A BRIEF HISTORY OF COMMUNICATIONS

THE EPIC STRIKE OF JULY 1946 BY P AND T EMLOYEES – 1

A BRIEF HISTORY OF COMMUNICATIONS

The 23 days strike of the Posts and Telegraph Employees which started from 11^th   July 1946 is an historic and inspiring chapter of the great Independence Struggle. The strike ended with achievement of all the 12 demands raised by the unions. It also shows the full justification of the demands. Public fully supported. As in the case of the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny, The strike of the P and T Workers also inspired and encouraged the freedom movement.

Before going in to the details of the strike, it will be pertinent to have a brief look in to the then communications services and the trade union organizations.

Growth of Communication Services

The history of Communications starts along with the history of mankind. In the early ages, they communicated each other with body movements, sounds, symbols, hints, pictures, drawings etc. These have been recorded by the various historians, who deeply investigated in the matter.

Alphabets, sentences, writings etc. were already in vogue in BC 3000 and used by Sumerians, Semitics, Egyptians and Chinese etc. The invention  of paper, printing press etc. helped communication services in a big way.

The rulers in India  used doves for conveying urgent messages to distant parts of their kingdom. Chinese used bamboo and wood pieces. Messages were also sent through horse men to various parts of the country. It is well known that Marathon is being organized in memory of the epic non-stopping run of soldier Philipedas to inform Caesar about the victory in the war.

Not only for sending messages and news, but also for the growth of civilization and progress, Communications have been of great help. Letters / Messages were sent initially by the rulers only.  Religious institutions and merchants followed suit for their own requirements.

Postal Services in India

Postal Services were started in Britain in 1516. Although initially it was only for the use of the royalty, it was extended to the people in 1635.Postal Coaches, pulled by horses and transporting letters, parcels etc were introduced in 1784.  When the trains were introduced, postal articles were sent through them also. It was on 15^th September 1830 that the first postal bag with articles  through train were sent from Liverpool to Manchester.  Universal Postal Union connecting postal services between various countries was introduced in 1874.

Although limited postal services existed during the period of Mughals and earlier sultans, kings etc., it was in 1766, during the British regime that the modern postal services were introduced in India, under the initiative of Robert Clive, then Governor General. The services were run under the direct control of the top British officers, and that too for the East India Company only. Only District Collectors were authorized to open the postal bags.

The General Post Office in Calcutta was started in 1774; in Madras in 1789 and in Bombay in1794. Gradually services started in the kingdoms of Travancore, Mysore, Junagadh, Indore, Bhopal, Cochin etc. It was called Anchal Service in Travancore and Cochin. There were some private services also.

Through a Post Office Act in 1854, all the postal services run by private organizations were closed. Postal services became the monopoly of the East India Company. The postal rates were unified. A grand system with 300 Head Quarter Offices  and 451 Sub-ordinate Offices  was introduced in October 1854. Postal Stamps were also introduced. The charges were calculated on the basis of distance in the early days.

Telegraph Services started in India in 1850s along with Railways. The first Telegraph line between Calcutta and Lucknow was inaugurated in November 1850.

The British fully utilized the  Posts and Telegraph Services  to control their biggest colony, India. It is worth mentioning  that the historians have recorded that  the telegraph services were fully used for conveying information and locating the enemy forces etc. during the first Independence Struggle, which the British called as “1857 Sepoy Mutiny “.

V.A.N.Namboodiri

Three great Strikes of the Central Govt Employees,  1946,1960 and 1968

Dear Comrades and Well Wishers,

Comrade P.V.Chandrasekharan and I (V.A.N.Namboodiri) have jointly written and published three books about the great three strikes of the Central Government / P and T Employees – 22 Days Strike by P and T Employees in 1946, 5 Days Strike of CG Employees in 1960 and One day Token Strike of CG Employees on 19^th September 1968. All these are in Malayalam and have been well received by the employees as a whole.

Now many comrades from other states, who do not know Malayalam, have requested that these books be translated in to English, so that they can also read the same. I have agreed to their requests. Interestingly the Malayalam books were published first about 1968 strike, then 1960 strike and thirdly 1946 strike. This was not intentional, but it happened as such. The translations, however, will start with the 1946 strike.

Now that Com.PVC has passed away, the entire responsibility falls upon me. I propose to translate and post in FB.  Within a few days the posts will start.

Your support and suggestions are most welcome in improving the contents as well as the presentation.

Yours Comradely, V.A.N.Namboodiri

THE EPIC STRIKE OF JULY 1946 BY P AND T EMLOYEES

PRE FACE

The various struggles, strikes and agitations organized by the workers and common people against the British Rule for about two centuries are part of history. Many people became martyrs in these struggles.

After the ‘Quit India Movement’ under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in 1942, sustained struggles in one form or other continued till declaration of Independence on 15^th August 1947.  ‘Royal Indian Navy Mutiny’, Thebhaga Struggle, Formation of INA under Subhas Chandra Bose and military campaign,  etc. are well known. The 1946 strike of Posts   and Telegraph employees which continued for 23 days and ended only after all the demands were achieved is also part of the great independence movement.

In preparing the original book in Malayalam, the various articles written by Comrades V.G.Dalvi, Dada Ghosh and K.G.Bose who were leaders of the strike, as also the union journals of that period have been of much help. In addition, the reports of the strike in the daily “Mathrubhoomi”,being published from Kozhikode for the entire period of the strike could be obtained and referred to, with the help of the Mathrubhoomi  management and their Librarian Shri  K.K.Vinod Kumar ( a former telephone Operator in P and T)  for which thanks are due to them. The present series of articles being posted are the English translation of the book, as demanded my many comrades from other states.

I express my thanks to all those who helped in various ways to prepare the book on the epic strike of 1946.  I pay my respectful homage to Com. P.V.Chandrasekharan, veteran leader and co-author of the book, who passed away a few months back.

V.A.N.Namboodiri

68 years back , National Federation of Posts and Telegraphs Employees (NFPTE) was formed merging all the existing unions under a reorganisation plan agreed jointly by the P and T Department and the Unions. It was assured by the government that no other union will be recognised. NFPTE was having nine affiliated All India Unions – 2 unions in each arm of the department ( viz. Postal, Telegraphs, Telephones and RMS) for class III and Class IV separately and also one union for class III and Class IV staff of the Circle office. This system continued for three decades till the Department was bifurcated in to Posts and telegraphs in 1986. The Federation was also bifurcated in to NFPE and NFTE. But close relationship continues between NFPE and BSNLEU, the new union formed after Telecom was converted in to BSNL, a PSU.

It was the leadership of NFPTE, which took initiative for forming the Confederation of Central Govt Employees and Workers in 1956. The glorious strikes of 1960, 1968 and 1974 were organised under the leadership of Confederation, NFPTE, AIRF, AIDEF etc, The victimisation of the workers and their leaders by the govt was beyond any description and never seen earlier, even during the British days. But these struggles compelled the Central govt to settle many issues of the workers.

NFPTE Day was celebrated all over India with massive participation on 24th November every year with honouring the strike martyrs, flag hoisting, procession, meetings etc. It was an opportunity to remember the glorious past of the P and T trade union movement and also the pioneers and great leaders of the movement.

NFPTE as such does not exist now. The heritage is taken by NFPE and BSNLEU. The day is still observed in many centres jointly or separately. It is a time to teach the new generation about the glorious past and the great sacrifices made by the workers of the past to maintain the organisation and for achievement of demands.

As everybody knows, P and T trade unions did not start in 1954. Struggles were organised by the Postmen of Poona in the last decades of 19th century guided by Lokmanya Tilak. Babu Tarapada Mukherjee, Henry Barton and Barrister-at-Law V.G.Dalvi formed unions in Posts, Telegraphs and Postmen respectively in the first and second decades of 20th century and organised historical struggles. The 22 days strike of the P and T employees in 1946 is considered as part of the Independence struggle, in which the British government was compelled to agree to all the 12 demands raised by the Union.

On this 68th anniversary of the formation of NFPTE let us remember our glorious past and prepare for sustained struggles against the attacks on the working class and ordinary people by the pro-corporate Modi government. PSUs are either sold or disinvested, hard won trade union rights are being taken away, Communalism is raising its ugly head supported by the ruling party etc. etc. The working class has got an important role for safeguarding the ‘Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic of India’ and its traditions.

Let us remember and pay homage to the Martyrs who sacrificed their all in the many strikes and struggles. Red salute to them.

NFPTE Zindabad !

Unity for Struggle, Struggle for Unity, Unity and Struggle for Progress !

24th November 2022 is the 68th Anniversary of the formation of National Federation of  P  and T Employees (NFPTE), the mighty organisation of the Posts and Telegraphs (including Telephones) Employees. it was formed at New Delhi on 24th November 1954, by merging all the existing P and T Unions, under a reorganisation plan. 

NFPTE was in the forefront of the major historic Strikes of the Central government employees in 1960, 1968 , 1974 etc. Comrades Dada Bhosh (B.N.Ghosh,), O.P.Gupta, K.G.Bose, N.J.Iyer, K.Adinarayana, D.Gnaniah, were some of the prominent leaders, who gave inspiring leadership to the movement. Of course, there were serious inner struggles on ideology and also on how to organise struggles etc., that continued for many years. Many disputes also arose. Unity was restored by the end of seventies.

The government did not want the  P and T Department to continue. Posts and Telegraphs were made in to separated departments. Naturally, NFPTE was also bifurcated in to NFPE and NFTE in  the Calcutta Federal Council held on 17-21 March 1986. NFPTE as such existed only for 32 years, but its impact is still in the trade union movements. 

After formation of BSNL, BSNL Employees Union continues as the progressive union following the great tradition of NFPTE. In the Postal side NFPE continues as the torch bearer. 

On the 68th Anniversary of NFPTE, we salute all the comrades who led the movement, worked sincerely sacrificed every thing for the upliftment of the workers and also who sacrificed their lives in the many heroic struggles !

As a comrade who entered the department in 1958 and participated and was victimised in all the heroic struggles, I express my thanks to the organisation and leaders for allowing me to be part of this great organisation. !

NFPTE Zindabad ! 

In the meeting on 17th October 2022 with the pensioners Associations and also later during meeting with certain individual pensioners associations, the DOT has made it clear that wage revision and pension revision is delinked as also that pension revision will be made on the basis of 3rd PRC with 0% fitment. All associations have rejected 0% fitment. It is now the responsibility of the DOT to ensure that pension revision is finalised with 15% fitment, as per the demand made by AIBDPA and some other associations since the government is bound for the same as per the agreement at the time of formation of BSNL as also since the required amount has already been collected from BSNL. Do justice to the pensioners who has served the nation for three four decades. Already many pensioners have passed away since 2017 without getting their due pension revision.