Category Archives: History

Telegraph Service in India – 24th October 1851 – 15th July 2013

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

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On 24th October 1851, the Telegraph Service is introduced in India by the British. The first message went from Calcutta to Diamond Harbour.
Within no time the Telegraph Services grew. From a service for official use, it became an essential service for the people to communicate urgent information. It was utilised by the business in a very large way. Telegraph offices were opened in all parts of the country.
The introduction of telephone services, mobile telephones, fax, internet and latest communication systems dealt a serious blow to the telegraph services. From crores and lakhs of telegraph messages in the country, it was reduced in to thousands and hundreds in a day.Still many people were using it. It have continued for years more as the Tram Service in Kolkata.

But NO. The government of India and the Management of BSNL wanted to terminate it, to bury it even before it died. And on 15th July 2013, it was unceremoniously buried for ever.

But lakhs of ordinary people like me still remember the days of telegram with nostalgia. Whether it is news of passing in the examination, whether it is a birthday greetings, or even an intimation of death – telegram brought it to your house intimating good and bad news! That is why, on the last few days before 15th July 2013, people came in thousands to the telegraph office to send their last messages. And lo! Many people could not send the messages due to the huge rush.
The next generation will not be able to understand what telegram was to the common people. I still feel a great loss. I still feel guilty that we could not stop the closure of telegraph services, despite the strong protest of the BSNL employees and their unions.

General Giap,Hero of Vietnam dies at 102

04 Friday Oct 2013

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Hanoi, Vietnam — Vo Nguyen Giap, the brilliant and self-taught general who drove the French out of Vietnam to free it from colonial rule and later forced the Americans to abandon their grueling effort to save the country from communism, has died. At age 102, he was the last of Vietnam’s old-guard revolutionaries.

Giap died Friday evening in a military hospital in the capital of Hanoi where he had spent close to four years growing weaker and suffering from long illnesses, a government official and a source close to Giap said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because his death had not been formally announced.

Giap was a national hero whose legacy was second only to that of his mentor, founding President Ho Chi Minh, who led the country to independence.

The so-called “red Napoleon” stood out as the leader of a ragtag army of guerrillas who wore sandals made of car tires and lugged their artillery piece by piece over mountains to encircle and crush the French army at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The unlikely victory, which is still studied at military schools, led not only to Vietnam’s independence but hastened the collapse of colonialism across Indochina and beyond.

Giap went on to defeat the U.S.-backed South Vietnam government in April 1975, reuniting a country that had been split into communist and noncommunist states. He regularly accepted heavy combat losses to achieve his goals.

“No other wars for national liberation were as fierce or caused as many losses as this war,” Giap told The Associated Press in 2005 in one of his last known interviews with foreign media on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, the former South Vietnamese capital.

“But we still fought because for Vietnam, nothing is more precious than independence and freedom,” he said, repeating a famous quote by Ho Chi Minh. ( Courtesy: Ganashakti. )

Revolutionary Greetings to the people of China!

01 Tuesday Oct 2013

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Peoples Republic of China was born on 1st October 1949. China has seen many empires and has been conquered by foreign powers for centuries. After a prolonged fight against the Japanese imperialists and also a civil war, the present PRC was declared formed on 1st October 1949.
The biggest populated nation in the world with more than 140 crore people, China was treated as one of the poor nations. But after 64 years under Communist Rule it has emerged as one of the mighty nations, whether militarily or economically, only next to United States.
On the day when the Peoples Republic of China is celebrating its 64th Birth Anniversary, I convey my Revolutionary Greetings to the people of China!

The Historic Strike of 19th September 1968

18 Wednesday Sep 2013

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Tomorrow, 19th September 2013, is the 44th Anniversary of the great struggle organised by the lakhs of Central government Employees in 1968 on the just demands of Need Based Minimum Wage and other issues.
The Indira Gandhi Government used the draconian Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) to suppress the one day strike. Thousands of central government employees were arrested and jailed. Leaders and workers were terminated, suspended and dismissed. But the workers went on strike and made it a big success. It took more than three years to get the dismissed and terminated comrades to be taken back. But the harsh victimization continued.
All those workers who participated in the strike are now retired from service. But their sacrifice and commitment to the union will be remembered by the future generation.
As a comrade who was part of this historic strike and had to face the severe victimization along with thousands of other comrades, I still feel that only such struggles and sacrifices had built up the present organisation.
My Red Salutes to all those who were part of the Historic Strike!

FM for more reforms – And for more troubles

28 Wednesday Aug 2013

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A report from PTI says that facing all round attack over the
bad state of the economy, Government today said unleashing of
more reforms was the way to deal with the situation and
pressed for ending the “impasse” in coal and iron ore sectors
to push growth.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram listed ten steps including
promoting of manufacturing sector and exports to boost
faltering growth, which needs to be raised to its potential
rate of 8 per cent.

What are the ‘more reforms’? Giving more concession to the corporates and MNCs, giving a free hand to the corporates for mining of Iron ore, coal etc. and probably taking away the restrictions on FDI. This will only help the MNCs and Corporates and not the country and the people. It will only worsen the situation, since the purchasing power of the vast majority of people. The argument for reduction of government expenditure has already come. These all shows how the economy of the country is going down.
Don’t implement more the so called reforms. It is taking the country to further economic crisis.

Remember the murder of democracy in Kerala in 1959?

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

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The Congress Government at the centre, in the immediate post-independence period used to highlight its democratic functioning and acting as per constitutional provisions. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister. But all this changed once the election in the newly formed Kerala State was formed and the Communist Government under Com. EMS Namboodiripad as Chief Minister took office in 1957. It was a shock to the Congress Party. It could not digest that a state under it is being ruled by the Communist Party.

The anger increased when the Communist Government passed the Land Reforms Bill which benefitted thousands of people who got at least a piece of land. When the Education Bill was passed it benefitted the teachers in private schools, but rattled the private school managements mainly under religious institutions who were exploiting the teachers. All the disgruntled elements started a ‘Vimochan Samaram’ against the elected government with full support of US imperialism who liberally gave financial aid also.
All the democratic cover of the Central Government and the Congress Party was exposed. The Congress government at the centre dismissed the Kerala Government under Article 356 of the Constitution. It was nothing but murder of democracy. It was on 31st July 1959 that this ignominious order was issued and the elected Communist Government dismissed. During the last many decades, despite many attacks from the Congress and the Central Government, CPI(M) has grown as the biggest party in Kerala. The harassment of party comrades and witch-hunt continues, but the Party is fully capable of facing the same.

The great rally in Calcutta in support of P&T Strike 1946

30 Tuesday Jul 2013

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It was the greatest procession and rally that Calcutta has ever seen till that time. It was on 29th July 1946. Thousands and thousands of workers as per the call of the AITUC, the only central trade union at that time, went on strike in support of the P and T employees who were on strike from 11th July 1946 on their demands, which was also part of the independence struggle, and organised the biggest rally Calcutta has ever seen. Com. B.N.Ghosh, founder Secretary General of NFPTE has described the same in his articles, and mentioned about the big support for the strike from the common workers. Com. Jyoti Basu, in this auto biography, has mentioned about the general strike and rally on two occasions.

The 1946 P and T Strike was a great success with the British Government compelled to concede most of the demands of the workers. The strike further resulted in a new thinking that the then existing various unions should come together for settlement of the workers’ demands.

Battle of Plassey – The Dawn of British Rule In India

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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The start of almost two centuries of British rule in India can be said to be at the out come of the Battle of Plassey (Palashi near  Calcutta) in 1757, in which the British force under Robert Clive defeated the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daula. The army of Siraj-ud-Daula of more than 50,000 with sufficient artilleries were defeated by the 3,000 forces of British in this battle on 23rd June 1757. The British lured  Mir Jaffar and other captains of  Siraj-ud-Daula with the offer of ruling Bengal  and they kept out of the fight in the last minute and ensured the victory of British. Thus it was through treachery that the British started their rule in India. It was through treachery again that they annexed  the kingdoms one after another.

The British used treachery, bribery and all kinds of heinous crimes to annex kingdoms one after another and fully succeeded in it, bringing almost all parts of the country within its fold. But what is more condemnable was the role played by many who became traitors to their own country like Mir Jaffar. Whether it is the defeat of Pazhassi Raja or that of other kings who fought the British, there were traitors all along to side with the British for small gains. This is a bitter lesson to be learnt from the past.

While it was the British East India Company which started the conquest of India through  more than two and half centuries back, the imperialists led by the US are trying to subjugate the third world countries including India through the international financial institutions of World Bank, WTO and IMF and also through the bilateral military alliances and agreement. Of course, Mir Jaffars and Jayachandras will be there.

India lost its freedom through the attacks and conquests by Alexander, Genghis Khan, Moghuls and others and last by the British. It was through the sacrifices of thousands of people and  sustained struggles that India got Independence on 15th August 1947.

It is the duty of one and all Indians to ensure the freedom of the country and to ensure that the slogans raised at the time of the independence struggle for a better lot to the people  are put in to action and the democratic functioning maintained. And the Mir Jaffars and Jayachandras should be isolated and dealt with.

Fascist Attack on Soviet Union – turning point in the II World war.

23 Sunday Jun 2013

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It was the Hitler’s attack on Soviet Union in 1941 that caused a big change in the entire situation of the II World War. It was on 21st June 1941, that fascist Germany attacked USSR. ON 22nd, Soviet Union declared all out defence offensive to the attack of Nazi Germany. Hitler thought that USSR could be defeated easily with the invincible war machinery Germany has got.

Germany advanced in to Soviet territory despite strong defence from USSR. It captured cities after cities and neared Moscow, the capital. USSR was fighting for its survival. It requested the UK, USA etc. to make a war front  in the western side so that Hitler will have to fight on both sides. But they waited, hoping that USSR will be finished and the offensive can start after that.

But the people of Soviet Union and the Red Army were determined to throw out the aggressors at all costs.The defence production was increased many times, all the young men enrolled in the army, guerilla squads started active work in the areas captured by the Nazis and a fight to the last was started by the entire people. The pitched battle in Stalingrad, inch by inch, street by street, between the forces of Nazi Army and Red Army was an epic battle which will ever be remembered. The mighty army of Hitler was utterly defeated and thrown back. Thousands and thousands of soldiers perished on both sides. This was the turning point. The Red Army advanced destroying the war machine of Hitler. Nazi Army was routed. After throwing them from USSR, Red Army advanced to Berlin, captured the capital city and hoisted the Red Flag in the capital on 2nd May 1945.

When the tides turned in the war, UK and US started their advance on the Western Front. Their armies also reached Berlin after a few days. Hitler had already committed suicide  by the time red army reached Berlin.

CTO Mumbai – A Heritage Building

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

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(An old photo of the CTO Building with Flora  Fountain)

Central Telegraph Office, Mumbai – A Heritage Building

Yesterday, 17th June 2013, I was in Mumbai to attend a meeting of the Telegraph workers and was staying in the Inspection Quarters in the Central Telegraph Office. I had stayed there earlier also, but this time I got the chance to have an overall view of the same.

The CTO Mumbai is a beautiful building constructed in the medieval Italian style, the same as that of the Victoria Terminal (VT ) Railway Station ( now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal – CST), The Reserve Bank of India, Municipal Building etc. all situated near and around the Fountain. The building was inaugurated in 1870 for accommodating the General Post Office. Consequent to the  rapid growth of telegraph services after it was introduce in India in 1850, this building was converted to Central Telegraph Office in 1909 when the GPO was shifted to the present GPO building. It was built from Porbander and Kurla stones. The comrades of CTO also told stones were brought from Rajasthan also. The huge pillars, windows, doors are all decorated with beautiful carvings on stone which even now have not lost their beauty even after about one and half century. The walls are very thick just like the old forts.

Adjacent to the CTO are the other BSNL and MTNL buildings as also the VSNL building which is now owned by the Tata Telecommunications, which are constructed later.

Our comrades there told me that what the Instrument Room (IR) in the CTO looked like about two-three decades earlier. There will be about 200 – 300 telegraphists working at the same time in the very large hall and the sound of the telegraph instruments operating was a special experience. Thousands and thousands of telegrams were sent and received. The business to a great extent depended upon these messages. While I walked in the area, I saw that almost all big banks like Reserve Bank, State Bank, Maharashtra State Bank and a lot of other banks are situated nearby. May be the closeness to the CTO was the reason.

But the situation at present in the CTO is completely changed. The introduction of new technologies in the field of communications like mobiles, e-mails, SMS, internet etc. have resulted in to the marginalisation of telegraph / telegram service. At present only about 5,000 telegrams are booked. The Navy, Bank like ICICI  and many people still use the service. Hence there is no justification to close the telegram services.

The CTO Mumbai is a heritage building. At present, in addition to the telegraph, Customer Service Centre is functioning there. The workers, though reduced from the earlier 3,000 or so to 800 due to retirement, transfers and no-recruitment, are very emotional about the proposal of the BSNL to close the telegram services. They expressed their anger in the meeting held and demanded that the services should not be stopped. I assured them that the Forum and BSNL Employees Union have  strongly opposed the wrong decision and have demanded that the telegram services should continue. All efforts will be made to ensure that at least skeleton telegram services are maintained not only in Mumbai, but in all major centres.

I was told that the DOT is trying to take over the building. Some of the DOT offices are already functioning there. It is not the question who owns the building whether, BSNL or DOT, but that that this heritage building should not be handed over to the corporate vultures, wh0, I am told, have already their eyes on the building.