On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Dandi march and almost 80 years later, in the United States, with Gandhi’s name on their lips, the former employees of Signal International company begin their march for justice.
I saw the coverage on NDTV 24×7, the best source of India-centric news in the US.
The Indian workers who quit their jobs and filed a lawsuit against the company they were working for in the United States have launched a Satyagraha movement.
They have started a march for justice - from New Orleans to Washington DC where they want to meet the Indian Ambassador to the US.
Indian workers say they paid lakhs of rupees to a recruitment firm on promises of work-based permanent residency in the US. But on arrival, all they got was 10-month H2B guest worker visas, low wages and cramped quarters.
Their march has yet again exposed the vulnerability of guest workers to exploitation in their search for a better future in foreign lands.
I thought that Satyagraha had died its natural death. But the teachings of a great man have far out-lived any philosophies.
Its good that DirecTV is providing Indian channels in the US. The satellite TV service provider makes my home away from home. Here is the link for DirecTV:
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200042
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