A person has lost his life and that is irreversible. It needs to be stopped. India has all sorts of laws but no means of enforcing it . There is no social security either. A person without a job is cornered. He vents to the criminalised politics which exploits the situation.

rohit, Kansas, USA

Varsha form Lucknow - India may have one of the best labour law in the world, but it's the lack of enforcement and enacting of them that is the problem. Also, no point having a legal system that the impoverished and down-trodden are either to ill educated or to poor to take advantage off, is it?

Sam, Aylesbury, United Kingdom

Not only did they murder, but they wanted permanent contracts??

Small businesses don't even give out permanent contracts to their suppliers as it entirely removes the incentive to keep earning the renewal of the contracts.

Posters who condone this ought be to ashamed of themselves.

Chris, Seattle, USA

About the Tata thing - basically W Bengal state govt gave Tata an amazing package to put the factory there - but didn't consult the people who's land they are taking - nor give them good compensation. It is our politicians fault - business needs to be relugated in circumstances like in India.

Cameron, London,

Please research a bit before you spew your ignorance.
1. Indian labor laws are very protective of the workers, more so than the US.
2. This has nothing to do with Hinduism, or Buddhism... these religions are way more tolerant, liberal, and intellectual, than the western religions - christianity.

Varsha, Lucknow, India

I agree w/ many of the liberal comments about CEOs and their paychecks-but as a human being, I am sickened when I hear from those people who can possibly argue that the actions of these people are justified. No life is worth a dollar amount-people are all priceless. I feel sad for that man's family.

Renee, Woodbury, USA

India is a great country. This is just the beginng of the adujsting the economic infrastructre that is set so unfairly.
long live works. Your voice shall be heard.

jack, Indianapolis, USA

We are outsourcing jobs to India for a reason. They don't share the profits with their work force. This kind of thing will continue there until there is more balance in how they compensate the worker. It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that people who can't feed their families turn to violence.

Jon, Seattle, USA

Lack of infrastructure, bureaucratic red-tape, horrible living conditions including rolling blackouts and water shortages (maybe even non-existent). One billion people living with four major religions and hundreds of religions. No fixing these problems. Certainly a failed state statiscally.

Tony, Boston, USA

I am no fan of vigilantism at all, yet I wonder just what it takes to get politiicans to enact laws that protect the majority from a tiny minority of greedy people who own everything? CEOs of banks who fought regulation, then caused world-wide economic havoc, a case in point.

MJT, London, UK

Those who criticise India's 'mob rule' , alledging that the poor 'de-humanise' the profiteers; Your democracies and rule of law were born from similar revolutions (France, America, UK) centuries ago. Why? because the POOR were being 'de-humanised'. India needs to go through a similar transition.

Sam, Aylesbury, United Kingdom

As a retired paramedic, I have seen more violence in that 22yr. portion of my life then 100 war movies, (excluding 'Saving Pvt. Ryan'). Business SHOULD be extreamly careful about laying off workers, because a worker w/o employment is someone with NOTHING left to loose - a 'terrifyingly' free person!

R.G. Frano, A.C.L.S., (Ret.), Jersey City, NJ, U.S.A.

I think it's interesting that this is a surprise.
What should we expect from people to do when their lives are ruined by people who profit from them?
Either we should start treating working people with respect or we'll have to start a new war on terror in the sweatshops of the world.

Jason Netek, Denton, Texas,

I think that CEO's in America need to really take heed to this especially before the chose to outsource.

M., Meridian, ID, USA

Hey Sam, like it or not, that is exactly what "democracy" is, the tyranny of the majority.

Dan, Vancouver,

And these people supposedly share our "democratic values"....don't think so!

Sam, Glasgow, UK

Well, that was why Unions were created. But even in the USA the Unions are going down hill, when they no linger exist, we can look forward to the sme reaction by the empoyed worker

George, Van Buren , AR, USA

You don't have to go any further than Indian Employer's to find workers being exploited - there are some very rich Indian co's that take advantage of cheap labour - with no thought for their worker's.

Cam Hirst, Stockport, Cheshire

We are all CEOs today.

Thomas, London,

being an Indian i know how much worker's suffer in India.In MNC's also they are treated like slaves.In the name of performance etc .. these bosses /management take huge pay rise and a fat cheque but the workers get pea nuts.

sasanka, amsterdam, holland

Steve-

Workplace violence is most rampant in the US. We have had many cases of disgruntled or sacked workers shooting their colleagues en masse.

The US is a world leader? Isn't it?

Kara Swart, London, UK

The more I read this message board, the more threatening I find it. The people on here are voicing support for vigilante justice and cold-blooded murder, all somehow justified by money, or the lack of it. Killing people for money is the most base of motives, and exacerbates the crime - Stalinists!

Sarah, London,

Although murder is not right, these large corporations, by paying low wages (increasing their profits), are continuing the poverty trap for thousands, if not millions of people - who is more wrong? I think we in the west need a bit of a rethink!

Timbo, Briglletonbury, UK

Its a tragedy that a life was lost. The CEO must not have come out talk to the violent mob. But it seems the workers were paid lesser than other workers doing the same job. Its time that managements really become ethical instead of simply hanging posters about corporate ethics in offices.

shaan, Chennai, India

It is sad when workers feel they must use violence. People are tired of being just another expendable commodity.
India has some of the least protected workers in the world.They are exploited endlessly for the profit of international conglomerates seeking the most labor for the smallest price.

Worker X, Ohio, U.S.A.

A man gets beaten to death by rioters, and all some people find it possible to do: is take pot-shots at Indian democracy, Indian industry, investment in India...

So: the next time American parents lose their children at a school massacre, should we criticise the US educational system?

Wrong focus.

RN, Chennai, India

All the arguments about violence not being the solution for a civilized society have obviously never studied history or lived under true economic hardship. History is only repeating itself in different parts of the world. It seems that we are all becoming slaves now.

Ashley, Huntsville, USA

Take note, everyone... those who defend the actions of this mob will also see nothing wrong with raiding your house, taking your property, and ending your life... so long as they dehumanize you by saying you are "greedy" and you don't deserve what you have earned.

Weew, Ottawa, Canada

Joe, they are murdering us all as we type, but that's okay, as long as it is in the name of capitalism and socialism. I think fighting fire with water works, but when the fire outgrows the ability to be sustained with water, you have no choice but to choke it out.

nonya, na, united States

Ashamed? Those who put capitalism before humanity should be ashamed.

nonya, na, united States

Obviously the usual corporatism vs liberalism debate is going to continue as people bring their own political bias, but this article is big on sensationalism and small on details. Is this result from an expectation of cradle to grave employment? If so, India needs to grow up.

Chad, Kitchener, ON, Canada

Welcome to the new feudal order. It used to be a wealthy man was a millionaire with about 10 to 20 million as his assets, today everybody wants to be a billionaire at the expense of the new class of peons and slaves, the economic ones.

Eddie, Texas,

It is very unfortunate.
This act cannot be condoned!

@Marcus:
1 billion people. More than four major religions.Hundreds of different languages. A functioning democracy.
One incident and you call India a failed state.

Raghu, Bangalore, India

We have no idea what the working conditions were for these workers. How do we know they were going to give jobs back? Do we really think employers wouldn't use trickery against these workers? We really need more facts.

Marsha, DyersburgTn, USA,

Murder is murder. Whether a dictator "disappearing" dissidents, a robber with a gun, a millionaire killing his ex-wife, or an impoverished mob whipped to a frenzy. There is no justification.

Joe, Broad Brook,

This was an isolated incident that got out of control and was probably carried out by fringe communist elements as the article suggests. Indian people are probably the most peaceful and tolerant. In China, the workers are so oppressed that they wouldn't dare protest or we'd never hear of it.

Fred, London, UK

I am in the middle of negotiating contract manufacturing to be done in India. Well, let me rephrase that; I WAS negotiating and now I don't believe we'll be doing anything in India and defur to Ireland. After investigating of course, but this and other stories I have been hearing will matter.

Terry, San Diego, USA

It is sickening that there are so many posts here that dismiss this as though the CEO had it coming. This was a brutal act of violence and those guilty should pay. To those that blame the west or capitalism for this...you should be ashamed.

Steve, Atlanta, GA, USA

"If they have such a big problem then open your own company"

How arrogant it is to say that so nonchalantly, Victoria... unfortunately, in most parts of the world it's literally impossible for all but the rich/powerful/well connected to do so.

Howard, Manchester,

Fair wages and safety will be demanded by workers, there is no avoiding it. Perhaps companies moving their operations to places like India because they perceive it as a source of cheap labor will have to reconsider the total cost of doing business there.

Trase Passantino, Fenton, USA

Manufactures looking for cheaper production should take notice not only the quality of goods can be suspect the workers are exploited this time to breaking point people should look at the human & enviromental cost of a product.
why cant england make anything (health safety, employment,gov laws)

andrew field, marlborough, england

Similar things happened in American history to lead to better workers rights.

Bloody Tuesday in San Fransisco in 1907

Teamsters strikes in Minneapolis in 1934

Farmers lynched Judges during the Depression

It's been proven over and over again that rights only come after they're fought hard for.

Thomas, Kansas City, MO, USA

This article is so one-side, focusing on the poor, vulnerable executives and consultants. What about the living conditions of the laid off workers? What led these workers to take such drastic action? It would have been interesting if the author had taken quotes from one of the former workers.

Nathaniel Christopher, Burnaby, British Columbia

A wise man one said:

"Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of your mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts." Marcus Aurelius

"Poverty is the mother of crime."
Marcus Aurelius

"There is nothing happens to any person but what was in his power to go through with."

Kevin, Dublin, USA

Interesting corporate perspectives from some people here who mostly have no idea how thin the thread of survival is in many parts of India. The arrogance displayed from people here that have been sheltered in middle America is astonishing, but somehow not surprising.

Bill, Cincinnati, USA

It's called fragging. These countries are trying to emulate the USA but they don't have the legal and social network in place. It was Christian Puritanism and Altruism that made the USA great. A Chinese thinktank figured that out in the late 1970's.

These values are the foundation of America.

Ven Haris, Mission, texas, USA

Just reading the hateful responses from those on the "left" makes me very afraid for my sons future. If these people really are that angry and vicious, and find ways to actually defend outright murder, our society is lost.

Bruce, Stamford, USA

Be careful what you wish for. Seeking the demise of any wealthy person is relative to the level of differing wealth between persons - justifying it is a nice way of saying it isn't you, and darn it, you should be richer anyway.

Jack, Corvallis, USA

So many of you think the CEO had this coming... so ignorant. Now instead of just those laid off losing their jobs, the Italian company may close the factory and now ALL the jobs are lost. Not to mention other comanies reconsidering opening their own factories in India. This class warfare must end

Tom, New York, USA

These were former employees. They had a job at one time. Way to thank your past employer for the job you used to have.

At the least, perhaps those involved with get a horrible job reference. "Why did you leave your last job?" "The dead are unable to rehire...".

J.Allen, Wilmington, USA

Other CEOs take note before you outsource to India

JWinton, Medway, UK

I cannot believe the number of sick liberals posting comments alluding to the justification of this man's death. It's funny how you are all anti-death penalty for people who have been CONVICTED of murder, but you are supportive of the brutal killing of a person who is ALLEGED to be greedy.

Kate, Orlando, USA

If you oppress people all their lives, make slaves of them, that is the same as killing them. That they rise and kill you is only balancing it out. Cause and effect.
The next fascism, communism, holocaust, WW3, has already been caused, albeit after we're dead. It's gonna be a humdinger with nuclear!

Martin, London,

Don't know how the amount of money he made relative to his employees in any way excuses murder. People are not worth less just because they earn more. Fact is not everyone has the intellectual or personal skills to manage a company, so not everyone gets paid the same. Life's not fair, deal with it.

Freya, London,

Many company leaders make many times the average income and yet.. are not beaten to death at work.

A new TATA plant gets built then blockaded, "Peaceful people" murder a person who is trying to find a way to reemploy them.

Seriously, India a world leader in our lifetime? I don't think so.

Steve, Derby, England

Greed & Envy, Greed & Envy - the worst traits of humankind.

Several commenters have implied that the CEO was the greedy one - (taking vast profits?) - yet the story never mentioned how much he was making. As a subsidiary of a foreign company, his salary was probably set by others.

Dan Eastwood, People's Republic of Ann Arbor, USA

The problem with India is the caste system. You see it in unqualified Indian professionals who happen to be in the right caste and how poorly the lower castes are treated is not to be believed unless you have been there awhile.

David, Seattle, USA

I do not uderstand what Tata means by "cannot guarantee workers safety"; is this violence within the factory, outside the factory or a health & safety issue?
Tata should be able to deal with violence inside the factory and health & safety; if not they have gone down in my estimation.

David, Glasgow, Scotland

There is a saying in management; treat your staff well, and pay them as what you would to show them that you value their work, and you not only gain loyalty, but also hard work and a positive attitude...underpay them for vast profits, and you end up with.......

avta singh , Kota Kinabalu, malaysia

Lalit Choudhary was my classmate, friend, and final-year project teammate at IIT Kanpur. Decades later, I met him and his family at a reunion. Old philosophical differences gave way to warm appreciation for his practical business and personal achievements, and hard work. May he rest in peace.

Razi Nalim, Indianapolis, USA

I think people like Eckhardt Tolle, saw this kind of activity coming, ego and greed have created such disparity on our society that this will become common place as opposed to an isolated incident. If we don't change our ways as people and don't get rid of CEO greed and dysfunctional egos.

Bucky Dent, Port Huron ,

This man's death leaves a son with no father and a wife with no husband. By all means spout your political views and wheel out the exhausted cliches but a man has been murdered here and this risks doing huge potential damage to India's reputation as a place to do business.

John, Hong Kong,

As an Australian who is disgusted by the working conditions that indian men and women are forced to put up with, and considering the MASSIVE fortunes that are being made by the industrialists from the labour of the workers, it is not surprising this kind of thing happen, now & in the future.

s. carter, brisbane, Australia

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.” JFK

Gericault, Costa Mesa, CA,

There seems to be a large swelling of Communist sympathy here. Please don't forget that the single largest Ideological killer ever has been communism. 20 million in the USSR, an estimated 70 million in China. You can't "absolve" yourself from facts like these

T Franz, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong

Guess they forgot the teachings of Ghandi!!!

No, matter what the CEO's do/did, violence and murder are not the solution!

Carl, Euclid, USA

India and its people are basically non violent...most of the protests are infiltrated by lumpen elements from political parties and the ensuing violence is usually given a political hue...Whatever the reason, violence can NEVER be tolerated in a civil society and we should see to it!!

Robin, Lucknow, India

Their "own risk and money" and other people's labor. That's what business always is--the risk, money and time and labor of multiple parties. Sometimes when people sell their time and their skills so somebody else can build an empire, they take an undignified sacking rather badly.

Ross, Pittsburgh, USA

I wonder if people are missing the point. A man was killed. A father and husband was killed. A waste of life, taken from him by a baying mob. There are ways to deal with conflict, and voiolence is NEVER a way.
Talk, boycot, strike. Hurt a company by hitting its finances. Not by murdering someone.

Chris, Manchester, England

I have said beforeand still beleive that every CEO who hase taken a company down and a lot of workers lost jobs should be regarded as a tratior to this countryand they sould be treated as one.

Richard, Canton Ohio, USA

Everybody must be treated like a CEO. Isn't that like the Japanese school play with 30 Snow Whites?

Bill Peter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Not a good image to send to the worlds investors who hold the future of India in their hands.

Sam, New York, USA

Money does'nt go where it's appreciated it, but where workes are paid banana wages and employment laws (none is even better) are conveniently in place to ensure quick and swift profit. There's no better formula to make an investor to salivate so much.

R E Romaniello, London,

Welcome to "world's largest democracy" and newest super power!

Jane L., CA, USA

They were fired for being violent.Then they killed the guy who fired them while he was considering hiring them back.Now a bunch of you are saying "give them a medal" ? What the heck?
Sounds like a bunch of united auto worker union members have infiltrated this message board.

DaveR, Indianapolis, USA

Sen. Chris Dodd ought to wonder if his enabling of the morgage debacle will make him a target of those who lost their pensions.

Enrico, Norwich, USA

This isn't a great victory for the "worker" at least not the Indian "worker" who has set back their cause for decades. This may help postpone the death of the Western automobile industry a few years while the 3d world impoverished wait for economic hope. Money goes where its welcomed and appreciated

John, Vancouver, Canada

In the U.S. an executive knows he act illegally, drive a company into the ground, take employees' lifetime savings, and walk away with a multi-million-dollar golden parachute. The employees will go home and cry. If CEOs occasionally got the justice they deserve, they might not be so bold.

Mike , Norwich, USA

Well lets see now! why not get rid of all the politians around the world and start again fresh as they seem to think that they are God, for nothing happens by accident....... it's planned.

John, New York, USA NY

If CEOs had to live on what they pay their own employees, a very different outcome may have obtained.

Contrarily, if workers were treated with the same respect that CEOs demand, this too would have led to a different outcome.

But not to worry. Business will draw the wrong conclusions, per usual.

Steve, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Let the overpaid and incompetent CEOs here learn something from this. You can only push people so far before something gives. Maybe CEOs need to understand that their safety is not guaranteed either. Works both ways.

Jimmy, Chicago, USA

to use a physics analogy,this is a case of an action causing an equal and opposite reaction.too many workers get treated like dirt,now they unfortunately are voting with their fists.workers,especially in publically listed companies must get a share of profits.Shareholders r forever chasing growth.

andrew, auckland, new zealand

Adam Smith argued that a civil society, treating all men equally and giving rights to the poor, protects the rich. Even the Soviets said something similar with regard to Western social democracies.

India seems as if they could use a bit of improvement in the all-men-are-created-equal department.

Carl, Palo Alto, USA

nobody owes anyone anything... If they have such a big problem then open your own company

victoria , deerfield,

Just wait for advancements in technology when low skilled labor is no longer required. There are going to be a lot more incidents like this.

Tom, Tucson, USA

India is taking plays from the playbook of, for instance, the American Labor Movement. Violence and murder are acceptable tactics in this game. There is nothing saintly about capitalism nor the labor movement. It is only a game because all biologic life is only a game. No one can escape the game

Rob Harvey, Los Angeles, USA

Animals.

Jessica, London,

The £1,250 Nano, the world's cheapest car has been causing heartburn for leftists worldwide.They do not want the people of India to be able to afford to drive. A thorough investigation must be done to find the true agitators behind this terrible crime. It may have nothing to do with labor relations!

Steven Miller, Kent, WA, USA

CEO's salary for a single day are more than a year's salary for employees ....who made those CEO's wealthy in the first place. If in fact corporate leaders want to have their wealth, it behooves them to pay the employees enough to live on AND products sold.

Karma is the mother not baking cookies

Augie, San Francisco, USA

This is not murder, this is revolt. Big difference. And Marcus from London is completely wrong...unless we take drastic action, and soon, this will become a frequent occurrence in the West as well.

Josh, San Francisco, USA

I wondered how long it would take before the masses would revolt against the substandard working conditions that we revolted against in our own industrial revolution. Of course investors will simply move their operations to more desperate areas where people will put up with anything - Africa's next

CJ, Apache Junction, Arizona, USA

I wonder if the objective of the meeting was really to reinstate anyone. I doubt they would have beat this guy if he was giving them back their jobs. Prob was another public relations meeting, like those PR experts in Washington, DC are trying to pull on us

Todd, St Pete, FL, US

Shocking, disgraceful, disgusting and a warning for any investor to go to India. Interesting to note is that some of the attackers were not even related to the company. That throws light what criminalization of politics can bring in a culture. While India is a great nation this needs to stop!

Ray Kar, Cincinnati, Ohio

If you can't or won't share the pie with any humane equity then the children are bound to get rebellious. Much of india has no safety net and works who loose jobs or can't find jobs become so desperate that they commit suicide. Do the elite ruling class and their CEO'S shed a tear for them?

ralph wheelock, Honolulu, usa

Perhaps if a few more Exes had a little more fear put in them by the masses we wouldn't have to be bailing out Wall Street to the tune of a Trillion dollars while those Execs walk away with their tens of millions in bonuses...

Not that violence is justified but you can bet Execs would think twice.

Rob, St Paul, USA

India - another failed state in the making. In the west this would simply not be accepted, fanatical Hinduism will be a big problem in the next 20 years. The lower castes have been treated abysmally for their entire history, only a matter of time before they rebel as above.

Marcus, London,

Here in the US we give CEOs huge salaries when they fire thousands of workers... Violence is not the answer but we need to change the direction and mentality of our government.

othello cato, boston, ma, usa

"Tata halted work three weeks ago, claiming it could not guarantee its workers safety at the factory in the state of West Bengal."

They couldn't guarantee the worker's safety? Looks like the workers are turning the tables on whose safety cannot be guaranteed.

Geoff, New York, United States

The guy was trying to find a way to reinstate them, so they beat him to death.

Nice.

Gregor, San Diego, CA, USA

India needs to enforce law and order. Without it you can not create prosperity. There are outside forces trying to keep Indian society divided, and the nation weak. They must be brought under control. Communists and their dupes are my guess. India is a wonderful civilization, but must find unity.

Ron Wagner, Decatur, IL

Criminal action indeed, we are a people being boxed in by corruption ourselves. Every one of the failed bank CEO's will walk with millions and we will pay off the trillions with our childrens sweat and blood. Not what the founding fathers had in mind.

Russell, Atlanta,

...It looks like India must now prove to their globalist corporate masters,that they can subdue their cheap labor masses if they want continued investment......

Jeremy, Milwaukee, USA

"Truly criminal action" it may be, but the French Revolution was also a 'truly criminal action' that later largely absolved itself. The Bolsheviks similarly absolved itself in Russia. The Maoists of China as well. Even Cambodia faced a shameful period. India must come to grips with this.

L Swinford, Springfield, USA