasive responses. CASR said this raises fears of illegal detentions that could later be used to falsely implicate workers in a broader conspiracy narrative, sidelining the genuine demands of informal and contract workers.

“This is not just an attack on individuals; it is an attack on the fundamental right to organize, protest, and demand dignity in work,” CASR stated.

The organization has issued the following demands:

• Immediate and unconditional release of all arrested trade union activists and workers

• Immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of all detained and missing workers and protesters

• Withdrawal of all fabricated charges

• An end to the practice of branding workers and activists as “masterminds” to criminalize legitimate protests

• Accountability for illegal detentions and police excesses

• Protection of workers’ democratic rights to organize and protest

CASR called upon all democratic forces including trade unions, women’s organizations, student-youth groups, writers, and civil rights activists—to stand united against the repression and resist the criminalization of workers’ struggles.