I am quoting below three paragraphs from the inspiring Presidential address  of Babu Tarapada Mukherjee delivered at the Lahore Conference of All India (including Burma) Post Office and RMS Union, held from 9th to 11th October 1921. Com. Tarapada, one of the Pioneers of the P and T Trade Union movement, was charge sheeted for the speech and demanded for apology by the DG P and T. Babu Tarapada  defended each and every word of his speech and gave reply. He was dismissed from service, but continued to lead the movement till his death on 20th September 1929.

“Ah! Brothers, workers are not beggars; they are the salt of the earth, they are the only people who produce wealth. Wealth consists of the labour imprinted on material substance; and in the absence of workers where is the labour to come from which is necessary to create wealth? Those who do not work are parasites sucking like vampire the life blood of society and are fattening on the wealth produced by the workers. It is not amusing that the wealth produced by workers should be appropriated and then the producers of wealth be called beggars and a pittance doled out to them, so that they may keep the body and soul together for further production of wealth for the benefit of others.

“Consider, Brothers, what this world would be, were the workers to stop work.Not a grain of cereals would be produced, not a yard of yarn would be spun and woven, not a brick would be laid, not a tenement would be built. Those bloated, over-indulged, finely draped figures, airing their base manners to their own class would have no food to allay hunger, no clothes to cover the body, no home to afford shelter; and they would soon cease to exist to call workers beggars. Brothers, shake off the hypnotic spell, the somnambulism of past life, wake up and be self-conscious, apprise your value at its real worth, do not remain forgetful of the dignity of labour, realise your own strength and March on double quick to the goal, “ Heart within and God overhead”…..

“Take it from me, Brothers, that petitions and memorials and supplications, will count for nothing so long as you do not organise yourselves in a manner to convince the government that you will no longer stand non-sense. This organisation when perfected will be ten times more powerful than the Telegraph Association. But there are difficulties in the way. We have scattered units spread over the breadth and length of this country; and so much stronger must be our efforts to enthuse them with the spirit of Association and secure them to the service of the common cause. The spirit of the Association is already in the air, there is a universal awakening in the Post Office, spirit of unrest has captured the entire Postal Service, everyone is eager to contribute his mite for the furtherance of the common cause. The ground is ready; only some daring spirits are wanted to sow the seed and reap abundant harvest”.

Let us remember those great leaders who fought against the British and the Administration with courage and determination and also sacrificed all for the cause of the workers.