PBKMS observes Nationwide General Strike

PBKMS rises up against the anti-people policies of the central government from the tea gardens of North Bengal to the rice fields of South Bengal

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS) organizes protest marches and peaceful demonstrations to mark 26th November, 2020 as the day of the general strike. Central trade unions had given a call to observe a Nationwide General Strike and PBKMS on complete solidarity with the cause, mobilizes its members across the districts of West Bengal. The recent pro-capital legislations on trade of agricultural produce and labour welfare, apathy of the central government towards the woes of the working class and the penchant to formulate policies in favour of the bourgeoise class warrant a mass show of dissent to communicate the general discontent on the governance model adopted by the political leadership. We are also advocating for reforms in the Public Distribution System and strengthening of NREGA (the public works programme) to address distress amongst the vulnerable population owing to the unplanned nationwide lockdown and the pandemic induced slowdown in the economy. Comrades were stopped in some places from continuing with their rallies and we were even prevented by the police administration from beginning our march in Puncha, Purulia. Still we could mobilize our members and complete quite a number of peaceful demonstrations and rallies and a few glimpses of our activities during the day are being shared below:

Rallies taken out by our block committees in the district of Purulia

Our comrades marching with sloganeering in Purulia Town

Members in a rally in Puncha block, Purulia

Our members in a an early morning march in Purulia Sadar, Purulia

Demonstration in front of the Panchayat Samity Office in Nadia

Our plantation workers of Torsa Tea Garden  in a rally 

Madhu Tea Garden workers beginning a rally from the 'lines' (residential areas of workers)

Chuniajhora Tea Garden workers in solidarity with the nationwide general strike

We demand the following measures to be implemented immediately by the central government:

• Extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for at least one year
• Provision of work for at least 200 days for a household in a financial year under NREGA
• Minimum daily wage of ₹600 for every workers, including those working under the NREGA
• Rollback of all the recently ratified farm and labour legislations, which have been found to be against the welfare of farmers and workers.

PBKMS members  in North Bengal in districts like Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri also supported the general strike by taking out rallies and protest meetings. In Raimatang, Torsha, Madh tea gardens of Kalchini block; Chuniajhora and Kohinoor of Alipurduar 1 block; and in Hantapara, Dumchipara, Ramjhora, Birpara’s Jateshwar division, Garganda and Bandapani of Madarihat block of Alipurduar district, tea garden workers  supported the strike by not going to work and organizing peaceful protest marches and rallies. Banners and posters were also distributed by PBKMS members with demand for tea garden workers. The members of Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity also organized public meetings to raise awareness among the tea garden workers about their rights regarding land and wages. The demands put forwarded by the tea garden workers are:

1. Declaration of a decent minimum wage for tea garden workers immediately.
2. The tea garden workers should be given land rights.
3. Provision of work for at least 200 days for a household in a financial year under NREGA.
4. Extension of free food grains Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana(PMGKAY) for at least one year.
5. Rollback of all the recently ratified farm and labour legislations.

Our women members in a rally in Madhu Tea Garden

A rally in Madhu Tea Garden voicing the demands of plantation workers  

The normal life of Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts was affected by the call of strike in the region by all Central Trade Union Organisations of the Left Front and Congress. The markets and bus stops of Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri looked deserted as workers participated in the strike. All markets in Birpara town were closed. Workers and laborers from the organized as well as workers and laborers from unorganized sectors participated in the strike. The shop owners, vendors, daily wage laborers, etc. protested against the labor and farms laws passed by the central government by closing down their shops and markets. Public meetings were organized to protest against the anti-farmers, anti-workers laws and pro-capital legislations passed by the central government.