'The Rulers Have Changed But Not The System'

 “Shashak bodleche, shahsan ek-e acche (the rulers have changed, the system hasn’t)”, said Shri Partha Chatterjee, Deputy Chief Minister of West Bengal, when he received the delegation of the Ashanghit Kshetra Shramik Sangrami Manch (AKSSM) on 11^th February 2015, agreeing with their frustration at the insensitivity of the TMC regime, that had ridden to power in a massive mandate and promises of Paribartan  or change.

Members of the AKSSM found themselves confronted by a huge police force of about 700 policemen just when they started their march to Nabanna to meet the Chief Minister on 11^th afternoon.  Many of them were reminded eerily of the Singur, Haripur and Nandigram struggles, when similarly large police contingents had been used to subdue protestors by the Left Front regime.

Women police and women members of the AKSSM got into scuffles repeatedly when the procession of about 1500 people who had come from South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Kolkata and North 24 Parganas tried to break through the barricade at a major crossing outside Raja Subodh Mullick Square. The police kept asking for time to contact the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary’s office.

The slogan shouting and singing crowd was joined after an hour by another 500 people who marched from Howrah station and then blocked Lenin Sarani, one of the most important roads in Kolkata. The procession from Howrah with people from Paschim Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia had with them a group of dancers and drummers from Bankura. The IPS officer, Shri Devender, leading the police contingent began using his public address system to threaten them with arrest and lathi charge, but found himself flummoxed when they began dancing on the road. After some negotiation he allowed them to join the other part of the procession.

An hour of sloganshouting, dancing and singing followed, with the procession declaring its intention of staying there overnight. A play was also performed by some members from South 24 Parganas and Bankura.The police found themselves in an awkward situation, as the protestors began to make arrangements to cook their dinner and to stay on the road. With rush hour approaching it became imperative for them to clear the road. After an intervention with AKSSM members directly calling the administration, the Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister agreed to meet a delegation of 5 people.

The problems the delegation put forward before Partha Chatterjee were on the non-implementation of the Minimum Wages Act, especially for biri workers and hosiery workers. Special concern was expressed at the hand in glove relation of Government with the tea industry owners, leading to the Labour Department’s reluctance to declare a minimum wage. Partha Babu took a note of areas where AKSSM reported delayed payment of NREGS wages. In addition, we objected to the trivialisation of the problems of unorganised sector workers by organising “melas” for them, without any serious implementation of social security measures. We also objected to social security cards being issued to non-workers. The issue of sexual harassment at the work place of women workers and the absence of complaints committees was also brought to his attention. No selection of beneficiaries for the National Food Security Act has taken place despite two years of the Act being passed, we complained.  And, in the end we complained of police high handedness, which is when he remarked “Shashak bodleche, shahsan ek-e acche (the rulers have changed, the system hasn’t)”.

Partha babu forwarded the memorandum to the Chief Minister immediately and promised to organise a meeting with the concerned Ministers after 16^thFebruary. We came away after informing him that we looked forward to his keeping his promise and to returning to the city with a longer and more defiant protest in three months if our demands were not met.

Somnath Ghosh, Swapan Ganguly, Convenors     

Hindutva Goons Attack Maharashtra Trade Union Leader

 Joint Statement by AICCTU, IFTU, NTUI and the TUCI:

We condemn the dastardly attack on Comrade Govind Pansare and his wife in Kolhapur yesterday (February 16). Com. Pansare, a veteran CPI leader and also a long time leader of the AITUC in Kolhapur and in Maharashtra, was always known for his progressive and outspoken scientific views. His book on Shivaji is one of the best-known short expositions of the Maratha King from an objective and scientific historic viewpoint as opposed to the jingoistic communal colour given by the Hindutva brigade. He has worked tirelessly for the trade unions in the Western and Southern part of the state of Maharashtra both as a responsible office bearer of various unions and as a respectred senior advocate in the Labour and Industrial Courts.

Of late, though 78 years of age, he continues to be active in politics. He was at the forefront of the struggle against toll tax in Kolhapur since the past six months. About 15 days ago he gave a talk at the Shivaji University in which he exposed the real thinking of Nathuram Godse and showed how there was nothing to glorify there. This was not liked by a section of the audience. About a week ago he gave a talk about the 26/11 incident in Mumbai where he made certain remarks about the ATS chief Hemant Karkare which were also not liked by a section of the audience. That signifies Com. Govind Pansare. He was never one to shy away from courting controversy if the truth demanded it.

Yesterday, as he and his wife got home from their morning walk, while some celebrated with crackers over a world cup match, the shooters used that sound as a cover to shoot them. This is in continuation of a spate of incidents against minorities and social activists in Modi's reign. It is clear that the worms are crawling out of the woodwork to bask in the sun of Hindutva which invigorates neo-liberal policies everywhere.

Com. Govind Pansare is in hospital in Kolhapur having been shot in the neck and chest while he wife suffered a head injury. Our wishes go out to both his wife and him and his family and friends at this critical time. There has already been a spate of demonstrations all over the country to condemn this shooting of Com. Pansare. We call upon all democratic and progressive forces to come out in force to condemn this shooting. The shooters must be apprehended and brought to book. The Modi Government's and Fadnavis Government's apathy and, at least implicit, collusion in such incidents has to end. We call upon the working class to take a lead in organising all the democraticc and progressive forces against such fascist trends prevalent in India today.

Bring the shooters of the Pansare's to book immediately!

Down with Hindutva Fascism!

Long Live Working Class Unity!

PBKMS: Ninth State Conference

The Ninth State Conference of Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity(PBKMS) will be held on November 23 and 24.

The Samity’s conference is taking place at a time when the situation of agricultural workers is becoming increasingly precarious.  Giving the pretext of economic reforms and development, all Governments in the state and at the centre have over the past three decades supported and pampered the corporate sector. This has led to the frightening situation of increasing pauperisation and landlessness in agriculture, with no alternative employment as jobless growth characterises the manufacturing sector. Agriculture is in a crisis with farmer suicides and distress migration.

To make matters worse, the few facilities that the Government has been willing to give in the past are now in the process of being withdrawn. The very limited 100 days work programme, fruit of a hard struggle for 18 years by PBKMS and other such workers’ organisations, is to be diluted even further. There is no sign of implementation of the National Food Security Act, which despite its imperfections would have provided some relief to agricultural workers.

In addition, various anti-labour measures are being adopted by both the State and Central Governments. Long standing and well accepted labour laws are being diluted; the right to strike is frowned upon; protests and organising by workers meets with attacks; it is becoming increasingly difficult to register trade unions etc.

A general climate of intolerance by the ruling party towards protest prevails in the state. To add to this worsening situation is the fear that political parties for narrow ends will rake up communal feelings.

During the conference, about 350-400 delegates of the PBKMS will spend two days looking at this alarming situation. They will also review their successes and failures in the past three years and will decide on their future strategies and programme.

The Ninth Conference will be held on November 23 and on the morning of November 24 at Maheswarpur Village PO Badu, Kolkata 700128.

The open session of the Ninth Conference will be held at Bharat Sabha Hall, Bow Bazar Street Kolkata from 1p.m. to 4 p.m. on November 24.

In keeping with the support and solidarity that you have always provided to the struggles of agricultural workers, you are requested to join us for the open session. Your presence will encourage us tremendously.

In solidarity

Swapan Ganguly, General Secretary

 

Boost For Our Struggle: W.B. Assembly Moves Unanimous Motion

On November 20, just a day before it was to close, a unanimous resolution was passed by voice vote in the West Bengal Assembly, asking the Central Government to stop dilution of the 100 days work programme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity sees this as a small success of the campaign it has been undertaking. Along with other members of the Osonghotit Khetra Shramik Sangrami Manch (The Struggle Platform of Unorganised Sector Workers- OKSSM), PBKMS has been carrying out a campaign to inform its members and the public at large about the Central Government's measures to dilute MGNREGA. Street corner meetings, public meetings, posters and handbills have formed an important part of this campaign. At the same time deputations have been given to BDOs and DMs of various districts in West Bengal.

As a culmination of this campaign, the PBKMS and other members of OKSSM met the Labour Minister, Mr Moloy Ghatak and the Panchayat and Rural Development Minister, Mr Subroto Mukherjee on November 3.  They also met the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Mr Mohammed Sohrab, and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Suryakanta Mishra. We appealed to all of them to get an all-party resolution passed at the Assembly asking the Centre to refrain from diluting MGNREGA. The main points put forward to them were as follows:

· The Central Government's plan to withdraw/dilute MGNREGA in richer areas would mean huge deprivation for the people of West Bengal. If, as rumoured, MGNREGA was limited to the 200 districts (MGNREGA Phase 1 districts) 13 districts in West Bengal would be deprived of MGNREGA benefits.

· The budget allocation for the program has been decreasing in not just nominal but also in real terms over the past few years. From 2009-10 when the MGNREGA budget was 0.6% of our GDP (at factor cost) it halved to 0.3.% of  GDP at factor cost in 2013-14.

· Huge budget cuts have been imposed. Compared to last financial year, till September, there has been nearly 45 per cent reduction in funds released by the Centre to states for NREGA-the sharpest since the inception of the scheme. In West Bengal, the fund release came down to Rs 1782 crore, against Rs 2214 crore in the same period last year.

· The ratio between materials and labour has been reduced from 40:60 to 49:51 for all panchayat works to be maintained at the district level.  With budget allocations constant in money terms, raising wage rates and a larger proportion allocated to material, this will translate into even fewer person days available for workers.

· Instead of taking such negative measures , the Government should concentrate on promoting MGNREGA by correcting anti labour practices such as low wages (wage rates in MGNREGA continue to be less than the agricultural minimum wage declared in West Bengal, thus violating the Minimum Wage Act), delayed payment of wages, non provision of work and unemployment allowance and compensation for late payment of wages.

The resolution in the Assembly was moved by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Partha Chatterjee, and supported by 11 MLAs including the Leader of the Opposition , Mr Surya Kanta Mishra, before being passed by a voice vote.

In these days when most news for workers is bad news, the small success against the withdrawal of MGNREGA has come as a boost for our union members, especially when all parties have come together above partisan interests for the worker's cause.