Monthly Archives: July 2012

Com. P.Asokababu, Dy. GS, retired from serivce

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in BSNLEU

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Every month about thousand workers are retiring from the BSNL on superannuation. Many of the senior comrades of the union are also among them.

On this day, 31st July 2012, I have the information  about two such senior leaders of the BSNLEU who have retired.

One is Com. P.Asokababu, Dy. General Secretary of BSNLEU and who was an office-bearer of the All India Telecom Employees Union, then AITEU (N) and BSNLEU during the period from 1994. He is a wholly committed comrade who have made big contributions to the union and have been fully at CHQ for the last two years and have contributed much to the wage revision, promotion policy etc. ( Please visit BSNLEU website for details). He retired from Vijayawada.

The second is Com. Chaniara, senior leader of BSNLEU in Gujarat. A very committed leader who was always in the forefront of the movement, his contribution is well appreciated by all. He had worked in many posts including Circle Vice-President.

I convey my Best Wishes to both of them for a continued service to the working class and toiling masses. I also wish them a fully active healthy life!

My Best Wishes to all those retired today from BSNL all over the country! I thank them all for the excellent work done for the BSNL and the union!

New building for Kolkata Telephones – Report from CS

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in BSNLEU

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I am herewith reproducing a news received from the Circle Secretary Kolkata Telephones with regard to the inauguration of Union Building:

In accordance with the decision of the Circle Union new building inaugural ceremony held on 29th July 2012. In a very big gathering of more than five hundred workers All India President of BSNL Employees Union Com. VAN Namboodiri hoisted the union flag.  After garlanding the Martyrs column and  observing  silence to pay due homage to the Martyrs, Union office inauguration ceremony started. Com. Biswanath Chatterjee as proposed inaugurated the new union office. Circle Secretary delivered a welcome speech. Com. P Abhimanyu, General Secretary BSNLEU  could not attend the function due to some urgent union work at New Delhi. Circle Secretary, Saibal Sengupta  read out the greeting message sent by the GS.  Com. Sisir Bhattacharya, the senior most leader initiated the ceremony by his valuable speech. Com. Shib Sankar Roy, JT. Convenor 12th July Committee delivered his speech.   Com. VAN Namboodiri, All India President BSNL Employees Union, the Chief Speaker addressed the mass. He appreciated the organisers and workers for their disciplined act and adept performance which brought this success. He also expressed that the Calcutta Telephones Circle with its past glory of fight from Olympia House would be able to upkeep the tradition of undaunted struggle from this new union office.  Alok Nandi, Deputy GS FNTO. Dilip Saha, State Secretary SNEA,  Subhasis Mitra , Asst. Secretary AIBSNLEA, Amit Gupta, leader AIBSNLEA,  D K Sahoo, Circle Secretary, AIGETOA, Timir Bhattacharjee, Circle Secretary, AIBSNLOA, Shyamal Ghosh, cIrcle Secretary, NFTE BSNL. Assistant Circle Secretary from SNATTA addressed the house.  Alok Nandi announced that he will donate Rs. 5000/- Shyamal Ghosh said that he will donate Rs. 1000/- and Amit Gupta declared that he will donate a wall clock to our union. Howrah District Secretary, Com. Prabir Dutta handed over Rs. One lakh twenty four thousand plus to the Circle Treasurer Com. Tushar Mukherjee. Many a comrades donated to union building fund. Com Animesh Mitra, GS BSNL Co ordination Committee, Com. Pijush Roy, GS CG Co ordination Committe, Com. Manab Sensharma, GS CG Pensioners Co ordination Committee, Com. Tapash Ghosh, Secretary General BSNLCCWF, Originator Com. Supriya Mitra, Ice breaker Com. Biswanath Chatterjee, Com. Ananta Kr. Bhattacharjee, All India President, AIBDPA, Com. Adhir Kr. Sen, Vice President, BSNLEU CHQ  and Shri Tamonesh Chandra on behalf of the landlord made their deliberations. Decoration, Sub Committee comrades  Manisha Biswas, Asit Bose, Samar Sarkar, Reception Sub Committee Comrades Ash Md Khan, Subrata Majumder,Bhajan Sarkar, Transport Sub Committee comrades Jayanta Ghosh, Ashoke Sengupta worked effectively. A very good delicious dish was served under the Leadership of Comrades Paritosh Dutta, Swapan Biswas and Nipen Sikdar with  suitable support from Bidhan Nagar District Comrades who cooked food and made all arrangements for lunch.Com. Subhasish Roy, Convenor of all functionaries supervised every affairs.  Many a organiser and members including non regular and retired workers put their support for successful conduct of the inaugural function. The entire programme was presided over by our respected  Circle President Com. Aghor Sikdar.

Congratulations to Kolkata Telephones Circle union and its workers!

MURDER OF DEMOCRACY IN KERALA, 53 YEARS AGO IN 1959, REMEMBERED

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in History

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It was on the 31st of July 1959, that the President of India, on the advice of the Prime Minister dismissed the democratically elected EMS Government even before completing half of its tenure. It was a shock to the ruling Congress that in Kerala the Communist Party got majority in the 1957 elections. It could not tolerate this defeat and made all efforts at horse trade of MLAs and other methods to cause fall of the government. It completely failed in even getting a single MLA from the ruling party or the independents supporting it.

The Communist Government with Com. E.M.S.Namboodiripad as the Chief Minister enacted much very important progressive legislations in the fields of Land Reforms, Education etc. which changed the entire situation in the state in favour of the common people and the toiling masses. The rich and the vested interests were desperate. The communal forces could not digest these progressive reforms. A ‘Vimochana Samaram’ was organised by all these disgruntled elements with the support of CIA and its funds to topple the Ministry, but again it failed. US Ambassador at that time confirmed later about the money given to the anti-government movement.

It is in this context that the Central Government directly intervened and dismissed the government misusing Article 356 of the Constitution. The Congress government later utilised this authority of to dismiss many other state governments opposed to it. The dismissal of the Kerala government was nothing but a murder of democracy.

53 years are over after that, but the shame and guilt of the same still hangs on the Congress. Kerala can never forget or forgive this assault on democracy.

AIBDPA has a strong base In Kolkata

29 Sunday Jul 2012

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Yesterday, I got a chance to attend a meeting of the All India BSNL-DOT Pensioners Association at Kolkata. It was a meeting of the leading comrades of AIBDPA in Kolkata which was urgently called to have interaction in connection with my visit. Com. Ananta Kr. Bhattacharjee, All India President, presided and Com. Supriyo Mitra, Circle Secretary, AIBDPA welcomed all. When I spoke, I narrated the struggles organised by the AIBDPA separately and also jointly with NCCPA, BCPC as also BSNLEU. During a short period, we could achieve the Pension Revision to pre-2007 retirees, Allotment of quarters to retirees, Braod Band connections on concession basis  and some other issues. At the same time, there are other major demands which have to be settled. The growth of the organisation through  out the country was narrated. There was active discussion. It was clear that the pensioners in Kolkata are completely well organised and strongly behind AIBDPA.

My hearty congratulations to the AIBDPA Kolkata Telephone Circle.

Regularise the Left out casual workers in DOPT / BSNL

29 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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As a PSU, BSNL is utterly failing in its Human Resources Policy. I will focus on one issue particularly in this respect.

There are around 4,000 casual workers in BSNL who were engaged at the time of DOT and have completed more than 15 to 20 years of uninterrupted service. In the DOT, they were being regularised systematically, even though delay used to take place in many cases.

As per the agreement made between the DOT and Federations before the corporatisation to BSNL, all the left-out casual labours who fulfil the required conditions will be regularised. About 6,000 casual labours were regularised accordingly. But there are still about 4,000 yet to be regularised.

The plea of the management that they cannot be regularised in view of the Supreme Court judgement in the case of State of Karnataka vs  Uma Devi, is not acceptable. Based on the same judgement both the Government Departments like Income Tax, Customs etc. as also PSUs have regularised their left-out casual workers. BSNL can also regularise the workers in the same way.

BSNLEU and BSNL Casual Workers Federation has taken this issue seriously. If the management does not act without further delay to regularise the employees serious struggle become inevitable. The management cannot refuse the legitimate right of the workers.

The meeting of the BSNLCCWF held at Kolkata yesterday which was attended by me along with Com. Animesh mitra, Vice-President, Com. Tapas Ghosh Secretary General, Tapos Banerjee, Treasurer and other leaders explained all the issues raised by the members. It was a very good discussion on all the issues of the casual and contract workers

Red Salute to Cuba on National Day!

26 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in History

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July 26 is the National day of Cuba. This date has a glorious history. It was on 26th July in 1953 that Fidel Castro, Che Guivera, Raul Castro and other revolutionaries attacked the Moncada Army Garrison of Santiago de Cuba in their effort to oust  dictator Batista who was ruling the country. Though this effort was not successful, within a few years Batista was compelled to run away defeated by the revolutionaries and  independence was declared on 1st January 1959. Fidel Castro became the first President of the Republic of Cuba.

July 26th was declared as the National Day of Cuba by the Cuban Government in memory of the attack on the Moncada Army Garrison, which heralded the revolution in Cuba.

NCCPA leaders meet at New Delhi

26 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners

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After the Parliament March today, the leaders and representatives of the NCCPA and AIBDPA who were present met at Ambedkar Bhawan and discussed the future programmes. The meeting called upon all state units to organise March to Raj Bhawan and submit memorandum to the Governors on the 19 point charter of the Pensioners. ( In Kerala, the March was held today very successfully).

The meeting also decided to authorise the CHQ to discuss with the Confederation and synchronise the future programme including the dharna at District level/state level etc. Coms.S.K.Vyas, Secretary General and  V.A.N.Namboodiri, Patron of NCCPA were present along with other office-bearers.

Central employees and pensioners march to Parliament

26 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in TU News - India

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The March to the Parliament by the Central Government employees and pensioners held to-day saw workers and pensioners from all parts of the country participating in a massive way. Thousands marched through the Parliament Street where they were stopped by the large police contingent. The rally was held there which was inaugurated by Com. Tapan Sen, MP and the General Secretary of CITU. He assured full support to the genuine demands raised in the March and assured that he will take the same with the government.

Coms. S.K.Vyas, K.K.N.Kutty and other leaders of the Confederation and NCCPA addressed the rally. Myself participated on behalf of the All India BSNL – DOT Pensioners Association.

The Rally took the decision to continue the agitation and organise a Token Strike on 12th December 2012, if the issues are not settled by that time.

The last journey of Captain Lakshmi Saghal

25 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Obituary, Tributes

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Kanpur, July 24 : As a huge crowd bid her the final farewell, veteran freedom fighter Captain Lakshmi Sehgal’s body was today taken to the GSVM medical college here where it would be donated for research.
The body of Sehgal, who passed away yesterday at the age of 97, was taken in a procession from the McRobert hospital.
Suhasini Ali, daughter of the freedom fighter and CPI(M) leader said, “as per her last wish we have donated her eyes and her body would be donated for medical research and handed over to the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College”.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat, CITU general secretary Tapan Sen, AIDWA general secretary Sudha Sundararaman, CPI(M) Central Committee member P K Sreemathy paid their last respects.

Also present were Comrade Lakshmi Sehgal’s daughters, Subhashini Ali and Aneesa Puri and other relatives.

Thousands of common people, including workers, women, school children and people from all walks of life participated in the last journey.

Political leaders from all parties like SP, BJP, BSP, Congress also paid homage to the departed revolutionary leader.
Union Minister Vyalar Ravi, Sehgal’s filmmaker grandson Shad Ali and other prominent media personalities paid their tributes at her last farewell.
Karat remembered the leader as a “highly politically motivated human being who fought injustice wherever she saw it…She served people with every ounce of strength”.
Yesterday, after her demise, leaders from across the political spectrum lauded Sehgal’s contribution to the country.
Sehgal (97), who was part of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army, breathed her last at a private hospital at 11.20 AM yesterday.     She was admitted to the hospital on July 19 after she suffered a heart attack at her residence in the Civil Lines area here.

Celebration of a birhday – Thank You comrades!

24 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in General

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Today early morning, I received a SMS with Best Wishes for a very Happy Platinum Birth Day. I was surprised, since my Birthday as per office records were 12th June. Then I remembered. The real birthday was only 24th July. 12th June was the date given by mistake or so, at the time of joining  the school. Even I had forgotten the real date. I thank Comrade for having  reminded me and wished me first  on my birthday.

But this was not all. I was attending the T.Nadu Circle Conference at Tirupur. All of a sudden a birthday cake was brought to the stage.. I had no other choice. Probably to the best of my memory, this was the first time that my birthday was celebrated in this way. I was really embarrassed. But I also participated in the happiness of all the comrades present. I thank the circle union, Reception Committee and all comrades for the love and affection shown to me.

I thank the large number of comrades who have called or sent Best Wishes by SMS, E-mail etc.

I am still at a loss to understand  how all of  a sudden my birthday was known to so many. Probably the latest technology has done the trick. Of course, it is also a reminder that ‘you are 75′. Can I add ’75 years young’?