SALUTE THE GREAT RESILIENCE AND COURAGE OF THE INDIAN WORKING CLASS AND OTHER OPPRESSED OF INDIA

By Harsh Thakor

SALUTE THE GREAT RESILIENCE AND COURAGE OF THE INDIAN WORKING CLASS AND OTHER OPRESSED SECTIONS TO MAKE THE CALL FOR ALL-INDIA STRIKE SUCCESSFUL THE SHIMMERING OF TORCH OF PROTEST AGAINST THE ENSLAVEMENT OF ECONOMIC POLICIES OF Narendra MODI GOVERNMENT. ENCOMPASSED THE ENTIRE NATION OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE WAS THE MASSIVE SUPPORT OF THE PEASANTRY LINKING THEIR ISSUES WITH THE WORKING CLASS AS A WHOLE.HOWEVER IT LACKED SUFFICIENT INFUSING OF PROLETARIAN POLITICS OR DEMARCATION FROM ECONOMISM OR REVISIONISM.

Workers throughout the country responded to the Call for All India Industrial Strike displaying the tenacity and death-defying courage of an army. At several junctures they were obstructed by the administration. It was a major thorn in the flesh for the proto-fascist Modi government shimmering the flame of resistance all over the nation, like a spark turning into a Prairie fire.

Strike affected industrial activity in all the states. Workers took out big rallies and held demonstrations. Workers in Jute factories, tea gardens, textile, heavy engineering and small & medium industries and unorganized sectors responded to the strike call. Employees of banks also participated in the strike in large numbers and work in banks was affected in different parts of the state. The reports of the strike action and rallies are pouring in from across the country.

Below I am posting a report from Indian Federation of Trade Unions
IFTU and several other revolutionary trade unions had supported the strike and called upon workers to strike work to demand:

Repeal anti-worker labour laws like recently made IR Code, Wage Code, OSH Code.
Repeal proposed 9 hours daily duty and 16 hours maximum overtime as in Wade Code and Wage rules.
Repeal Fixed Term Employment.
Implement “Equal Work for Equal Pay” for casual, contract and outsourced workers.

NO to CAA, NRC, NPR.(1)

Declare Rs. 21000/- pm as All India minimum wage. Declare uniform Minimum wage in entire NCR.

Stop disinvesting of public sector enterprises.
NO to (Citizenship Amendment Act) CAA, ( National Capital Region) NRC, The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NPCR) NPR.

In Delhi in Okhla industrial area of Delhi, despite rain the worker’s rally marched under the banner of IFTU, IMS, AICCTU and NTUI. The rally covered the entire phase 2 closing the factories and Okhla phase 1 and ended in a mass meeting. Strike was approximately 70%. In Mayapuri industrial area rally led by IFTU and joined by CITU was held. Despite sustained attempts by Delhi Police to disperse, the march continued through phase 2 and phase 1 where it ended in a mass meeting. 80% of the factories were closed. At Safdarjung hospital a mass meeting was held of the regular and contract workers of Safdarjung Hospital (affiliated to IFTU) was joined by workers of DSOI.
In Punjab strike affected work in industrial areas and IFTU organized rallies at Gurdaspur and Nawanshahr in which large number of workers participated.
Rally was also organized by IFTU along with other Unions in Panipat (Haryana). Rallies were organized at other Centers as well in that state.

In West Bengal and Assam strike had a vast impact. Despite heavy police presence, jute and tea garden workers observed strike. It was total in jute factories and biscuit making units in West Bengal. Contract workers of CPWD held demonstration in Kolkata.
In Bihar IFTU organized rallies in Sasaram, Muzaffarpur and a demonstration in Kehalgaon NTPC in Bhagapur.
In AP IFTU participated in a joint rally at Vijayawada in which over 2500 workers participated. IFTU organized strike and rallies at other Centers as well.
In Telengana, IFTU organized rallies at district centers and in industrial areas. Work was affected in several sectors. IFTU organized and participated in demonstrations and rasta rokos at about 100 places in the state.

In Tamilnadu, IFTU union organized protest at Krishnagiri and 172 activists were arrested who were released in the evening.

Democratic forces with great heart and effect galvanized their forces in all sections of society in Punjab in solidarity with the All India Strike or bandh.
In Bathinda and surrounding regions there were significant demonstration s by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan), the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union,the Punjab Students Union .(Shaheed Randhwawa),and the Electricity workers Union.In Sangrur ,Amritsar and Patiala Punjab Students Union,Naujwan Bharat Sabha ,BKU (Dakaunda)In Amritsar and Patiala there were impactful rallies by constituent organizations of the All India Kisan Sangarsh Commitee like the Bharatiya Kisan Union(Dakauanda) .as well as by the Indian federation of trade Unions in Jalandhar.

In Chandigrah Varg Chetna of Comrade Yashpal held a solidarity meeting supporting the strike critically.

Below is a report from EXPRESS NEWS:

Around 10 farmer unions blocked the main national and state highways across Punjab for two hours as part of the ‘Grameen Bharat Band’ (rural India Band) called by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) on Wednesday. Four trains originating from Amritsar had to be cancelled, while 16 others had to be diverted. Most train diversions were in Amritsar region.

While Amritsar-bound Shane Punjab, Shatabdi got delayed, three trains including Malwa Express, two passenger and goods trains were stopped by agitators near Giaspura on the outskirts of the city on Ludhiana- Delhi track, officials said.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta) Dakaunda, General Secretary Jagmohan Singh said that apart from 10 farm organizations, 60 other outfits participated in the strike.

Jagdev Singh from Insaaf Di Awaj said,”Mansa- Bathinda railway line was blocked for 3 hours by farmer unions. We protested against the rising inflation which is affecting farmers. Their profitability is decreasing and farmer debt is increasing.”

Divisionsional Railway Manager (Ferozepur division) said that railway staff played effective role in getting dharnas from tracks lifted and delay of trains ranged from 15 minutes to 150 minutes at various places.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU’)s Jagmohan Singh added that no milk, vegetables, fruits, fodder were allowed to be transported to urban areas, and movement of goods from cities to villages was also stopped.

Technical Services Union and Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers Association (PSEBEA) employees working in power corporation observed complete strike against the proposed amendment in electricity act 2003. Staff on contract remained on standby to attend to complaints related to power failure in the state.

In Phillaur (Jalandhar district), BKU’s Doaba wing along with several other outfits blocked the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway, resulting in the long queues of the vehicles. State highways were blocked in Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur resulting in traffic snarls. Ludhiana – Raikot road was also blocked as part of the protest.

Apart from commuters, the protest also impacted daily wagers, small farmers, milkmen, traders and vegetable vendors.

Manjit Singh Rai of BKU Doaba said that they did not want to harass people, but there is no other way to shake up the government.

In Mansa, markets also remained closed for half day to express solidarity with the protesters. Bar Association of Mansa also did not work.

Heavy police force was deployed at several bus depots in Haryana and Punjab to ensure smooth movement of buses, officials said. However, there was no impact on private bus services in Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh.
REPORT FROM TRIBUNE NEWS:

On the all-India strike call by traders, various unions held protests across the state today.
The Bharti Kisan Union Ugrahan, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Democratic Teachers Union, Technical Services Union, Naujwan Bharat Sabha, Water Supply and Sanitation Workers Union and other unions organized marches against the Union Government’s move to privatize various institutions.
Issues raised

Union leaders alleged the government had amended labour laws to favour industrialists
They said privatization should be stopped
They rued the government was recruiting people on low salaries on contract basis and even making cuts in pensions and others benefits

Leaders of these unions alleged that the government had amended various labour laws to favour industrialists.

Sukhdev Singh Kokri, general Secretary of BKU (Ugrahan), said the government had started an onslaught on various institutions which were built over the decades with public money.
He said the rail-ways, insurance, petroleum and panchayat lands were latest examples. He alleged whenever people raised their voice for their rights, the government suppresses it by using police and goons.

He demanded that privatization be stopped immediately and workers be given job security. He demanded that contract system should be ended. The union also passed a resolution against the attack on JNU students.
In Bathinda, unions blocked the Bathinda-Chandigarh National Highway-7 at Lehra Mohabbat village. The police had to divert traffic from link roads, due to which commuters faced inconvenience.

Union leaders alleged that the government was recruiting people on low salaries on contract basis with the aim to eventually privatize all government departments. They rued that the government was even making cuts in salaries, pensions, allowances and others benefits of employees. They alleged it had brought the NRC to divide the society on the basis of religion, caste and creed.
No impact of the bandh was seen in markets as shops remained open. However in Mansa, a complete ‘bandh’ was observed till 3:30 pm. Markets and shopping malls remained shut.
Meanwhile in Ferozepur, as many as 22 trains were affected due to the bandh call. While seven passenger trains were cancelled, another 15 express/mail trains were halted as protesting farmers blocked rail tracks.

Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Aggarwal said, “Most of the trains which were affected moved within two hours.”

While most of the commercial establishments remained open, unions supported by Left parties blocked the Amritsar-Bathinda National Highway-54 for around three hours. Besides, the Ferozepur-Fazilka road was also blocked by protesters.
A massive road blockade was witnessed on the Attari-Amritsar road with members of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha and the Border Area Sangarsh Committee holding protests for two hours during which hundreds of vehicles going to the Integrated Check Post (ICP), Attari, to attend the flag ceremony got stranded.

Activists of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee burnt an effigy of the Union Government to protest against economic and political policies of the BJP-led Union Government. Farm and labour activists organized protests at Chogawan, Ajnala, Majitha, Rayya and other small towns of the district.
Though the activists refrained from forcing shop owners and businesses in rural areas to shut down, most traders voluntarily keep their establishments closed to express solidarity with the cause. Almost 90 per cent of the shops in towns such as Majitha and Serai Amanat Khan remained closed.
The supply of vegetables and milk to some extent was affected. “The idea of Pendu Bandh was not to harass people who are trying to make an honest living. The purpose was to send a message to the political leaders that people are not happy,” said farmer leader Rattan Singh Randhawa. He said farmer associations did not force vegetable sellers and milk producers to stop their supply.
In the border belt, local issues such as non-disbursal of inconvenience allowance to farmers owning land across the international barbed fence were voiced. Farmers from 11 villages near Attari stated that they had not received the allowance for the last two years.

Farmers from Dhanoa village said four installments of their allowance were pending. The government had earlier announced an allowance of Rs 10,000 per acre for farmers who tilled land across the fence and faced trouble due to restricted working hours enforced by the BSF due to security reasons.

Haryana
Haryana Roadways Employees Coordination Committee claimed that as many as 2,650 buses out of roadways’ total fleet of 3,280 did not ply on state roads on Wednesday.
However, speaking to The Indian Express, Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) S N Roy claimed that there was no impact of the strike in 30 bus depots out of total 33 depots. “Most of the buses plied on the state roads today. However, the number of passengers might be less today keeping in view the call of strike and bad weather,” said Roy. The government is in process to compile the figures of employees who participated in strike.
In a press statement, the coordination committee said that the police have arrested two employees’ leaders — Rajbir Nagar and Birender Sarot — in connection with the stir in Faridabad. “As many as 85% employees of roadways participated in the strike despite use of coercive methods by the authorities,” said committee leaders.

Sarv Karamchari Sangh, an umbrella body of the employees unions in Haryana, claimed that about three lakh employees from different departments, boards and corporations participated in the strike. Sangh’s state president Subhash Lamba said that the strike has maximum impact in the power utilities, municipal committees and urban local bodies department.
Banking services were hit in both states and UT Chandigarh as employees of public sector banks observed the strike.

Employees under the banner of Punjab Bank Employees Federation held protest rallies at several places at Chandigarh, Ludhiana and other places, office bearer of the Federation claimed. However, private banks continued to carry out their operations.
In Punjab strike affected work in industrial areas and IFTU organized rallies at Gurdaspur and Nawanshahr in which large number of workers participated.
Rally was also organized by IFTU along with other Unions in Panipat (Haryana). Rallies were organized at other Centers as well in that state.

In West Bengal and Assam strike had a vast impact. Despite heavy police presence, jute and tea garden workers observed strike. It was total in jute factories and biscuit making units in West Bengal. Contract workers of CPWD held demonstration in Kolkata.
In Bihar IFTU organized rallies in Sasaram, Muzaffarpur and a demonstration in Kehalgaon NTPC in Bhagapur.
In AP IFTU participated in a joint rally at Vijayawada in which over 2500 workers participated. IFTU organized strike and rallies at other Centers as well. w
In Telengana, IFTU organized rallies at district centers and in industrial areas. Work was affected in several sectors. IFTU organized and participated in demonstrations and rasta rokos at about 100 places in the state.

In Tamilnadu, IFTU union organized protest at Krishnagiri and 172 activists were arrested who were released in the evening.

Sadly in spite of city of Mumbai having a great tradition of secular working class organized movement its fabric has been broken ion last few decades in globalization era which was revealed. A qualitative protest was held amongst Best bus workers in Kurla supported by democratic sections.
In Azad Maidan (Communist Party of India (Marxist)) C.P.I. Leader Prakash Reddy spoke out vociferously against the economic policies of the Modi Government. "WE want employment. We want answers to why this government is thinking of selling the Oilo companies and public sector companies. The government policies are anti-people, anti-labour, anti-poor and corporate-privatization friendly."

Milind Ranade called for protection of PSU's and removal of GST on insurance and medicines.
17 lakh members of Maharshtra government employees Union participated in the protests.
In other region sof Maharashtra the All India Kisan Sabha and Swabhimnai Shetkari Sanghatana organized protests in 21 districts to highlight farmers issues.
These reports are incomplete as more and more strike actions and demonstrations are being reported from across the country.

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Umbrella organization of peasants- All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)CC- had given a call for All India Grameen Bandh to coincide with all India strike. AIKMS held protest meetings at several centers. Peasant organizations and activists participated in the demonstrations at different places. Reports of such programmes have been received from several centers in UP and Bihar and are awaited from other centers.

In certain areas like Allahabad, Lucknow and Delhi Bigul Mazdoor Dasta did most qualitative solidarity work as well as fraternal organizations like Student front Disha and Naujwan Bharat Sabha. Even if in small numbers it meticulous explained the revolutionary politics to the workers. All these groups belonged to the trend of the Communist League of India of the Rahul foundation.

In my view Punjab was a model in approach to mass political organizing for an all-India strike with participants of al trends meticulously educating their forces be it the peasants, workers, students or youth. It was a truly enriching political lesson for all sections in demarcating from the politics of the ruling class and revisionist policies. They could understand the relevance of such a strike to their day to day lives and the need for building a political platform. Very positive that the workers could connect such a cal with the factor of agrarian revolution as well as the peasantry and the fact that it fostered the spirit of worker-peasant unity. The peasantry above all identified its class interest against exploitation with the industrial working class. Also noteworthy contribution of the students and youth highlighting how privatization boosted unemployment and how majority of students were denied proper educational facilities with many institutions becoming unaffordable. Surkh Leeh editor Pavel Kussa stated that overall the Punjab strike had a positive effect.

Overall we must salute the great tenacity and death defying courage of the Indian workers and other toiling sections who did a great honour or service to the spirit of revolutionary democracy. It sowed the seeds for anti-fascist resistance to shimmer its flame even more. The support of the peasantry in such great magnitude was of great significance. However there was hardly sufficient demarcation from revisionism or economism or connection with politics of new democratic revolution. Significant with facing the brunt of fascist repression the Communist Party India(Maoist) could not actively intervene here and the most positive contribution was by the Communist Party India(Marxist Leninist) New Democracy, at all-India level. The best qualitative work here was in Punjab by organizations influenced by the Nagi Reddy line or C.P.R.C.I(M.L.)

(i) (Citizenship Amendment Act) CAA, ( National Capital Region) NRC, The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NPCR) NPR.