Suresh Shyamlal Gupta

Suresh Shyamlal Gupta meets Smt Pratibha Patil, former President of India, in Pune.

Suresh Gupta started his political career in the early days of college. He joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in 2006 in the presence of Gurudas Kamat. He joined Seva Dal Congress as Ward President and a year later was elected as Taluka President of Seva Dal Congress in his constituency. In 2009, Suresh Gupta was elected as the Ward President of the Youth Congress. In 2013, he was appointed as the Mumbai President of the Youth Wing of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC). Later in 2014, he became the National Secretary of Youth Wing of the Indian National Trade Union Congress. He also raised the issue of the SRA project in which builders cheated poor people by not giving them houses. In 2012 he raised the issue of illegal mining in Mumbai, where top developers illegally excavated the mountain. Suresh works to ensure the rights of workers and artists working in the Indian film industry. According to Gupta, the workers working in the Indian film industry are not getting adequate facilities. According to him, the workers working in the film industry are forced to work for 16 to 20 hours and are paid less in return. Along with this, they are also abused mentally and physically, as well as women are molested on the shooting sets and Also no PF, no security, no fire safety on set, no hygiene food, no medical ESIC, no leave, etc. Whereas the annual revenue to the government due to the Indian film industry is 2 lakh crores per year. Because of this, Suresh Gupta established the All Indian Cine Workers Association to address the complaints from the Indian film industry, which helps the workers and artists of the Indian film industry to get their basic rights. In 2019, he sparked a revolution by holding a meeting with the Ministry of Labour(Maharashtra), in which the Leader of the Opposition of Maharashtra, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, and Maharashtra Labour Minister Sambhaji Nilangekar and other government high officials were present. Because of Gupta's effort, the Government of Maharashtra decided to form a government committee for the rights of workers and artists of the Indian film industry, in which he became the employee representative of that committee.

Meeting in the Chief Minister's Office regarding the problem of the film industry

Aiming for the betterment of the Indian cine workers and artists, Suresh Shyamlal Gupta established a non-profitable organization AlCWA (All Indian Cine Workers Association) in 2016. Believing in the motto of putting cine workers first, the organization aims at taking the voice of the workers to the government and fighting for their rights and heeding to the needs of the workers. Since its foundation, the organization has been a part of numerous news and controversies. Some of them include putting a ban on Pakistani actors after 2019 Pulwama attack, boycotting and banning Mika Singh from the film industry after Singh performed at a wedding in Pakistan.[10]

Suresh took initiative to sort out the issues of artists, workers, or laborers of the Indian Film Industry with the support of MLA Shri Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (Opposition Leader – Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) in presence of Shri Sambhaji Nilgekar ( Labour Minister of Maharashtra) and other higher officers valuable meeting was conducted on that meeting first-time decision was taken by Government of Maharashtra to form a committee for welfare and rights of artists, workers, and laborers in Indian Film Industry.

In 2016, Suresh Gupta busted a kidney racket at Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai. He saved the kidneys of thousands of poor people in India and outside India. His efforts have led to a change in the law on kidney transplantation in Maharashtra. With his efforts, he arrested more than 20 people, including doctors, agents, and many others.[11][12] Hiranandani Hospital CEO Chatterjee and several top doctors were arrested after the Hiranandani Hospital kidney racket was exposed.[13][14]

Certain types of keywords were being used for illegal kidneys in Hiranandani Hospital, after which many illegal kidney rackets were busted in Maharashtra and many places in India.[15]

He uncovered fraudulent documents prepared for donors and recipients for an illegal kidney transplant that showed fraudulent family ties between them. High-profile people were involved in this case. Key witness and victim Sundar Singh Jatav, through a friend, approached Suresh Gupta for help uncovering this complex kidney trafficking network. Soon after the FIR was registered, Sundar started receiving death threats.[16][17]

After a fire broke out at Cine Vista Studios in Kanjurmarg, the management of the studio faced the wrath of Suresh Gupta, as a crew member lost his life due to the negligence of the studio owners, the production house, and the producer.[18][19]

In this incident, Suresh Gupta said that "the death of the crew member was due to the negligence of the studio owners, production houses and producers." The members of the union repeatedly complained about the lack of fire safety measures, but the studio ignored it and did not follow the fire fighting system, which led to the incident.[20][21]

To defame the late Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi, Suresh voiced and filed a complaint against top OTT service provider Netflix, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, director Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, and the producer of the web series "Sacred Games" at Chembur police station on July 11, 2018.[22] According to Suresh, in the fourth episode of the first season of this series, lead actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is shown abusing Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.[23][24] Gupta also mentioned in his complaint how the show defied Parliament's decision on the Shah Bano case.[25]

During the Maharashtra bandh on January 3, 2017, Gupta said that the protesters caused more damage in the Powai-Vikhroli belt than in other parts of the city.[26]

Suresh has written a letter to Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi pleading complete ban on Pakistani artists after Pakistan Govt. banned the release of Indian films in its country.[27]

Protests against Pakistani artists and singers in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack

Following the terror attack by Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, Suresh Gupta-led All Indian Cine Workers Association announced a complete ban on Pakistani actors and artists.[28][29][30] Suresh Gupta said the attack was "cowardly" and the most shameful act Pakistan has ever done, it will take strict action against anyone working with Pakistani artists.[31][32]

Suresh Gupta, through his organization AICWA, wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on February 19, demanding the deportation of Pakistani artists and cancellation of their visas after the Pulwama terror attack.[33][34] He said, 'The nation comes first and it stands with the nation at the time of such horrific and inhuman acts'.[35][36][37]

After the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, the AICWA President completely banned Pakistani artists and singers.[38][39] In protest, Pakistani national Sheikh Latif moved to the Lahore High Court, seeking a ban on the trade of Indian films in Pakistan.[40][41][42]

Suresh Gupta demanded a CBI inquiry into the suspected death of kidney racket key witness Sunder Singh Jatav in 2016 as he claimed it was not a case of suicide. Gupta alleged that bloodstains were found on the floor of Singh's residence.[43][44]

Gupta said that I think he was murdered as he was a strong witness and stood against powerful people, Gupta demanded a detailed investigation to find out the truth.

Gupta added that Singh feared for his life and had sought protection from Powai police station in 2016. No complaint was registered even though he was the star witness in the Hiranandani hospital kidney racket case.[45]

After the death of four people in Vikhroli, social worker Suresh Gupta made serious allegations against the BMC, saying that "the cement chamber was not made properly, so this accident happened. It is a man-made disaster and the BMC is responsible for it. We demand the registration of an FIR against the responsible officer who gave the green signal for this work and a compensation of Rs. 30 lakh for each of the deceased."[46][47][48]

On the death of a person in Vikhroli due to the explosion of an oxygen cylinder landing at a shop,[49] Suresh Gupta said, "I will write a letter to the Chief Minister and the Mumbai Police Commissioner seeking action against the shopkeeper."[50] With so many residential complexes in and around the area, so many lives are being put at risk.

After the ban on Bollywood films by Pakistan, Suresh Gupta said that the Indian film industry and laborers should not work closely with Pakistani filmmakers, artists, and business partners.[51][52] Following that, the AICWA President wrote a formal request to the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, seeking a ban on Pakistani artists, diplomats, and bilateral relations. In an official statement on behalf of the association, Gupta said that there should be no bilateral relations with Pakistani artists, diplomats, businessmen, or citizens of Pakistan.[53] At the same time, Gupta praised Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their bold decisions to abolish Article 370 and Article 35A.[54][55]

Suresh Shyamlal Gupta protested outside singer Mika Singh's house in Mumbai.

When Mika Singh performed at a wedding in Pakistan, Suresh Gupta banned and boycotted Mika Singh from the film industry.[56][57] Suresh Gupta protested outside the Mika Singh House after performing at an event in Pakistan at a ceremony attended by a relative of a former dictator General Pervez Musharraf.[58][59] "AICWA activists will ensure that no one in India works with Mika Singh and if anyone does so, they will have to face legal consequences," he said in a statement. Suresh Gupta also requested the intervention of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in this regard.[60][61]

On June 10, 2020, the All Indian Cine Workers Association, led by Suresh Gupta, released an official statement citing allegedly derogatory scenes in Indian producer Ekta Kapoor's "XXX (web series)". According to Gupta, the Indian Army has been humiliated in some scenes of the web series, for which he has demanded an FIR against Ekta Kapoor and ALT Balaji production,[62] and has also written a letter to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting which reads, "Content platform on OTT: Set up a censor board to control visuals and obscenity."[63]

AICWA President Suresh Gupta demanded a ban on the Punjabi film Chal Mera Putt as it featured Pakistani actors instead of Bollywood actors. Due to this, Gupta sent a formal letter banning the film to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, and a copy of the same to the Hon'ble Shri Prakash Javadekar (Information and Broadcasting Minister), and Shri Prasoon Joshi (Chairman, Central Film Board).[64]

After Yogi Adityanath announced a new film city in Uttar Pradesh, Suresh Gupta said, "By the way, shooting of many films is going on in Lucknow. It is possible sometimes but not many films will be shot. Women feel safe in Mumbai. There are around 30 percent women associated with film industry in Mumbai. I doubt if the freedom to work day and night be available to them there?"[65][66]

Seeking a relief fund for cine workers who are not working due to the COVID-19 pandemic, AICWA President Suresh Gupta has written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray requesting that "the Indian film industry has a revenue of over Rs 2 trillion." but is unable to feed a large portion of its laborers, who are daily wage earners. Therefore, to draw the attention of the Maharashtra government to this issue, Suresh, the President of AICWA, wrote a letter informing the Maharashtra chief and seeking financial assistance.[67]

Protest held outside MLA Ashish Shelar house in Mumbai

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, while a complete lockdown was in force as per the government guidelines, from 19 to 31 March 2020, all shootings were also halted. AICWA President Suresh Gupta said that in fact, some shooting was still not stopped and the safety instructions were not followed. Only half of the shooting in Goregaon Firm City was stopped, with the rest continuing without regard for safety guidelines.[68] Even after the notification was issued by Dr. Pradeep Vyas, Principal Secretary, Health Department, safety hygiene should have been followed during the shooting, but all the safety hygiene was neglected. Apart from this issue, Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, president of the All Indian Cine Workers Association, raised his voice to stop the increasing cases of mental stress and suicide due to non-payment of wages and work to the workers during the lockdown.[69]

Suresh Gupta has demanded an SIT probe into the suicide of noted art director Raju Sapte. On their demand, the matter was raised in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in which a meeting was held under the leadership of Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil and State Home Minister Satej Patil, and orders were issued for strict action against the culprits. In this case, by writing a letter to the Maharashtra government, Gupta has highlighted the association of the named accused with the federation.[70][71] Suresh Gupta, president of All India Cine Workers Association, said, “While Shrivastava has been given anticipatory bail in the Sapte case, we hope the Pune police will soon question him in connection with Sapte’s suicide case. Sapte had named him in his suicide note.”[72][73]