Vigorous and Constant Mass Activity Amid Severe Restrictions

Report of Punjabi journal Surkh Leeh

Submitted by Harsh Thakor

Corona crisis:

Congress government led by Captain Amrinder Singh imposed curfew in Punjab on 23rd of March and the next day, Central Government led by Narinder Modi imposed lockdown on the entire country. Both of these impositions were made without any preparation for tackling the serious problems that would entail and without any planning for fighting out the pandemic during this curfew or the lockdown. Both relied mainly on the brute force of the police and consequently, imposed severe restrictions on the movement of the people, their democratic rights and their right to struggle. However, sixteen mass-organisations of the peasants, agricultural labourers, industrial and electricity workers, contract employees and youth and students in Punjab were not deterred by these restrictions. Instead, they successfully launched vigorous and constant propaganda and agitation campaigns during the entire period of the curfew/lockdown involving thousands of people, thus raising their voice of anguish and protest against the crisis created by the spread of corona pandemic and by the lockdown and curfew imposed by the Centre and State governments respectively. In all, apart from two initial mass campaigns -- the one for disseminating health awareness regarding the disease among the people and the other for distributing rations and cooked food among the needy, these mass organisations held 7 sit-in demonstrations in front of the offices of district collectors, medical institutions, electricity board and even from the roof-tops of their houses during this period of two and a half months of the lockdown and curfew. The whole campaign is highly significant in terms of the selection of immediate demands and their linkage with some policy demands; the united front approach in mobilizing different sections of the people on common demands; adoption of suitable forms in adverse conditions; the magnitude and expanse of the activity and the content of propaganda made. Here is the brief report on these activities.

All this began to take shape, even prior to the imposition of the curfew and lockdown. Feeling deeply concerned at fastly deteriorating situation with regard to the spread of the pandemic and totally indifferent and neglectful attitude of the Centre/State governments towards it, the main leaders of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Majdoor Union, (BKU and PKMU henceforth) decided to take initiative and do whatever is possible to help the people in their time of dire need and to expose and oppose the Centre/State governments on this count. Thus, they called a joint meeting of both these organisations on 21st of March, two days before the imposition of the lockdown and the curfew. During this meeting, detailed discussions were held regarding different aspects related to the reality of the disease; real danger posed by it; measures to be taken for preventing it; the conduct and character of the Central and State governments as being expressed in the process of tackling the virus; condition of the health structure both at the central and state levels and lastly, the tasks to be taken up in this regard. For the sake of knowing and comprehending different aspects of the disease, the pace of its spread and the damage it caused in other countries, their experience in tackling it along with views expressed in the articles, interviews etc. of international health experts were taken as a basis for these discussions. Conclusions arrived at were: Corona virus is not simply a canard or a rumour, rather it is a serious infectious disease that transmits from one human to the other at quite fast a pace; it is more damaging and dangerous for elderly people and small children and for those suffering from serious diseases like asthma, coronary diseases and diabetes etc. Both the governments at the centre and the state are showing criminal negligence in not taking required measures in time, thus, showing their anti-people class character, once again; public health system in the country and the state is already a decrepit one; there is no need to panic, as the spread of this infection can be prevented through proper precautionary measures; people of the state, including the ranks of our organisations, are totally ignorant about the disease, its specific traits and the measures to be taken up.

Three immediate tasks emerged from these conclusion: (1) to withdraw the elderly leaders and those suffering from serious diseases, from active mass-duties, so as to cut them off from public contact and form, instead, new executive committees at all levels based on youthful and healthy leaders so as to run the organisations. (This particularly applied to peasant organisation as the bulk of its leadership fell into the said category.) (2) to launch health awareness and health care campaigns among the ranks of our organisations as well as among public in general so as to provide them with maximum available scientific information about the disease and to educate them how to take precautionary measures without getting panicky; (3) to launch a public campaign against the negligent and anti-people role of both the Central and the State Governments.

Before implementing the above decisions, the BKU leadership wanted to get these decisions ratified by a representative gathering at the state level, because the decision regarding major changes in the organisational structure was not an ordinary decision. A meeting for the purpose had also been called on 24th of March, but it did not materialise, as the curfew in Punjab was imposed on 23^rd of March itself. Nevertheless, contact with 7 districts of Malwa region could be established and meetings with the district and block leaders were held, wherein the prevailing situation and the decisions emerging from it were thoroughly discussed. Decisions to other districts were conveyed through phones. On 24^th of March a delegation of BKU and PKMU met the DC and senior superintendent of police (SSP) of the Bathinda district and told them, apart from giving a memorandum of demands for the Chief Minister, that our organisations are going to launch a health awareness campaign related to the Corona pandemic. They were also told that thousands of our volunteers are ready to go to villages for the purpose, if your health deportment gives them training and your administration issues them curfew passes. Obviously, their offer was declined. Thus, the campaign for health awareness and against the anti-people role of the Central/State Governments came to be conducted under the adverse situation caused by the curfew and lockdown. Joint teams of BKU and PKMU reached hundreds of villages, held meetings of the activists, who in turn went door to door conveying both the messages of the campaign regarding the pandemic as well as against the role of the governments. In several villages detailed information was conveyed to the people through Gurdwara loud-speakers. Most enthusiastic report came from Rampura block of Bathinda district. Here, two teams were formed, which reached 26 of total 29 villages of the block, went street after street telling the people through loudspeakers how to take the disease seriously without being panicky; what precautions are to be taken for preventing it; how to sanitize rooms, houses and streets and how to take care of the elderly persons, children and those suffering from serious diseases. On the other hand, they told people, how the governments at the central and state levels did not take the pandemic seriously and did not take necessary steps in time and how both these governments have imposed curfew and lockdown without any preparation and plan--pushing the crores of people into tremendous hardships.

 

Imposition of the curfew and lockdown came as a calamity for the people, especially for the industrial workers, agricultural labourers, contract workers and employees, daily wagers and petty-shopkeepers and businessmen like vegetable and fruit vendors etc. All of a sudden, personal and social life of the people was terribly dislocated and they were pushed into a situation of utter unemployment, starvation, destitution and disgrace. This drastically changed situation called for two immediate and urgent responses on the part of peoples’ organisations:

(1) In a few days after the imposition of the curfew the people of above said categories were left with almost no money and no rations to live on. Both the governments at the centre and state were not expected to come forward for substantial help. The Central Government had thrust all the responsibility on the states and the states were complaining of the paucity of funds and blaming the Central Government for not issuing even their due share of the Central funds. Whatever the State Government was doing in this respect was (1) too little as compared to the demand (2) incomplete in the sense that they were distributing only Atta, Dal and Sugar and no onions, spices and edible oil to cook with (3) highly discriminatory and politically motivated. The distributors were more interested in strengthening their vote bank and projecting their political leaders than serving the people. Hence, the need for the peoples’ organisations to do whatever they could to the maximum of their capacity.

(2) The lockdown and the curfew had brought all sections of the working masses under attack. There existed a deep resentment among the people against both the governments for causing major disruption to their personal, political and economic lives through the ill-prepared and ill-planned lockdown and curfew; for not doing much to fight out the pandemic and for unleashing a reign of terror. This gave a better scope for bringing the people of different sections together for a common cause. Thus, the situation called for making serious efforts to coordinate and join hands with all like-minded organisations for exposing and opposing the anti-people policies and steps of both the governments and putting pressure on the authorities at various levels to redress peoples’ woes.

BKU (EKTA) and PKMU responded positively to both of these demands. On the one hand they decided to launch a wide-spread campaign for distribution of rations and food for the needy and on the other hand they made serious efforts to make a common cause with like-minded mass organisations.

The mass campaign for distribution of rations and cooked food, launched under the title of " None should sleep hungry " was a grand success (within the limits of the existing capacity of the organisations). Rations and funds were mainly collected from the villages. Some workers and leaders of electricity employees and teachers’ organisation, along with some artists of pro-people rang-manch and very many well-wishers of BKU and PKMU also lent a helping hand in collecting funds. A substantial chunk of funds was contributed by the BKU-units at the village level. These units contributed with an open-heart ranging from 15-20 thousands to one lac or more each. In all, rations worth one crore were distributed to 20 thousand families in 400 villages of 11 districts from the last days of March to the first week of May. Apart from it, cooked food was also distributed in dozens of localities of poor people including industrial workers in various towns. Some charitable organisations also lent a helping hand in this. Two such basties in the city of Bathinda were adopted by some specific units of BKU who provided cooked food to these basties regularly for more than two weeks. Specific feature of the campaign: (1) it was carried out not only under the tough conditions of the curfew but also of the pandemic, both posed limits to its sweep. Secondly, health precautions related to corona virus were strictly adhered to by the distributors. It was particularly stressed by the organisers of the campaign, because they did not want to give an excuse to the authorities for prohibiting them from the campaign. Otherwise also, it was necessary for fear of virus infection. (2) unlike the pro-government distributors, door to door distribution was made without any sort of discrimination. Secondly, the campaign really tried to cater to all essential needs of the people such as supply of milk, tea, soaps, spices and edible oil etc. apart from medicines, sanitizers and face masks etc. All this had an impact on the people in comparison with pro-government distributors. An agricultural labourer lady exclaimed: "This is fair distribution, a distribution for the people; they were distributing for the votes!" (3) The last and most important feature of the distribution was that it was not to be taken or projected as an act of mercy, charity or alms for the poor-- something bestowed from the higher ones to the lower ones, rather it was to be taken and projected as a fraternal help to the class-brethren, to the co-fighters, who have not been fighting shoulder to shoulder in the battles on common issues only, but also made sacrifices and shed blood even in the battles on peasant issues. It was a part of conscious effort to mitigate and wipe out the caste prejudices and distances to the extent possible, as the leadership of both BKU and PKMU often do during all of their activities and campaigns.

 

In the meanwhile, the efforts of the leadership of BKU and PKMU to bring the like-minded fraternal organisations together succeeded. As a result sixteen mass-organisations of the peasants, agricultural labourers, industrial and electricity workers, contract employees and youth and students in Punjab including the BKU and PKMU agreed to a common demand chart for the sake of voicing class/sectional interests of different sections in the prevailing situation and for exposing and opposing the anti-people steps and policies of both the governments at the central and state levels.

The demands agreed upon were:

(1) Ensure free treatment for all and free food for the needy. Extend the structure of the health centres and ration-depots of public distribution system up to the lowest levels in the rural and urban localities.

(2) Health services should be nationalized and expanded on a war-footing.

(3) Huge funds required for fighting out the pandemic should be released. For raising funds for this purpose, heavy taxes should be levied on highest layer of 5-7% big industrialists and big land-owners and should be collected immediately.

(4) Immeasurable strength of peoples’ volunteers should be allowed to come into action for disseminating health awareness and health care among the people.

(5) Restrain police brutalities, bureaucratic arrogance and political indifference.

(6) Ensure that full pay for the entire period of lockdown be given to the temporary and permanent labourers and employees of all the governmental or non-governmental bodies, all outstanding arrears of  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) labourers be paid immediately; The loss suffered by all working people should be compensated. 

(7) Keeping the approaching harvesting season in view, all arrangements for the purchase of wheat should be completed. 

Later on, the sixteen mass-organisations that have recently come together not only sent these demands to the CM of the state and PM of the country in a letter, but also decided to organise a mass-demonstration on these demands on 5th of April from 7 to 8 in the morning. But, as such a demonstration could not be held publically on the streets owing to the restrictions of the curfew and lockdown, so it was decided to be held on the roof-tops of their houses. Secondly, as the authorities were making use the excuse of the health norms for prohibiting peoples’ movement, it was decided that only those men and women should participate in the action who could strictly adhere to the norms, which were otherwise necessary for the reasons of the pandemic. For that very reason the beforehand declaration of the action was not made. Interestingly, it was later known that on the same day PM Narendra Modi has asked the people to light candles on the 9th day of the lockdown, at 9 pm and for 9 minutes. Although no formal decision was made, some top leaders of these mass-organisations issued a statement to the newspapers declaring it "senseless and unnecessary" act in the prevailing situation. Anyhow, public in general took it as a parallel programme.

Thus, on 5th of April and 7 o' clock in the morning, near about 18,000 men and women belonging to sixteen mass-organisations from as many as 282 villages of 19 districts of Punjab mounted on their rooftops in smaller groups of 15-25. Standing at a reasonable distance and their faces covered with masks, they were beating the utensils, waving the flags and roaring slogans, voicing their demands and grievances against the Central and State Governments. Speakers were making speeches over the loudspeakers (which were also listened to by village people in the nearby areas) telling the people that none other than the Modi government at the centre and Captain government in the state was responsible for the mess we are in. They complained that despite the declaration of "Health Emergency of International Concern" by the WHO on 30th of January, Modi government did not take the pandemic seriously. As late as 13th of March the top officials of its health department were telling reporters that there was no health emergency in India and there is no reason to panic. How during the entire period Modi government remained busy in advancing its political and communal-fascist agenda, - such as organising  "welcome Trump” like rallies; toppling the congress government in Madhya Pradesh and installing, instead, its own; pressurising the anti-CAA sit-ins like Shaheen Bagh to lift the sit-ins, and organising pogroms in Delhi etc. Even now it is not doing much to fight out the pandemic, rather it is not providing sufficient medical equipment to the medical staff. They said the Captain government in the state was following the same pattern, doing nothing other than using the brute force of the police to shut the people in.

Apart from explaining and stressing their demands given in the demand chart mentioned above, particularly the nationalization of private medical institutions and opening the mouth of the exchequer for needs of fighting out pandemic; expanding the medical structure and providing PPE kits and other medical equipment to the front-line medical staff; levying heavy taxes on big industrialists and big land-owners; they also demanded Rs. 10,000 as maintenance allowance to all labouring people. They also passed a resolution condemning the 40% arbitrary cut into the salary of electricity employees that was later paid back in a few days-- as the electricity employees were fighting against it at their own, also. They alerted the people that both these governments were stifling their voice, their democratic rights and their right to struggle under the cover of fighting corona. They affirmed that struggle is our only weapon for getting our demands accepted and to get our rights retrieved. So we should not let it go. The action received a huge coverage in the vernacular press and in the social media. It got a fair coverage in the national press and to some extent on the TV channels. As a whole, the action happened to be a grand success.

 

On 18th of April, sixteen mass-organisations decided to organise another mass action on 25th of April. This action was prompted by aggravation of some problems in the past few days. First among these was the problem related to the harvesting and marketing of wheat. There were serious apprehensions this time about the smooth completion of the process of harvesting and marketing of the crop, not only among the peasants but also among their leaders. Such apprehensions were further compounded by some impractical conditions imposed by the authorities on both sides of the process, the harvesting and marketing of the crop, in the name of avoiding distancing problems. Secondly, more than three weeks of time had gone since the imposition of the curfew and the lockdown, still the rations and relief money declared by the government did not reach the industrial workers and other labouring people. None of the governments at the centre or the state was making any arrangements for their return to their native states. They were in a tight spot. Those among them who were desperate enough to venture travel on foot were facing all sorts of serious problems on the way. Political leadership both at the centre and the state was so indifferent, callous and cynical, that they were not bothering to do anything to ameliorate some sufferings of the workers, rather they were blaming and attacking each other to draw some political mileage from their sufferings. Thirdly, frontline workers of the health staff engaged in Corona related duties were feeling somewhat restive. None in the government seemed bothered about them. Fourthly, the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) government at the Centre was advancing its communal-fascist agenda at quite fast a pace. It was not only arresting pro-people intellectuals, democratic activists, journalists and the leaders and activists of anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests and putting them in jail with a vengeance, but also widening the communal divide by blaming the Muslim community for the spread of corona-virus, under one pretext or the other and harming their business through the acts like harassing and humiliating the muslim fruit/vegetable vendors. Even in Punjab a false propaganda was being launched against the Gujjar community blaming them for spreading the virus and as a result, their flourishing business of milk stood totally devastated. Sixteen mass-organisations wanted to raise their voice on all these issues forcefully and put pressure on the concerned authorities through this mass-action.

So, on 25th of April at 7o'clock in the morning near about 15,000 of men and women from 585 villages, towns and cities of 21 districts of Punjab, once again, mounted their rooftops, as they did on 5th of April. They stood there at a fair distance from each other, with their faces covered, beating the utensils, waving the flags and raising slogans with full force over the loud-speakers in support of their demands and against the anti-people policies and steps of the governments both at the centre and in the state. Leaders in their speeches emphatically raised and explained in detail the demands mentioned above. They also raised the basic demands of the campaign such as bringing of health services, all private hospitals, their staff and equipment under government control; levying heavy taxes on big industrialists and big land-owners; extending the health-services and the units of the public distribution system up to the lowest levels of localities; ensuring free treatment for all and free food for the needy. Apart from this, they asked the governments to make proper arrangements for free travel of all the workers, so as to make them reach home with grace; ensure sufficient supply of security equipment not only for the medical staff, but also for all employees doing corona duties; release all pro-people intellectuals, activists as well as anti-CAA, NRC protestors; open the Out-Patient Department (OPD) for all patients suffering from serious diseases other than Corona.  In the end, the speakers warned the governments that now they are demonstrating from the roof-tops, but if their demands were not met, they won't hesitate to come on to the streets and at the door steps of your offices.  So far as the problem of wheat purchase is concerned, the authorities relented, to an extent, under the pressure of the declaration of this action combined with other warnings from the peasant organisations, knowing well that if the process of purchase gets stuck, it could create serious problems for the state administration. So, it changed its impracticable suggestions accepting the correct suggestions from the BKU leadership that made the process somewhat-hassle-free. Thus the process of purchase did not get stuck. Taken as a whole, the action was a grand success. It received fully satisfying coverage in the vernacular press and in the social media. Although it was covered only by a part of the national press and a few of TV channels.

 

With the growing fury of Corona and ever growing numbers of positive cases work-load on the medical staff was increasing. With the arrival of Sikh pilgrims from Nander Sahib and other people stranded in other states the situation got worse, because they had brought with them a large number of positive cases. The question was not only of work-load, the employees were getting infected in growing numbers. Thus, the employees were showing hesitancy in going for their duties, not because they were afraid of dangerous duties, but because they were not being provided with even the minimum security equipment, that ought to be a prerequisite for dangerous duties--such as PPEs, N95 masks and gloves etc. That was not the problem of the doctors and nurses alone, but of all employees, such as Asha workers, service providers and class four employees etc. Even the police employees were facing problems with no fixed hours of duty and no arrangements for their food, transportation and lodging during duty hours. Many of them were getting infected. In such a situation, it was not only that the medical and para-medical staff doing corona related duties was feeling restive, rather several sections among them were even going to the extent of organising protests against the medical officers including the government. In such circumstances, sixteen mass-organisations decided to lend the employees a helping hand through some mass action. So they decided to hold mass-demonstrations at the gates of major health institutions to put pressure on the government for paying heed to their problems. 

In pursuit of this decision, sit-in protests were held in front of 80 hospitals and medical institutions in 16 districts. As the demonstrations were being held under the conditions of lockdown and the corona pandemic, size of these demonstrations was deliberately kept within manageable limits. Even then, total participation in these demonstrations was not less than five thousands. Some organisations of the medical and paramedical staff also participated in the demonstrations in small groups. These organisations were: staff nurses union; sanitary workers union; the contact workers union Baba Farid University; 108 ambulance employees union; NDPC workers union; and a teachers’ union--DTF.

Demands raised during the demonstrations are listed below:

- Urgently supply PPE kits, N95 masks and gloves etc, in sufficient quantity to all employees doing corona related duties;

- Regularise the services of all temporary doctors, nurses, service providers, sanitary workers, Asha workers and 108 ambulance employees;

- Fill all vacant posts of such employees;

- Provide all these employees with Rs.50 lakh insurance cover;

- Induct all  rural medical practitioner (RMP) doctors into the department of health services;

- Bring all private hospitals, their staff and equipment under government control;

- Implement World Health Organization (W.H.O) guidelines regarding testing, tracing and treatment and increase testing. 

With regard to the police personnel, following demands were raised:

- Exempt elderly employees and those suffering from serious diseases, from active corona related duties;

- Fix and reduce the duty hours of all police employees;

- Make proper arrangements for their food, transportation and lodging during their duties;

- Give priority to solving the specific problems of women employees;

- Take strict action against the police personnel who committed atrocities against the people during the curfew and lockdown.

Going beyond raising partial demands of the employees, speakers at the demonstrations focused on some policy issues, especially the issues related to the privatisation of health services. Quoting the experience of the corona pandemic, they told the people that it is only because of the policy of privatisation of health services that people are feeling helpless today in the fight against corona. In the government sector, this policy has so extremely weakened the health services, through continuously reducing the budgetary support to it, by not providing required staff and equipment, and finally by auctioning the rural dispensaries and hospitals, that the structure has become so fragile and decrepit that it cannot cope with the corona pandemic. In the private sector, the same policy of privatisation has encouraged and supported the coming into existence of a high profile edifice of health services which is more of a machine for making super profits than a health service. During the corona period, these grand institutions admitted and treated only those who could spend five to twenty-five lacs of rupees and for others their doors remained tightly shut. So, in both cases the general public and the labouring masses are left to fend for themselves. That is why we need to concentrate our fight against the policy of privatisation, instead of remaining limited to fight against the effects of the policy-- that too, not only against the privatisation of health services, but also against the privatisation of all services such as education, electricity, water supply and transport, as privatisation in these sectors also is as vile as the privatisation of health services has proved to be.

 

On 15th and 16th of May, it came to the knowledge of the BKU that some asymptomatic but positive cases of Covid-19 were discharged from hospitals in Sangroor and sent home. When delegation of the BKU went to the D.C. of the district and enquired about the matter, he told that it was a state policy and was being implemented in all districts. Then, leadership of the BKU and PKMU met and decided to start indefinite demonstrations in as many districts as possible from the 18th itself.

So, the sit-in demonstrations started in 6 districts of Malwa region and two tehsil head-quarters of two other districts. The next day the demonstrations were extended to three more districts and 2 more tehsil head-quarters, which continued on the third day also. During these demonstrations, the leaders strongly condemned the decision of the government as totally irrational and irresponsible a decision. It is quite senseless and hypocritical, they said, that the same government that sends the medical staff clad in security equipment to attend to the positive cases, sends the same positive patients (carriers of the virus) openly into the public; the same government that files challans of the people for not wearing masks in the name of preventing the spread of virus, sends the confirmed carriers of virus to their families, knowing fully well that there are no facilities available in most of the families for maintaining distance and for providing separate rooms, bathrooms and toilets. All this seemed like deliberately spreading the virus. This showed, the leaders said, quite indifferent and cynical attitude of the government towards lives of the people. 

The real problem is, said the leaders presenting a deeper analysis of the matter, that the governments at the centre and in the state did not do much in the past in terms of testing and tracing the positive patients and isolating them from the general public, but when the pandemic started becoming wide- spread these governments imposed the curfew and the lockdown without any preparation and planning, throwing peoples' lives in peril. Now, when both these governments seemed to have made up their mind to open their economy, they are going to do the same they did in the past i.e., they are going to open the curfew and the lockdown without any preparation and planning, throwing the lives of the people in peril, once again.

With that scenario in mind, the leaders deemed it more prudent, that instead of putting in all efforts at pressuring the government to take back the decision, we should go to the people to tell them what the government is up to; that danger of the pandemic is not yet over, rather it is bound to grow fastly with such decisions of the governments; people should remain vigilant, take all necessary precautions and come forward to contribute their mite to the fight against the pandemic and the anti-people policies and decisions of the governments at the centre and in the state.

With all this in view, the ongoing indefinite sit-in demonstrations were postponed from 21st onwards and a new plan of holding locality-wise meetings in villages from 23rd to 27th of May and burning the effigies of State Government in the villages, following a march in specific clusters of the villages, on 28th, 29th and 30th of May was implemented. Two other reasons were there for this postponement. One, the action programme of indefinite sit-in demonstrations was a suddenly planned and implemented action without any preparation, that is why it was not a mass-based action, rather it was based only on the advanced layer of the organisations. This time the leadership planned it to be somewhat mass-based one. The other reason for the postponement was the all India call given by Central Trade Unions for observing a protest day on 22^nd of May, in which sixteen mass-organisations were to participate.

Ultimately, the decisions of burning effigies of the State Government was successfully implemented. Effigies were burnt at more than 300 places, in which more than 10 thousands of men/women participated. Under the pressure of these actions, the State Government had to take back the decision and readmit almost all of the positive patients that were discharged earlier - especially in the districts in which BKU and PKMU hold much of an influence. Report from other districts is not available.

The joint platform of Central Trade Unions decided, in a meeting held on 14th of May, to observe nation-wide protest day against the anti-worker and anti-people onslaughts of the government on May 22. The protest was prompted by the suspension of labour laws by some states--especially, the U.P. government, which brought a draconian ordinance - making 38 labour laws defunct with one stroke. Sixteen mass-organisations decided to support the demands of the nation-wide protest by organising mass-protests throughout the state, co-ordinating these actions with those of the Joint platform of Central Trade Unions and even holding joint demonstrations wherever the trade union leaders agreed to two conditions of sixteen organisations -- one, that no leader of any political party will speak from the stage, only trade union leaders will; two, sixteen mass-organisations would air their differing views from the stage, albeit, in a positive form.

As a result, sixteen mass-organisations organised protest demonstrations at 56 places in 16 districts of Punjab, holding joint demonstrations with the joint platform of the trade unions at a few places. More than 6000 men and women including industrial workers took part in these actions. Most unexpectedly, the joint platform itself did not organise very-many protest-demonstrations in the state. The main side organising the protest action on that day happened to be the co-ordinating platform of sixteen mass-organisations. Consequently, it occupied dominant place in the headlines of the news-items related to the protest, the next day. In the speeches during these protests the leaders of sixteen mass-organisations strongly condemned the draconian steps taken by U.P., Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh and others states and said Punjab was also readying itself to follow suit. It has already taken back its decision of increasing the minimum wage. However, the leaders said the beacon light to them all, came from the notorious slogan of Modi- i.e., turning "the corona crisis into an opportunity." Counting various incidents during the corona period, sixteen mass-organisations strongly condemned the totally indifferent, cynical and out and out inimical attitude of the Modi government towards the workers. In the end leaders of sixteen mass-organisations called upon the industrial workers and all other labouring people to come forward for a broad-based, long-drawn and militant struggles for the protection and promotion of their rights and interests.

On 12th of May, P.M Modi declared a so- called relief-package of 20 lac crores-- that was more of a loan package than a relief package, as it offered some facilities to some sections of getting loan from the banks and did not give them anything as a relief. Secondly, it was a fraud on the people, firstly in the sense that it tried to befool the people through trickery of statistics, while the real package was not worth more than two to two and a half lac crores, according to the economic experts. However, it was a real fraud on the people in the sense that under the cover of pleasant sounding terms of making 'reforms' in the agricultural and labour sectors, it was paving the way for corporatization of agriculture and for pushing the labour of the country into olden days of slavery. Under the smoke-screen of 'self-dependence', it was paving the way for more widely opening the doors of our economy for foreign investment and pushing the country into more dependence. It was this in mind that 12 mass-organisations of Punjab decided for a mass-action to expose and oppose these heinous designs of the Modi-government, while 4 of the mass-organisations out of the 16 referred to in the above pages decided not to participate in the planned action owing to their differences on some demands against the package.

Originally, the 12 mass-organisations planned sit-in demonstrations at the gates of district and tehsil head-quarters for three days (from 3rd to 5th of June), but later on, when the organisations came to know about the electricity amendment bill 2020, the offices of the electricity board were also included to be targeted, and again, when it was realized that 5th of June was a holiday, the action programme was reduced to two-days.

On the first day i.e. on 3rd of June, sit-in demonstrations were held at 11 district head-quarters, 18 tehsil head-quarters and eight offices of the electricity board, including the gherao of the office of the S.E. electricity Bathinda, while on the 2^nd day these demonstrations were held at 36 tehsil head-quarters of 16 districts. On both days participation remained in between 4 to 5 thousands each day. During these sit-in demonstrations the speakers strongly condemned the anti-people policies and the decisions of the Modi government. They explained that the slogan of one country, one market did not "free the peasants from slavery" as P.M. Modi explained it, rather it amounts to giving full freedom to the big private players to enter the rural market and loot the peasant crops at will. It also meant putting an end to MSP and procurement of the crop by the state agencies. Similarly, amendment to electricity bill will not only pave the way for complete privatisation of electricity, but also it would put an end to the electricity subsidy to peasant tube wells and also, the 200 unit-subsidy to Dalit population per family per month. Both of these steps will ruin the small and medium peasantry. The speakers expressed their anguish against the amendments to the labour laws also. They said these amendments amounted to bring into force the hire and fire policy and bring back old days of slavery leaving the workers bereft of all rights. They also condemned the amendments to the essential commodities act, which they said, amounted to legalizing hoarding at the cost of general public. They also condemned the retrenchment of contractual workers of the thermal plant. In the end, they emphatically demanded revocation of amendments to labour laws, the market law, the essential commodities act and the electricity bill. They also demanded restoration of 1948 electricity bill, abrogation of agreements with private thermal plants in Punjab, and reinstatement of contractual workers of the thermal plant in Bathinda. Lastly, they asked the people not to expect any positive response from the rulers, rather be prepared for long drawn battles to retrieve their rights.

 

End note: In the crisis situation, rulers intended, apart from other things, to stifle the voice and agitation of the people and disconnect the leadership from the masses. But the sixteen mass-organisations resolved to step-up activity and enhance contact with the masses, as they need more help and guidance in the crisis situation and they did it successfully.

-- Political opposition sat with folded hands all through. These mass-organisations came forward for providing leadership and guidance to the people in the crisis situation. They filled the gap to the extent possible.

-- Situation was congenial for raising the struggle on partial issues to the struggle on policy issues. They partially succeed in doing so.

-- All of the sixteen mass-organisations are conscious and active fighters for democratic rights. Thus the issue of fight against fascist onslaughts and for democratic rights remained a common refrain during these actions.  

-- Corona situation and the lockdown posed restrictions on the mass-activity limiting it to the level of the activity based on relatively advanced layers. But the way they propagated the activity and maintained contact with the masses made them lay the stepping-stone for fighting battles with larger mobilizations in the days to come.

 

Surkh Leeh-email surkhleeh @gmail.com

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