from its rank and file, it looks as if the Maharashtra Congress has absorbed the impact of the Janata party's massive win in the northern states. The exist of S B Chavan and P K Sawant is unlikely to cause any damage to the Congress legislature party or the organisation at the district and taluka levels. What seems to be worrying the state Congress leadership is that the party's rank and file at the district levels have been impressed by the Janata party's spectacular success in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. These Congressmen, with substantial economic and FARIDABAD is an industrial township, 20 kilometres from Delhi, with over 1,000 small-scale industries and a working class population exceeding four lakhs. On June 30, all activity in the township came to a standstill. Thousands of factory workers downed their tools in protest against the death in police custody of Harnam Singh, a maintenance foreman, working in one of the leading concerns of the area. Towards the afternoon, over 5,000 workers proceeded in trucks to Delhi to seek the intervention of the Union home minister, Charan Singh. Among the demands made to the minister were: a judicial probe into the alleged murder of Harnam Singh, immediate arrest of an inspector of the Haryana Central Investigation Agency and other police officials responsible for Harnam Singh's death and the arrest of the owners of the factory where the deceased was employed. Feelings ran so high that violence had erupted in many parts of Farida- bad and vehicles proceeding to the capital were stoned, looted and burnt. Harnam Singh, it is alleged, had been tortured to death by the police on the factory premises in the presence of the managing director, a sub- inspector of police, and some other senior company officials. His co-workers allege that he was also administered some chemical and later taken to the hospital where he was declared dead. Harman Singh had been employed with the concern for the last 13 years. He resigned on June 13, when the factory owners registered a case of theft where he and some of his co-workers were listed as the likely suspects. He was called to the political stakes, would want to be en the side of the party in power. As a result, once the Congress party shows signs of losing its. grip over power, there may be large-scale defections to the lanata party or even the PWP. Y B Chavan and Vasantdada Patil seem to have succeeded in keeping the Congress legislature party more or less intact for the moment. Vasantdada Patil's anxiety seems to keep the rich and middle peasants
