MY LIFE AND STRUGGLES – 8TEACHING EXPERIENCES (Contd.)It was the practice to hold official meetings of all teachers in the area on second Saturday every month, presided by the Asst. Educational Officer. Teachers who could not attend had to apply leave. Since one leave will be lost in case of absence, all teachers used to attend, especially since AEO will be present. AEO will address, government circulars will be read, a model class will be taken by a teacher and discussion on the class will take place. For conducting these meetings and keeping records etc., a teacher will be selected as secretary of the official Teachers Association. My elder brother was the earlier Secretary. After he left, I was selected for the post. It was convenient for me, since the meetings used to take place in our school. Could also meet AEO at Mattanur, on way home.Orders of state government that all teachers should take LIC policies for a minimum amount of Rs.1,000 were issued during this period. It was discussed and decided that for the convenience of all, one teacher may take LIC agency and help all teachers. I was selected for the job. Took an LIC agency. It was not an easy task. Filling up application forms, collecting premium, paying it to LIC had to be done. Of course, Commission was received from LIC, which was satisfactory.During this period, the beloved leader of the Freedom movement and the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited Tellicherry (present Thalassery) to address a hugely attended meeting. I went to Tellicherry to hear him and if possible to get an autograph from him. Had a box camera with me and posed as a photographer and got allowed to reach near him and take his photo. Requested for an autograph and got it. I was so happy to meet him and get the autograph. It was almost a dream come true.Pen friends were a craze then. I had some pen friends in USA, Britain and Germany. The German friend had sent me the box camera as present, with which I took the photo of Nehruji. The US friend sent me a very big and heavy stamp album with bundles of used stamps. I could not afford to give such costly presents. I sent them some books, instead.During my teacher days, I got connected with the Bhoodan movement started by Shri Vinoba Bhave. It was a movement to pressurize big landlords to donate land to the landless. The leaders of the movement went and got lands for distribution. A camp was organized at Thodannur near Badagara during 25-04-1958 to 15-05-1958, which I attended. S/Shri K.Kelappan, Ikkanda Variar and T.V.Anandan were the organizers. The routine was strict. Early morning, after bath etc. breakfast will be served. No tea or coffee; instead Jappi will be given, which is a combination of drink with pepper, ginger etc. Before taking breakfast, prayers of Hindu, Muslim and Christian will be recited by all – ‘Sarvamatha Prarthana’( All Religions Prayer).After breakfast, we move to the donated land. The main tasks were to dig well, construct road, break the rocks to enable construction of roads, cleaning the water tanks etc; it was service to the people. Part of Sarvodaya task. In the afternoon, classes will be conducted by the leaders.Jay Prakash Narayan and Vinoba Bhave were the leaders of the Sarvodaya Movement. Vinobaji had come to the camp once. I am not very sure now whether Jay Prakshji came to the camp. But got the opportunity to meet him at Patna Convention of NFPTE in 1978, when I was part of the delegation which met him at his residence. He was weak and sick. He passed away shortly afterwards.One day, after the work in the village, we went and took bath in a nearby temple tank. But the owners of the tank, high caste Hindus, objected to our taking bath. Reason – presence of so called ‘low castes’. Because of the ‘sacred thread’ on my body, they were willing to allow me to bath, but I did not want any special consideration. All of us protested and came back. We told the incident to Kelappaji. He met the trustees of the temple and got permission to take bath. There was no trouble later.One thing I realized was that most of the land donated by the landlords was unusable. There was also a line of thinking that the Bhoodan movement was started only to weaken the struggle for land.Later, I did not have much connection, both with the Bhoodan and Sarvodaya movements.Photoes (1) Loknayak Jay Prakash Narayan (2-3) K.Kelappan (4-5) Pen Friends.

Dear Comrades,

The farmers in the country are in a do or die battle against the anti-farmer policy of Modi government. They are compelled to March to the National Capital against the three agrarian acts, adopted by the Parliament in a most undemocratic manner. Modi goverment is repeating the rhetoric that the these bills are intended to benefit the farmers as claimed in the cases of monetisation, GST and change in the base year of CPI. Modi government mercilessly rejected the demand of the farmers for Minimum Support Price for their products. The farmers are fully convinced of the dangerous impacts of the provisions of these new acts; The Multi national Corporations are given freedom to dictate terms of farming, purchase, processing,storage and marketing. They naturally apprehend that in effect it will finish freedom to do farming, will increase input burden, debts, losses, farm suicides and displcement of land.

As far as the people are concerned, they will have to suffer due to the hoarding, black marketing and increased price of food products and a freedom for the corporates to exploit the maximum. As you are aware repeal of farm laws was one of the main demands of the Cetral Trade Unions for the 26th November Strike.

The farmers struggle is being spearheaded by the All India Kisan Sangarsh Co-ordination Committee in which several organisations, irrespective of political affiliation are included. Modi government tried its level best to crush the struggle by preventing them from entering Delhi. Police and Army were deployed and barricades, concrete blocks, trucks, water cannons, teargas shells were used against the farmers. They braved all these repressions and stand determined. Finally, the government had to relent and called them for negoitiation but with condition that the farmers should move to a maidan. It was rejected by the struggling farmers and the discussion held with the government on 01-12-2020 failed as the government took an adament stand. The only offer from the government was that they will appoint a committee to examine the issue which was rejected by the farmers forum.

Meanwhile more and more farmers are coming to Delhi from various states and the five highways to Delhi are almost blocked by the farmers. So the government seems to be in a sticky wicket and has called for another discussion on 03-12-2020.

This is one of the biggest struggles, the country has witnessed and gaining huge support from almost all section of the society. Comrades, the farmers are the backbone of the country and they are feeding the entire people. So we cannot reamain a silent spectator to this great struggle. (AIBDPA CHQ WEBSITE)

Com.K.G.Jayaraj, Secretary General, AIBDPA has addressed a strong letter to CMD BSNL regarding the difficulty being experienced by the BSNL retirees, due to the non-maintenance of the land line and broad band connections. Many retirees are feeling exasperated due to the non-repair of the faulty lines and equipment. This has been brought to the notice of the CMD in the letter demanding early maintenance.