Police officer: "What do you mean we can't arrest you? Why were you clinging to a tree and shouting 'Hao Mao'?"

'Hao Mao Kao' are nonsense words used by ghosts in children's stories in Bengal.

Management Used Outsiders To Attack Maruti Workers: Union

The Maruti Suzuki Workers Union (MSWU) is anguished at the recent developments in Maruti Suzuki plant, IMT Manesar where the management has resorted to anti-worker and anti-Union activities in a pre-planned manner leading to the closure of the factory yesterday.

We have had a long tough struggle with the strong unity of our permanent and contract workers to establish and register our Union last year, and had recently as of April 2012 submitted our Charter of Demands to the management of Maruti Suzuki, and the process of negotiation for wages and other demands was underway. However the management has done its utmost to derail the process and break the back of the spirit of unity of the workers and the legitimacy of the Union.

As part of this vindictive attitude and in a pre-planned manner, yesterday, the afternoon of 18th July, a supervisor in the shop floor abused and made casteist comments against a dalit worker of the permanent category, which was legitimately protested by the worker. Instead of taking action against the said supervisor, the management immediately suspended the worker concerned without any investigation as was demanded by the workers. When the workers along with Union representatives went to meet the HR to demand against the supervisor and revoke the unjust suspension of the worker, the HR officials flatly refused to hear our arguments, and it was in no mood to resolve the issue amicably.

When the negotiation was going on with the leaders of the Union inside the office, the management called in the entry of hundreds of bouncers on its payroll to attack the workers. This is completely an illegal vindictive action in the spirit of conspiracy to corner us into submission even as our demands and methods are legitimate. The gates were closed by the security on behest of the management and the bouncers brutally attacked the workers with sharp weapons and arms. They, joined by some of the managerial staff and police later, beat up a number of workers who have had to be hospitalised with serious injuries. The bouncers, who are anti-social elements on hire, also destroyed company property and set fire to a portion of the factory. The gates were later opened to oust the workers and enforce a lockout by the company.

We have the workers and the company's welfare in mind and have worked towards it after the resolution of the dispute last year, and to blame the current violence on us is unjust. We are still keen to dialogue with the company and want to sit with the company management and the government labour department to amicably resolve the matter and restore industrial peace in the factory.

Ram Meher

President, Maruti Suzuki Workers Union (MSWU)

Food Campaign Now In Vigilance Mode

A public meeting is being organised at 3 p.m. on July 16 at Rabindra Bhaban in Dantan, Paschim Midnapore, to publicise the results of a recent block-level survey on the shabby state of affairs in the rationing system in Datan 1 block and to organise public action for vigilance. All important stake holders have been invited for the meeting such as District Controller (Food and Supplies), Paschim Medinipur; Arun Mahapatra, MLA, Datan, and Bira Mandi, MLA, Keshiary; BDO and Food Inspector, Dantan 1 block; beneficiaries of 9 gram panchayats and leaders of all political parties.

Also present will be eminent scientist, Meher Engineer; West Bengal Advisor to the Supreme Court, Anuradha Talwar; State Committee member of PBKMS, Swapan Ganguly; and, eminent social activist and member of National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM), Debjit Dutta.

Please find below a note giving the background to the meeting and please do join us if possible. A copy of the study is attached

Sandip Singha

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, Paschim Midnapore

On June 26, 2012, a number of trade unions, mass organisations and NGOs in West Bengal, all part of the Right To Food and Work Campaign - West Bengal, announced the start of the ‘Tala Kholo Abhijan’. The purpose was to focus public attention on hunger that continues to exist amidst overflowing Government stocks of foodgrain. In West Bengal, there is the added problem of a new Government which is struggling to stem the continuing rot in the Public Distribution System (PDS). 

Activities been started in Datan as part of this campaign. Datan 1 block is to be a pilot in organising public vigilance on the rationing system. A recent study in Datan 1 block (Paschim Midnapore) conducted by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS), one of the constituent organisations of the Campaign, has shown shocking results. The study covered 18 shops and 148 beneficiaries in all. Almost 40% of the cardholders had no ration cards in their possession. Most shops did not have boards outside the MR shops that are legally required by the Supreme Court, stating basic information such as stock rates, quotas and list of beneficiaries. Of the 148 beneficiaries interviewed only five reported receiving the correct amount of foodgrain. No cash memos were issued to cardholders. It was clear that Sales Registers maintained by the ration dealers were clearly cooked up records, as were their logbooks showing stocks and allocations. The entire PDS seemed to be functioning on a whole lot of spurious and outdated information.

The results of this study were shared with Mr Nurul Haque, Food Commissioner, and Mr Jaydev Jana, Director (Distribution, Procurement and Supply) on June 13, 2012, and later on July 3, 2012, with the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Mr Jyotipriya Mallick, by PBKMS members along with Anuradha Talwar, West Bengal Advisor to the Commissioners of the Supreme Court. After discussions with them, it was agreed that the inspection system was failing and there was a need for public vigilance and awareness to ensure that beneficiaries got their entitlements. It was also agreed that the West Bengal Advisor would take up activities in the block to generate public awareness with the help of PBKMS. This would be treated as a pilot to understand how to increase public vigilance. 

A phone call system to inform 60-70 interested members of the public about their weekly allotment is being organised by the PBKMS for the past month and feedback shows that those who know about their allotments are ensuring that they get the correct amount. In the same vein, a public meeting is being organised on July 16, 2012, at at Datan to publicise the results of the recent survey and to organise people’s committees for vigilance.

Meanwhile, ration dealers have started reacting to the increased public vigilance. On July 5, 2012, a drunken ration dealer forced his way into the PBKMS office at Barangi in Datan 1 block and threatened the PBKMS activist couple that lives and works there. The Ration Dealers Association of the block has split with a large section leaving the CPI(M) to join the Trinamool Congress for protection. Cohorts of the ration dealers made a threat in public on July 14, 2012 that PBKMS leaders would be beaten and thrown out of the block.

It is amid such threats and intimidation that the meeting is being organised on July 16. The PBKMS plans to use the meeting to start an SMS-based system to inform people about their allotments every week. It also plans to set up people's committees in each ration shop as well as provide training to such committee members, as also to the members of the official vigilance committees. It is also proposed that the complaints system at the block level be revamped to ensure maximum public involvement and responsiveness.

Related read: PDS in West Midnapore, report prepared by Mrinalini Paul

Food March In Burdwan Yields Results

As the continuation of the State-level Campaign on ‘Right To Food and Work’, coordinated by the Jesuits-run Udayani Social Action Forum, Kolkata, a rally and dharna was organized at Kalna Town of Burdwan District on the fourth of July. 

Around 400 women from self-help groups and around 100 men from farmers’ club from about 53 villages from Kalna block I & II gathered at two different spot at 11 a.m. braving rain and the heat. Some activists from Kolkata and Nadia joined the gathering to encourage and support women and men demanding their rights to life.

The rallies started at two different places (Kalna I from the Bus Stand and Kalna II from Kalo Dokan More) and merged at Tetul Tola crossing (close to Christo Seva Ashram) and walked to the Sub-Divisional Controller of Food and Supply through the crowded markets and Police Station shouting slogans. They shouted like  ‘Tala Kholo Khabar dao’ - Open the door and give us food- ‘Churi Bando Koro’ – stop stealing- ‘Keu Khabe Keu Khabe Na Ta Hobe Na’- some eat and some don’t shouldn’t be - with conviction. 

The pale and malnourished women carrying empty plates and posters in the hand was a sight for the town and administration. Many agreed saying, ‘this is a just fight for survival and I support fully’. Some passers-by joined the catchy slogans voluntarily. The posters had demands like, ‘Open the ration shop for 5^1/2 days, Give us 100 days’ work, Stop stealing our food, No BPL and APL give food to all equally, Give bills for the ration given’.

The police, though informed well in advance, neglected to be present at the start of the venue but when they saw the crowd shouting slogans pass by suddenly sent a team. The neglect of the economically weak and socially lower class and caste by the administration is not news any more. Once the march reached the venue of the Sub-Divisional controller, the activists encouraged them and enlightened them of their basic rights with food and how the Government and Administration were indifferent and wasted foodgrain while people died of starvation and hunger. 

Since neither the controller nor any other official came out to listen to people, the women decided to force their way into the office and ‘gherao’ the officers. The small office could not contain all the women and soa delegation went in with local demands, while rest squatted in the office premise and outside demanding immediate action. A two-hour ‘gherao’ yielded results as the officials gave out the allotment list and the price of each item and promised to  receive complains and application for new ration card on Wednesday of every week. They also promised to work diligently hereafter. 

The women, now sure of a little more of their ‘Rights’ with regard to food programs, said: “We shall come back in bigger number if the promises are not kept”. Udayani Social Action Forum will organize two more mass awareness programmes for Hugli and Bankura districts in the coming weeks together with other NGOs, Networks and Activists.