The Joint Action Committee of BSNL Associations / Unions has called upon the BSNL Workers to celebrate May Day on 2nd May 2011 (1st May being on Sunday) by jointly holding rallies, processions,meetings,seminars etc.
It has called upon al the BSNL Associations/Unions to issue necessary instructions to their respective members to fully participate in the programmes.

This year is going to be crucial for the BSNL workers. The financial position of BSNL is going down. Attacks like VRS, Privatisation, outsourcing are coming fast. BSNL and its workers have to be saved. A better service is to be ensured to the people. Let us start our crusade on this May Day for a better service as also better conditions for the BSNL workers.

The working class all over the world will be celebrating the May Day as the International day of solidarity. Rallies and meetings will be held and the Chicago Martyrs , August Spies,George Engel, Albert Parsons and Adolph Fischer who were hanged for fighting for rights of the workers and the eight-hour working day, will be remembered and paid homage.
It was 4th May 1886. The busy Hay Market Square in Chicago was fully packed with more than 2500 workers who had come to hear their leaders protesting against police firing and killing the workers who were on strike in the Mac-Cormick Reaper Plant. The strike was for demands including eight hours work.
While the leaders including August Spies, Albert Parsons were speaking a formation of armed policemen attacked the crowd. During the same time, a dynamite bomb was thrown by unknown people killing one policeman. It might have been the deliberate act on the part of the police itself to get provoked and justifying firing on the workers. The police fired killing four and wounding many. Some policemen also died in the melee.
The Government reacted in a pre-meditated manner. The attack on the workers increased. Meetings and speeches were banned. Hundreds of workers were arrested and kept in custody. Terror was let loose.
Eight leaders of the workers were brought to trial which continued for months together. As can be understood, the trial was a farce. Justice became a mockery. False evidences were produced. The accused were found guilty and ordered to be hanged.
Not only in America, but all over the world, the working class protested against the sentences. Protest Marches were organised in several cities. Appeal made to the Supreme Court against the punishment was rejected.
One of the accused, Louis Ligg was found killed by a dynamite in his cell, one day before the hanging, which has not been explained so far. The other four – Spies, Angels, Parsons and Fischer were executed by hanging on 11th November 1886 all in a row.
The entire country rose in protest against this brutal murder of the workers. Chicago saw the biggest funeral march ever on 13th November 1887 with thousands of workers moving along with the bodies of the martyrs to the cemetery vault.
The other three accused were pardoned by the Governor after the farce of the trial was exposed and there was outcry from the people against the brutal sentences.
The last words of August Spies, seconds before the hangings will echo through eternity: ” There will come a time when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today.” True indeed!
Later, 1st May was decided to be observed as the International Workers’ Day. For more than hundred years the workers all over the world are celebrating May Day holding rallies, meetings etc. and remembering the Chicago Martyrs.
This year, when the working class celebrate the May Day, they are facing attacks after attacks by the employers and also by the Government which is pushing through the neo-liberal policies against the interest of the workers. Intolerable price rise, mounting unemployment, increased working hours, vanishing social security measures, privatisation, high level corruption etc. have put more and more misery on the people. Let us pledge on this May Day to unitedly fight to protect the interests of the toiling masses and the common people.

Ms. Kanimozhi, daughter of Chief Minister Karunanidhi has been charge sheeted in the 2G scam. It was expected at any time since she was having stakes in the Kalaingar TV which received alleged kickbacks in connection with the 2G spectrum allotment.

What will be the reaction of DMK ? Whether it will break with the Congress or not? Let us see the new developments.

It is nothing but a complete ignominy for India at the Geneva International Conference on its stand against banning of the dangerous Endosulfan. While most of the 173 countries in the Convention have either banned or are for banning this pesticide dangerous to humans, India focussed on the absence of alternatives to Endosulfan and the time needed to find alternatives. India was isolated as most of the countries wanted ban.

The position taken by India is completely wrong and against the interests of the common people who are seriously affected or going to be affected due to the use of Endosulfan. The entire Kerala is boiling against the decision of the Central Government in not banning the pesticide. Massive agitation including hungerstrike by the Chief Minister and other Ministers, Staging of Dharna in front of Parliament by the Left MPs, call for Hartal statewise et. are going on. Irrespective of political affiliation, all have strongly opposed the Central Government’s stand not to ban Endosulfan.

Is the human life so cheap for the Central Government to sacrifice the same to get more prfit for the Endosulfan lobby and the private companies? It seems so.

The pious statement of the Central Government about unearthing black money and its slackness in doing anything concrete in the matter is being exposed daily. The case of Hassan Ali, who is reported to have put in thousands of crores of rupees in foreign banks is one instance. Even after months, except half-hearted enquiry by the CBI, no other action has been taken.

There are information with the Government about certain individuals who have stashed huge amounts in foreign banks. The Government is not disclosing the names on the plea that it will be against the agreements with the foreign governments who supplied the information to it. This is nothing but an excuse to save the culprits.

The latest in the matter is the exposure by Julian Assange, WikiLeaks publisher, that there are many names of Indians who have stashed much money in the Swiss Banks, and he may publish them. This has exposed the Indian Government once again.

The UPA government should immediately announce the names of these lawbreakers and proceed against them. But will it take action?

The entire people of Kerala has raised their strong protest against the Central Government’s decision not to ban the use of pesticide Endosulphan which has resulted in all kinds of health problems to the people. Children are born with deformities, chronic illnesses, mental problems and so on. The Government of Kerala and all the political parties have been demanding the Central Government to ban the use of this pesticide.

But the Central Government who is on the side of the MNCs and Endosulphan lobby has stated that when all the states demand for ban, then only it will consider favourably the question of banning Endosulphan.

It is against this anti-human attitude that the Chief Minister of Kerala VS Achuthanandan and other ministers along with thousands of people have organised mass fast throughout Kerala. Though the UDF led by Congress has not supported the fast, many of its constituents have participated in the fast.

It is time that the Central Govt. opened its eyes and issue ban orders immediately on Endosulphan.

The decision of the JAC to organise May 2011 as ‘Customer Delight Month’ has been highly appreciated by all the workers. Each and every worker wants to improve the services and save BSNL. But how one can do it effectively and successfully. This is the most important aspect.

It is very much necessary that all the Branch/SSA/Circle unions have to meet in their secretariat/executive meetings and plan the implementation of the programme. In case of any doubt, the higher body can be consulted.

If all unite together and plan, the programme can be successfully implemented. Let us try for that.

Reports have reached that Knimozhi M.P., daughter of Karunanidhi, Chief Minister of T.Nadu has been chargesheeted in the 2G scam. Whether this will create a rift between DMK and Congress. It may not. because both the parties are in a crucial election fight jointly in T.Nadu

The WikiLeaks exposure published in Hindu stating that US should ‘cultivate’ Mamata Banerjee is a clear signal of the intention of the US to support Mamata and bring her to the Chief Minister’s chair. This is direct intervention of a foreign power in the democratic elections in India. This is not the first time that this has happened. In 1959, CIA gave money to the Congress leaders at All India and state levels to organise Vimochana Samara to oust state ministry headed by Com. EMS Namboodiripad. But they failed to unseat the Government. It was only through the unjustified invoking of Article 356 of the Constitution, that the Ministry could be dismissed.

Now the Congress government with the help of the US and Trinamul is trying to defeat the popular Left Government in W.Bengal. The entire country should protest against the interference of the US in Indian elections.