Centre of Indian Trade Unions members collect scrap iron for Venmani Martyrs Memorial
Chennai: Members of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) are on a drive to collect scrap iron from workers across the state for the Venmani Martyrs Memorial in Nagapattinam to remember the 44 workers who were burnt alive for seeking wage hike.
“We are planning to collect 100 tonnes of scrap iron from workers to complete the memorial work. Contribution of iron for the memorial construction will give a sense of participation to the workers,” CITU state president A. Soundararajan told DC.
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat inaugurated the partially completed memorial built at a cost of Rs 3 crore in March this year. The memorial is being constructed in front of the hut where 44 workers were burnt alive by landlords on December 25, 1968 for seeking wage hike.
The scrap iron collected from the workers would be handed over to the foundries, which have offered to supply cast iron required for the memorial free of cost.
The cast iron would be used for erecting railings on staircase and balcony and erecting lampposts and benches. Besides, the 44 pillars in the building would be connected by cast iron on the top. Mr Soundararajan said that as on date, 30 tonnes of iron was donated by workers. “We will be completing all work on the memorial including gardening and landscaping by this year’s anniversary,” he said.
There is a plan to display the history of struggles of toiling people in the memorial, he said, adding that the memorial would be used to conduct classes for workers affliated to trade unions and other party activities to equip them for changing developments.
Venmani martyrs
- The memorial is being constructed in front of the hut where 44 workers were burnt alive by landlords on December 25, 1968 for seeking wage increase
- CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat inaugurated the partially built memorial at a cost of '3 crore in March this year
- History of toiling people will be put up for display at martyrs’ memorial in Nagai
