Massive Strike in West Bengal

KOLKATA: WEST Bengal came to a halt on February 20th. It was the rejoinder by the people of this state on the most debated and opposed general strike of recent times. Dictatorial ultimatums of the state government found no shore on the day except popular denunciation. Every sounds and even silence of the people of the people proclaimed popular rejection of the anti-people, anti-labour agenda of the UPA-II government as they along with millions of others across the country participated in the first day of the Two-Day Nationwide General Strike on February 20th and 21st .

The West Bengal state committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), extending its full support to the two-day long nationwide strike call of 11 central trade unions, had appealed to the people of this state to observe all out strike. Various peasant organizations have also supported the strike which is aimed at betterment of lives of the working people. By not overlooking the historic importance of International Mother Language Day and showing confidence to the popular sentiments, the CPI(M) had asked the trade unions to allow partial discharge on the second day of strike in this state. And the trade unions responded positively to that appeal. Along with the popular rejection to the ruling strata’s intimidation, this strike marked a vivid instance of successful cooperation and understanding of the Party with the trade unions.

CONSTANT INTIMIDATION AND ATTACKS

West Bengal witnessed a massive participation of people in the strike refuting incessant intimidation from the TMC-led government. The government had taken multiple measures to attack the strike in various ways:

i. Police used opposing the strike: The government unprecedentedly used its police administration to propagate against strike. The police was engaged in mike campaign in different localities for the last two days.

ii. Ministers’ threats: The chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her council of special two-three ministers applied every measure to intimidate people just to oppose the strike.

iii.    Punitive Order: The West Bengal government issued a brutal order from the finance department where the state government employees were threatened to join the office on both days to avoid punitive measures like service break and salary-cut. The order even violates the Right to Strike.

iv.   Direct attacks: A series of attacks had been perpetrated in different localities for the last two weeks particularly in areas where people and left workers were campaigning for the strike.

But West Bengal, upholding its tradition of protest against all tyrannical measures against the common people, has made the strike a great success. From North to extreme South Bengal, the scenario of the state remained ‘stand still’ when the state private transport, factories, agricultural fields, shops across localities, shopping centres were completely disrupted due to not having enough commuters and workers.

The private transport workers rendered full support to the strike. Out of more than 5000 mini buses, just less than even 120 were plying on the streets; out of total 37,000 private buses, less than 1500 appeared on roads; most Tea Estates of North Bengal remained closed.

Industrial regions of the state witnessed a complete seize of work. Barrakpore Industrial belt was no less than a no man’s land where most of the labour and working people observed all out strike. Taratalla Industrial region observed strike in decisive manner with most of the industries and factories shut down. Coal mine areas and Durgapore Industrial region observed the first day of strike withstanding numerous threats and attacks from the authorities and the ruling party. Kalyani Industrial region was partially in action as the government and authority nexus had the workers forcefully locked in the factories overnight. Hoogly and Haldia Industrial belt observed strike in best possible way as they are in constant threat from ruling party goons and job insecurity.

GOVT-SPONSORED EVENTS OF ATTACKS

(i) Hazra, Minister Instigates: The state transport minister Madan Mitra overtly instigated the police to start a rampant lathicharge on February 20 on the innocent strike campaigners at Hajra Crossing. The police did not even spare senior citizens and women while arresting them.

(ii) Nimta, Left workers attacked and injured: A CPI(M) local committee secretary Ashok Sarkar was attacked and injured by Trinamool hooligans at Nimta; a primary school teacher was beaten brutally by the Trinamool hooligans in Halishshar, North 24 Parganas.

(iii) Asansol, Henious attempt to oppose the strike: Numerous events of attacks on the strike observers took place throughout Asansol along with two massive attacks by the ruling party goons, one at the Asansol Bazar and another at the BNR more. The hooliganism of the ruling party led to complete shutdown of all facilities in Asansol town.

(iv) West Midnapore, CPI(M) office vandalised: TMC workers unleashed massive attack at Narayangar and vandalised the CPI(M) local committee office situated there. Another event of attacking the strike observers and area Party office of CPI(M) occurred at Dantan.

TRADE UNIONS CONGRATULATE PEOPLE

At the end of the first day strike, the trade unions in a joint statement congratulated the working class in organised and unorganised sectors for making the strike successful, inspite of the threats given by the state chief minister. They condemned the death of AITUC leader Narendra Singh in Ambala, who was murdered by being crushed under the wheels. The organisers have called for all out rallies in the state in protest.

While confronting the various statements made to foil the two day general strike call, CITU West Bengal state president Shyamal Chakrabarty said at a press conference that despite the state government holding repeated talks to ply transport on the days of the strike, the working class rebuffed her attempts. Responding to her call to Election Commission to ban political parties that called for strike, Chakraborthy advised her to at least now read the Constitution and see what the Article on fundamental rights states.

Shyamal Chakrabarty has also spoken of dragging to the court those who have gone beyond their constitutional powers and have issued circulars to the emloyees compelling them to join duties to make the strike unsuccessful against their wish.

February 24, 2013

WEST BENGAL CITU Calls for Vigorous Struggle

HOWRAH: 12^th November, 2012- THE 10th state conference of CITU West Bengal committee has vowed to launch a vigorous struggle to defend the rights of the workers in the state. A programme to mobilise wider sections of workers in defense of the gains that are being attacked now in the state has been formulated from the conference.

The state conference was held at Comrade Jyoti Basu Nagar (Howrah) and Comrade M K Pandhe Manch (Sarat Sadan) during November 8 - 11, 2012.  The conference was  inaugurated by A K Padmanabhan, president of CITU, after hoisting the Red flag and offering floral tributes to the martyrs. 

In his inaugural speech, Padmanabhan said the CITU would, jointly with other trade unions, resist the onslaught on the people launched by the UPA-II government in the name of economic reforms. Referring to the severe attacks against the workers in West Bengal in the changed political situation, the CITU leader expressed confidence that the workers of West Bengal will play their historical role in the present situation like in the earlier days. 

Padmanabhan said the Indian economic policy regime has undergone a right wing shift since the introduction of neo-liberal economic policies. The union government is acting under the dictates of the Word Bank and the chambers of commerce in order to make the labour laws of the country flexible. He warned that the trade unions would strongly resist such an attempt. Already the multinational companies are not implementing the existing labour laws. They are brazenly restricting the workers from participating in the trade unions. Even the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people are being undermined by the big corporate and MNCs. The union government is a mere spectator to these violations. In such a scenario if the labour laws are further diluted, the workers will be subject to maximum exploitation.

Padmanabhan emphasised the necessity of protection of the trade union rights along with ensuring of the social security, control of price hike and universal public distribution system. He said that CITU has always been in favour of the united workers movement from its class outlook. After travelling a long path, all the central trade unions have called for a 48-hour countrywide general strike on the 20th and 21st February 2013. This has happened for the first time in the history of independent India. The trade unions will launch a vigorous campaign to make the general strike successful and informed that a march to parliament will be held on 20th December to highlight the demands of the working class.

Kali Ghosh, secretary of CITU West Bengal state committee placed the report in the conference. While placing the report he said that the workers movement of the state is facing various attacks during the tenure of the Trinamool Congress government. He said the situation is so bad that the chief minister refused to meet their delegation that sought to submit a memorandum about the growing attacks on trade unions in West Bengal.

Tapan Sen, general secretary of CITU, in his speech exposed the anti-people nature of the neo-liberal policies being implemented by the union government and emphasised the need for a united struggle against these policies.

In the context of growing number of unorganised sector workers and contractual workers, the 10th state conference emphasised on their problems and issues in detail and outlined the path of future programmes. Special discussions were held on these two aspects.

The delegates in the conference discussed the issue of the contractual labour in detail, especially the growing attack on the labour laws of the country in the name of labour market flexibility. How the neo liberal globalisation policies are impacting the working class people of West Bengal was also discussed in particular. The organisation has decided to observe 12th December 2012 as the demand day for the contractual workers. The workers shall unitedly hold their protest in front of the offices of the department of labour in all the districts. The delegates also pointed out the lethargy of the state government in implementing the social security and welfare programmes initiated by the earlier Left Front government. The delegates exchanged their experiences of the struggle against the terror attacks against the trade union movement by the Trinamool backed hooligans. The delegates expressed confidence of taking on this challenge in the wake of the historic success in the state of the 28th February all India general strike called by the central trade unions. The delegates underlined the importance of consolidating various streams of worker movements in order to achieve the political goals.

The 10th state conference elected the new CITU West Bengal state committee. Shaymal Chakraborty has been re-elected as the president and Dipak Dasgupta has been elected as the secretary.

MASSIVE RALLY

On the concluding day of the conference, on 11th November, the  rally was held at Dumurjala in Howrah. The rally turned out to be a mammoth one. Addressing the rally, former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said a desperate situation is prevailing in the state in which farmers are unable to sell produce and industrialists are shying away from investing in the state. “The government failed to attract a single fresh investment. IT majors Wipro and Infosys, who came here during the Left rule, are now thinking of leaving the state,” said Bhattacharjee.

Slamming the government for taking the state towards an industrial disaster in absence of a clear policy, Bhattacharjee referred to how Singur has now become a desert. “Had the car manufacturing factory come up there, about 5000 to 6000 people would have got jobs. Hooghly’s profile would have been different by now, if our plan to bring industry to Singur was not thwarted. At Haldia, one cargo-handling agency was driven out to give way to a company run by a Trinamool Congress MP. This state is gradually moving towards industrial doomsday.”

Bhattacharjee said that the transport workers and the whole transport sector of the state are in a deplorable condition. Most private transport vehicles are lying idle as the agencies are becoming incapable of managing the cost of the business. Transport workers are not getting salaries, pensions, and are compelled to resort to suicides. This is the crude reality of the state where the salaries of ministers in the TMC-led government had gone up from Rs 7000 during the Left Front rule to Rs 27,000 now. And the government is acting as a sleeping beauty, he criticised.

Bhattacharjee also highlighted the farmers’ misery saying they are finding it difficult to sell their crop as the “price they are getting is uneconomical”. Explaining the current labour scenario of the country. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee sharply criticised the Manmohan Singh government for incessantly taking anti-people decisions that have severely affected the working population of the country.

TOWARDS A NATIONAL SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN WITH THE PEOPLE OF WEST BENGAL

By M.K. Pandhe


One of the most crucial decisions of the 13th Conference of the CITU held at Chandigarh was the organization of one week solidarity campaign all over India from 18th to 24th April 2010. During the week all unions affiliated to CITU will organize various forms of actions culminating in rallies all over India on 24th April to condemn the heinous attacks on the cadres of the left and democratic movement in West Bengal by Trinamool and so-called Maoist Combine.

Delegates from West Bengal speaking fervently in the Conference gave vivid description of the murderous attacks on the poor and innocent activists of the left parties and mass organizations in West Bengal. Delegates from all over the country applauded when West Bengal delegates pointed out how heroically the working class and the people in West Bengal are resisting these attacks and fight ing back the offensive by relying on the support of the people in the state.

Most of the persons who were brutally murdered were coming from the downtrodden sections of the society, who were involved in the struggle against the anti-people policies of the UPA Government and to protect the interests of the common people. Assassinating the cadres fighting for the legitimate rights of the toiling people has only emboldened the capitalist sharks in the country to intensify their wicked attacks on the popular masses in the country. Though the Trinamool and so-called Maoist gangs talk in the name of the people but in practice they have been hitting at the basic interests of the people. People in West Bengal are realizing the game behind these atrocities but the people of India should know about the true character of the policies pursued by Mamata Banerjee and Psudo-revolutionaries. The purpose of the CITU’s one week campaign is to make working class and the people of India understand the nature of the nefarious cruel alliance built against the left front in West Bengal. Its sole purpose is to overthrow the left front Government and establish the anarchic rule which meets the requirements of the ruling classes at the centre.

WEST BENGAL – OUT POST OF REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT

West Bengal as the frontline outpost of the revolutionary movement in India is running the state administration from 33 years which has become eyesore of the capitalist hierarchy in India. Foreign powers are also keenly interested in destabilizing the Left Front Government since it is implementing alternate policies not suitable to the growth of capitalism in India. The imperialist agencies in India are clandestinely helping the anti-left forces to strengthen their machinations against the Left Front Government. Moral and national help given from the imperialist agencies to electronic and print media as well as political forces who are active against the left front Government which has been a big factor in the campaign against the left front Government in West Bengal.

The attack on the left front Government in West Bengal is only a precursors of the attack against the left and democratic forces all over India. If the reactionary forces inside and outside succeed in their game to topple the left front government it will only embolden them to engineer an all round attack against the left and democratic movement in India. Hence, the solidarity campaign to be launched in India is a campaign to protect the future of our movement in the country outside West Bengal. This important aspect of the struggle to defend the left front Govt. in West Bengal has to be realized by the working class in India.

The last meeting of the General Council of CITU decided to observe a day in October 2009 to express solidarity with the toiling millions of West Bengal and expose before the people of India the vile nature of the campaign against the left front Government. The programme was successfully carried out by State Committees of CITU and the workers and the people responded well to the campaign.

The need to continue the campaign was urgently felt by the CITU conference because the conspiracy against the left Govt. has been intensified and the spate of murderous attacks against the left front activists have increased with Mamata Banerjee becoming desperate to occupy the chair in the Writers Building. With one point programme against the left front, she is making all attempts to align with any one who would be prepared to support her unprincipled design and personal ambitions. Her concept of Mahajot is nothing but an opportunist alliance to achieve her objective of aggrandizement.

UNPRINCIPLED ALLIANCE

The CITU Conference clearly noted that Trinamool Supremo had no coherent policy or principles. She has aligned in elections with all types of political parties. She had no compunction to allow BJP to grow in West Bengal and carry forward its communal agenda. She was happy as ministers both the NDA and UPA Governments. She characterized Congress party as B Team of CPI(M) and at the same time developed electoral alliance with that party. In Nandigram agitation she joined hands with all forces who are opposing the left front Govt. She continued her agitation even after West Bengal left front Government announced that Nandigram Chemical hub would not be developed if the people do not want it !

Her alliance with the so called Maoist is another example of the opportunist politics. She kept mum as a railway Ministers when they blew up the railway tracks. She had no qualms to condemn CPI(M) for the sabotage though it was later found that it was a handi work of the so called Maoists. She prefers to keep mum when arrested Maoist leader admits that Trinamool supplied them arms and logistic support. From extreme left to extreme right Trinamool Supremo had allies in all forces on the condition that they oppose the left front Government !

Her quixotic style of functioning was seen when she expressed her desire to remove red colour from the Indian railway net work. Even her supporters ridicule the idea. She had shamelessly supported the divisive Darjeeling agitation for separate Gorkhaland and she had no difficulty to encourage Kamatapuri agitations simply because it was against the left front Government. She had never condemned the killing of left front cadres through their number is swelling every day! She however demanded withdrawal of the central security forces sent to West Bengal to deal with the so called Maoist depredations in parts of West Bengal !

As a Union Railway Minister her performance is much below the mark. The largest number of railway accidents have occurred since Mamata Banerjee has taken charge of the Railway Ministry. Her attendance to the Ministry is minimal and most of the time she is leading agitations against left front Government in West Bengal.

She approved the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Cabinet Meeting but opposed it in Parliament. This duplicity in her behaviour has brought down her image in the country. As a Cabinet Minister she should have honoured the decision of the Govt. to oppose murderous policies of the so called Maoists but she is openly supporting the depredations of Maoists. It further exposes the hollowness of the UPA Government polices to tolerate her utter duplicity in policy matters. Several Railway Ministry officials privately talk against her handling of the Ministry but Manmohan Singh Govt. due to their opportunist polices is allowing her maverick behaviour.

EXPOSURE OF DANGEROUS GAME

The CITU’s solidarity campaign will explain effectively to the people in India the dangerous game played by Congress-Trinamool. SUCI-Maoist gang up against the left front Government. The killing spree of the cadres of the left front only exposes their desperateness in some how the other trying to topple the left front Govt. in the electoral battle.

The propaganda machine of the left front is moving cautiously but effectively. It has almost become a struggle between the unprincipled opportunist alliance and the alternative policy framework to the policies of globalization and opposition to imperialist penetration in India.

With the solidarity actions by the toiling masses all over India the left front and all the mass organizations supporting the left front will successfully foil the attempts by the reactionary forces to unseat the left front from the Writers Building at Kolkata. The CITU’s campaign during 18th to 24th April next will be a humble contribution to the struggle of the heroic people of West Bengal to defend the glorious traditions of the state. The West Bengal State Committee of the CITU is publishing a documented campaign booklet to help all CITU unions in this nationwide campaign.

Without any concrete policy to serve the people of West Bengal the Trinamool and its allies can not keep their hold on the people. Dissention within the party had cropped up due to authoritarian style of running the party apparatus. Many sections who supported Trinamool have now started speaking openly against the reckless policies of Trinamool Supremo. Despite offer of two Cabinet posts Trinamool agreed to take only one post because no one can be equal to the Trinamool Supremo. However, the wound created in the minds of the persons concerned cannot be healed by demagogic speeches.

Several Congressmen have expressed their opposition in private to the Congress Trinamool alliance due to humiliation imposed on the Congress Party by the Trinamool Supremo. The murder of the Congress leader by Trinamool goons is not taken kindly be several Congressmen. Opposition of Trinamool to every development project in West Bengal is also not appreciated by several congress leaders. The opportunist alliance is on shaky ground and the left parties will expose their unstable character.

The Maoist collaborators of Trinamool Congress are misusing the name of great Mao Tse Tung who organized a historic Chinese revolution. Mao Tse Tung never advocated individual killing of poor and innocent persons. He led millions of peasants in revolutionary struggle and prepared them for an upsurge against imperialist domination and their Chinese collaborators. Mao Tse Tung never asked his cadre to extort money from the people. But the forces who work in the name of legendry Mao are resorting to extortion, individual annihilation and help the ruling classes by opposition the left forces in India who are fighting against the anti-people the pro-US imperialist policies of UPA Government. Their opportunist support to Trinamool Congress against the left front Govt. in West Bengal proves their ideological bankruptcy. It was also seen in their open support to Shibu Soren in the last elections. This infantile disorder only help the ruling class in India and hit at the interests of the left and democraic movement which is fighting for the establishment of a socialist society in India.

IDEOLOGICAL BANKRUPTCY OF MAOISTS

The CITU has therefore decided to explain in their campaign the ideological bankruptcy of the so called Maoist and their unprincipled alliance with Trinamool Congress which is only helping the reactionary forces in India and abroad in their attacks on the left and democratic movement in India.

It will also be necessary to expose how right reactionary and left extremist forces in the country are making a common cause to oppose genuine left movement in the country.

It is necessary to note here that some extreme leftists in the country have already expressed their opposition to the policy of individual annihilation of the persons form the poorest strata of the society. It is of extreme importance to note the importance of the struggle against the erroneous and infantile ideology of the so called Maoists who are helping Trinamool for their selfish interests, which in the long run bound to fail in West Bengal.

The attack on the CITU activists by the so called Maoists are not confined to West Bengal alone. In Orissa too in Kalta Iron Ore Mine the CITU leader Thomas Munda was kidnapped on 25th January 2010 and brutally murdered and his body was thrown 5 kilometers away a railway station. Case of threatening of CITU union members to leave the union are also reported in the Orissa Iron Ore mining belt. The contractors are very happy at this development.

In Chhattisgarh too the so called Moist murdered Shakti Dey in Bastar area on 9th October 2009. He was mercilessly killed in presence of his family members.

Killing of persons without having any arms with them to defend themselves is not a sign of bravery. The self-proclaimed human right activists do not say a word about the human rights of unarmed persons who are brutally murdered by armed gangs!

The left front and its supporters in West Bengal are fighting heroically a grim battle against heavy adds. The task of winning over the people who did not vote the left front in the last Parliamentary polls is no doubt a difficult task but the determination of the cadres to launch a powerful campaign among the people to explain the pro-people policies of the left front and convince them about their crucial role in keeping the left front Govt. in saddle in West Bengal.

The CPI(M) had heroically faced semi-fascist terror in West Bengal in 1971-72 period and despite martyrdom of over the thousand of its activists and eviction of several thousands of cadres from their place of residence, people in West Bengal rallied behind left front and brought the left front Government in the state and maintained in Govt. for nearly 33 years. No other party or combination of parties remained in the state administration for such a long time since independence.

The CPI(M) has self critically examined the reasons for the set back in the last Parliamentary polls and decided to take corrective measures to improve the administrative apparatus to serve the people more effectively despite limitation provided by the present capitalist system.

Undaunted by the heinous attacks by the Trinamool –Maoist combine the left front in West Bengal has carried forward its powerful campaign to explain its pro-people policies and expose the nefarious machinations of the reactionary forces backed by imperialism. The left front Govts in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura are considered by these forces as a bottleneck in carrying forward the policies of globalization dictated by World Bank and the IMF.

During the Conference delegates wholeheartedly cheered when they heard the successful election result in favour of SFI in West Bengal and success of the CITU in Farrakka NTPC elections. The left front is rightly expressing its confidence that it would win over the people who went away from it during the last Parliamentary elections and nip in the bud the fond hopes of Trinamool to enter the Writers Building by hook or crook. The glorious historical traditions of West Bengal will inspire the people to rise to the occasion and defeat all conspiracies to unseat the left front in the forthcoming period.