Author Archives: VAN NAMBOODIRI

‘Horrendous acts of mobocracy’ can not be allowed – Supreme Court issues directions to Central Government

18 Wednesday Jul 2018

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The Supreme Court today asked Parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying “horrendous acts of mobocracy” cannot be allowed to become a new norm.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also passed a slew of directions to provide “preventive, remedial and punitive measures” to deal with offences like mob violence and cow vigilantism.
The bench, which also comprised justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said it was the duty of state governments to ensue law and order in society, besides ensuring that the rule of law prevailed.
“Citizens cannot take law into their hands and cannot become law unto themselves,” the bench said.
“Horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be allowed to become a new norm and has to be curbed with iron hands,” it said, adding that states cannot turn a deaf ear to such incidents.
The bench asked the legislature to consider enacting a new penal provision to deal with offences of mob violence and provide deterrent punishment to such offenders.
The top court passed the order on a plea seeking formulation of guidelines to curb such violent incidents in the country.
The bench has now posted the PIL filed by persons like Tushar Gandhi and Tehseen Poonawalla for further hearing on August 28 and asked the Centre and state governments to take steps to deal with such offences in pursuance of its directions.
The CJI, who pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom, did not read out measures directed by the court to deal with such offences.
The SC had earlier dubbed the cases of lynching by vigilantes as a crime and not merely a law and order problem and had taken serious note of mob violence.
During the earlier hearing, senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi, had said that lynching by cow vigilantes was happening despite the top court’s orders directing states to appoint nodal officers in each districts.
Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha had said the Centre was alive to the situation and trying to deal with it.
On September 6 last year, the apex court had asked all states to take stern measures to stop violence in the name of cow protection, including appointment of senior police officers as nodal officer in every district within a week and acting promptly to check cow vigilantes from behaving like they are “law unto themselves”.
The apex court had sought response from Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments on a plea seeking contempt action for not following its order to take stern steps to stop violence in the name of cow vigilantism.
A contempt petition was filed by Tushar Gandhi, saying the three states have not complied with the top court order of September 6 last year. (Courtesy: PTI)

Wage Revision, Pension Revision etc. AUAB calls for Hunger Strike on 24, 15, 26 July 2018.

18 Wednesday Jul 2018

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AUAB has called for 3 days Relay Hunger Strike in front of Offices on the demands of Wage revision, Pension Revision, Allocation of 4 G Spectrum to BSNL etc.

AIBDPA, the Association of Pensioners in BSNL, has extended full solidarity and called upon its members to participate in full strength in the programme.

Wage Negotiation for wage revision for BSNL Non-Executives will start on 20th July 2018.

18 Wednesday Jul 2018

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After sustained agitations, strike and meeting with the Communications Minister by the AUAB, the wage negotiation committee has been formed and the wage negotiation is expected to start from 20th July 2018. The wage revision is due from 01-01-2017. One and half years have already passed. As such, the BSNL management should take up the matter seriously and ensure that the negotiation is reached its logical conclusion as already demanded by the AUAB. (Courtesy: BSNLEU website)

Medical Allowance for BSNL employees – Restore original order

18 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by in BSNL, Pension

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After much protest and persuasion, the BSNL Management has restored the Medical Allowance without voucher for out-door treatment. But the management has reduced the quantum. This is not acceptable.
The Management should restore the Medical Allowance for pensioners as earlier. Otherwise it will be treated as an insult and against senior citizens as provided in the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007.
AIBDPA General Secretary has already taken up the case with the CMD BSNL.

‘GDS’ Court case in CAT – Next date 12-09-2018

17 Tuesday Jul 2018

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The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has fixed the next date for hearing as 12-09-2018 in the case filed by NFPE and AIPEU-GDS for grant of ‘Civil Servant Status’ to GDS. The postponement was due to paucity of time.

Federation and AIPEU-GDS have been long demanding for grant of Civil Servant Status to the GDS, who are working for years together in the Postal department.The central government was compelled to accept the recommendations of the GDS Committee, only after a glorious strike for 16 days by the entire GDS workers and solidarity strike by the Postal employees.

A Saga of Struggles, Sacrifices and Achievements (2) – Bhopal All India Conference, Start of A New Era.

17 Tuesday Jul 2018

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The All India conference of All India Telecom Employees Union Class III, the biggest affiliated union of National Federation of Telecom Employees (NFTE), was held at Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, from 24th to 29th October 1991. Along with our comrades from Calicut (Kozhikode), where I was working at the time, we started two days in advance so as to tour the nearby places as also to meet the delegates in advance to discuss organisational matters. Comrades M.Balasubramaniam, wife Rojana, V.Nalini, M.V.Sadanandan, P.V.Nambissan, K.Damodaran, C.P.Sadanandan, Radhakrishnan, my wife Pankajam and many other comrades were with me. It was a two day journey by train and after reaching Bhopal Railway Station, we stayed at a nearby hotel as the Reception Committee had not yet arranged the accommodation etc.
The two days before the AIC was utilised to meet the delegates coming by train and discussing with them about the organisational issues, mainly the support being given by Com. O.P.Gupta, General Secretary of the union to the anti-working class policies of the government as also the anti-democratic functioning of the union itself. Many comrades agreed with our opinion.
In between, we also found time to visit the ancient caves nearby, the famous mosque in the city etc.
The AIC was being arranged by constructing a very big pandal in the extensive maidan, New Dasra. Though there were provisions in the constitution of the union for the number of delegates to the AIC, the convention was that all those who came and remitted the delegates fee were accommodated as delegates.
There were about 3,000 delegates including a large number of women. Many have come with family and were interested to visit places of attraction, even when the proceedings are in progress. Only about half of the delegates will be present most of the time, while others are either in the dining hall for taking breakfast/lunch/dinner, or were out for sight-seeing. Families will sit there one day or so and then leave the place. There was enough scope for doubt that this kind of situation was created purposely to avoid any serous discussion in the AIC.
However, there used to be serious discussions, debates and fight on the issues, the organisational matters and agitations. There used to be bitter fight on the policy to be adopted in settling the issues of the workers. The inner struggle was always there in E.III Union. This is what happened in the Bhopal AIC also.
The Conference was presided over by Comrade Homi Daji, M.P., President of the union. It was the convention of most of the unions in NFPTE from the start to elect a Member of Parliament to be the President. Many were the top T.U. leaders and M.P.s who were Presidents of the unions. Comrades S.M.Banerjee, Mahesh Dutt Mishra, N.K.Bhatt, Subhadra Joshi, S.B.Das, Homi Daji were some of them. One reason was that these leaders could raise many of the issues in the Parliament and focus them for settlement. This was stopped by the government later, but still certain unions continued the system for some more time.
Comrade Homi Daji was the General Secretary / President of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and was elected more than once to the parliament from the Indore constituency in Madhya Pradesh. He used to preside in the AIC from the first to the last, instead of a token presence only.
Open Session
The open session was held in the main pandal, which was attended by about 5000 including the delegates and public. Chairman, Telecom Commission H.V.Wagle, Advisor (HRD) V.Rajagopalan, CGM M.P. D.K.Gupta, GS T.3 Union P.S.Raman Kutty, GS Line Staff Union Chandrasekhar, GS RMS – 3 Union N.M.S.Rao, GS T.IV Union Sagir Mohammed and other leaders addressed.
(to be continued)

India may lead world in population by 2030

17 Tuesday Jul 2018

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A recent report indicates that India may become the most populated country in the world by 2030 or so. India is having a population of 133,43,50,000. It is the second most populous country with China leading with 139,29,50,000. While China is having 18.20% of the world population, India have 17.5%. The estimate for population in India is 152.8 crore while for China it is 141.6 crore. The world population present is estimated to be 734.5 crore

The increase in population have a close connection with the standard of living and almost all other matters. In a developing country like India, plans and development become completely below the requirement due to high increase in population. Unless plans are executed considering the growth, benefits will not accrue to large section of the people.

Inflation shoots up highest since December 2013

17 Tuesday Jul 2018

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While Modi government praises itself for the growth of economy, the actual fact is that more and more miseries are being piled up on the people. During last month the inflation has gone up for a four year high  in June 2018 – 5.77%. The main reason is the continued increase of petrol and diesel prices. Petrol has up more than Rs. 80 per litre in almost all the cities.

We hope that the opposition parties will raise up these issues in the Parliament session which is going to start shortly.

WFTU Legal Committee meets at Athens.

16 Monday Jul 2018

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The WFTU Legal Committee Meeting started its works on July 16th in Athens, Greece

Today, July 16th the WFTU Legal Committee meeting started its works in Athens under the slogan “Justice in the Service of the International Working Class Interests”.

Twenty lawyers form all the five continents of the world are gathered in Athens and discussing about the strengthening of the class struggle and the contribution of the militant lawyers in this cause.

The keynote speech was addressed by Janaka Adikari, member of the WFTU Presidential Council.

In the meeting the WFTU leadership is represented by the WFTU General Secretary George Mavrikos and the WFTU Vice-President Valentin Pacho.

Nostalgic Memories of Telegraph/ Telegram Services

16 Monday Jul 2018

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Morse Key Board for sending telegrams.

Five years have passed since the government of India closed the Telegraph / Telegram services in India. Despite strong protests from the union and the public, the telegraph / telegram services were closed on 15th July 2013 by the Government of India. BSNL Employees Union organised protest actions, but the decision was already taken by the government stating that the service is in loss. It is true that telegram services lost its attraction and use to a certain extent after the mobile services and various message applications started, but it was a record for courts, banks and such organisations. Our plea that at least it should be kept in the four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta and Chennai in which Central Telegraph Offices a minimum of at least about 500 messages were received and dispatched was also not conceded. However, our demand for a Telegraph Museum was accepted and is now situated in former CTO Building, Kolkatta.

The history of telegraphs started long back. The electrical telegraph was invented in 1775. The first commercial telegraphs were introduced by the Western Railways in Britain in the 1830s. It was introduced in India in 1854 along with the railways.The telephones were not invented and the fastest communication system was the telegraphs. Only the Britishers were employed as telegraphist both in Railways and in Telegraph Offices in the initial stages due to its utmost importance and secrecy. The Britishers used the telegraphs and Railways effectively to crush the First Independence War of 1857, which they called as ‘Sepoy Mutiny’. The Telegraphs grew fantastically during the second part of the 20th century and there were telegraph offices in all important cities and towns. In small places, the services were manned by the Postal officials called ‘Singnallers’, who kept the connection between the cities and the villages through telegraph wires.
Telegrams were sent by government as also by public to inform urgent and important news. The CTOs in the metro cities used to have about 100 or 200 telegraphists at the same time and round the clock. The telegrams were taken as official records in the court etc. It was authentic and clear. Since the charge for sending telegram was on the basis of the number of words, the message was constructed briefly with minimum number of words. The message may be of great happiness or that of sorrow like death or disease. The unions used to organise ‘telegram campaigns’ as a method of protest sending the same in large numbers to the concerned authorities.

After the growth of telephones and mobile services, the importance of telegraphs started to wane. By the second decade of 21st century it was almost limited to certain official messages. According to the government and the BSNL, there was much loss and it can not be continued as a viable service.

When the government decided to close the telegraph offices and telegraph/telegram services from 15th July, BSNL Unions put up strong protest and organised protest meetings. As President of the Union, I went to Mumbai and Kolkata offices and held press conferences for getting the support of the people at large for continuing the services.

Telegraph is a heritage service and accommodated in heritage buildings in the big cities. CTO buildings in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata etc. are heritage buildings, which have to be maintained as such. Lakhs and lakhs of documents connected with the history of the Mughal, British rule etc. are there in the old documents of the telegraph offices. Just like Western Court building in Delhi is occupied by a hotel, there are proposals to turn these heritage buildings also in to such posh hotels. You can see that many of the historic palaces have already been converted in to hotels.

A PLI case was filed in the court, but did not get any relief. It can only be said that the BSNL management had taken an unwise anti-people decision as also without taking in to confidence of the unions, which were trying to improve the services and make the company financially viable.

Despite all efforts to ensure that the telegraph services are kept as a token of the past, as in the case of trams in Kolkata, neither the government nor the BSNL agreed. It was finally decided to close it on 15th July 2013 forever.

Nobody expected what happened on the day. It was a pleasant surprise. Thousands of people gathered in front of telegraph offices to send their last telegrams to their near and dear ones. Even after midnight of 15/16 July, the queue did not stop and many people had to return disappointed that they could not send the last telegram. Their spontaneous response on the last day showed their love and appreciation of the telegraph services.

Five years are over after closure of telegraph services. The people have almost forgotten the ‘telegram’. The new generation may wonder what is ‘telegraphs’ and ‘telegram’. But those who knew telegram and sent or received it will always remember the same – A nostalgic memory!