BEML agitation completes 20 months

Stir against Centre’s decision to privatise the PSU

An agitation being staged by the employees of Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML) against the Central government decision to privatise the public sector company completed 601 days on Tuesday. Marking the 600 th day of the agitation, the employees took a pledge to protect the public sector land from falling into private hands at Kanjikode on Monday.

CITU State secretary K.N. Gopinath inaugurated the 600 th day agitation. CITU district president P.K. Sasi presided over the function. They demanded that the Central government withdraw from its move to privatise BEML considering the country’s security and the ongoing protest by the employees.

It was on January 6, 2021, that employees under the banner of the BEML Employees Association began an indefinite agitation in front of BEML at Kambanippadi, Kanjikode, two days after the Central government invited expression of interest to disinvest 26% shares of the BEML.

Welcoming the protestors on the 600 th day, BEML Employees Association general secretary Gireesh S. said the government would harm the country’s interests by selling the profit-making public sector undertaking to private parties.

CITU State committee member S.B. Raju administered the pledge to protect the government land. CITU district treasurer T.K. Achuthan, NGO Union district secretary K. Santhosh Kumar, Kerala School Teachers Association district secretary M.R. Mahesh Kumar, BEML Employees Association working president Vasant Kumar, and CITU Pudussery division secretary K. Suresh, spoke.

The agitation saw many episodes in the last 20 months, including a human chain, a people’s parliament, a people’s court, and several rallies. The Central government, however, did not heed as the employees continued their protest even during the COVID-19 times.

Asia’s second largest manufacturer of earth-moving equipment, the profit-making mini ratna PSU has plants in Bengaluru, Kolar, Mysuru and Palakkad.