Author Archives: VAN NAMBOODIRI

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

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in History

≈ Leave a comment

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

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

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

≈ 4 Comments

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

≈ Leave a comment

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

≈ Leave a comment

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

≈ Leave a comment

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

≈ 2 Comments

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

≈ 1 Comment

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’?

The T.Nadu untouchability Eradication Front

24 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in General

≈ Leave a comment

The Circle Conference of BSNLEU, T.Nadu Circle started to-day, 24th June, at Tirupur. As usual, flag hoisting, homage to martyrs, Inaugural session all were systematically held.

In the evening, an open session was held inaugurated by Com. P. Sampath, senior trade union leader as also the Convener of the T.Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF). In his speech he explained the inhuman treatment meted out to the dalits and the system of untouchability existing in many places even now. The action programme organised under the TNEUF was also explained. The full house with more than 1000 comrades, heard it in rapt attention. It touched the inner cord of the workers. At the end of the speech he appealed for generous donations for continuing the programmes.

There was immediate and very positive reaction. Comrades started coming to the stage and giving donation one after another. Some comrades went to the participants and collected there also. I also donated Rs. 1000. After about 10-15 minutes the collection was over. The donation received was more than 47,000. The Circle union added the balance and an amount of Rs. 50,000 was handed over to Com.Sampath, convener of the TNUEF.

Everybody appreciated the generous donation. More than that the workers felt a commitment to fight to eradicate untouchability and to fight for the down-trodden.

Pranab is President – What we can expect.

23 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in General, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Shri Pranab Mukherjee, one of the senior politicians in the country with about four decades of experience in the central government behind him is the new President of India. I heartily congratulate him on his election to the highest office in the country.

The President  is the constitutional head and is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, including army, navy and airforce. But the fact, as every body knows, is that he is the nominal head only and have to generally function on the advice of the Central Cabinet. He is non-political but has to act as per the advice of the government run by the elected political party/parties.

I had the opportunity to meet him three – four times during the 1970s when he was the State Minister of Finance ( or Dy. Minister of Finance?). It was in connection with the upgradation of Calicut City from a C class city to B Class for the grant of House rent Allowance for the Central Govt. Employees etc.  The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers took up the issue with the government. 5 lakh population is required for declaring a city to B Class but Calicut was having only 3,33,000 population at that time. But there were other considerations like urban agglomeration etc. As the Convener of the Confederation, along with other comrades, we met Shri V.V.Giri, President of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister and the concerned Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee. And within three years, with the same population, we got the city upgraded. The decision was taken by the latter.

I hope that Shri Pranab Mukherjee, as President, will keep up the high tradition of the post of President and use his high office for improving the conditions of the poor and working people of the country.

I wish him every success in his new responsibility.