Category Archives: History

Snooping on relatives of Subhas Bose – Unacceptable and Inappropriate

19 Saturday Sep 2015

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The released files on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose do not give any clear proof, whether he died in the air crash or lived for many years more. But one fact has come clear that the family of Bose was continuously spied and snooped upon. We can understand if the British  Government has done it. But the government of free India continued this spying is completely unacceptable. The government should apologise for the same.

The next question is why the government was snooping? Was the Nehru government afraid of the revolutionary Bose coming back? Whether the government wanted to try Bose for treason as was the case with the other INA leaders?

These are questions the people of the country want to know as also whether any conspiracy was there between the Indian Government and the British Government ?

It is imperative and urgent that the Central Govt. also should release the Netaji Files , which will contain more information than what is released by the  W.Bengal government.

We sympathise with the Bose family who were given a raw treatment by the government.

The Historic One Day Strike of 19th September 1968 – Red Salute to Martyrs!

18 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by in P&T TU History, TU News - India

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It was nothing less than history created by the more than 40 lakhs of Central government employees. The One Day Token Strike of 19th September 1968 will ever remain as a Red Star in the minds of all those who participated and those who heard about it. The martyrs who sacrificed their lives before the gun shots of the cruel government or the Railwaymen who were crushed under the Railway engines will ever be remembered by the Central Government employees. It was only a One Day Token Strike, but it was dealt with like a rebellion or mutiny by the despotic government.

The demands were fully justified. Grant of Minimum Wage recommended by the 15th Labour Conference of 1957, Full Neutralisation of cost of living, Merger of DA with Pay, No casual-Contract-Contingency system, Settle issues of the ED and Casual labour – these are nothing but the ground level demands. But the Central Govt. was not prepared to concede them. It wanted to crush the workers movement, never to come back again. Essential Service Maintenance Ordinance(ESMO) was issued making the strike participants liable to be arrested and sent to jail. Even those outsiders who support the strike also will be arrested.

Thousands and thousands of workers were arrested. All India leaders in Delhi were arrested and sent to jail. Thousands were suspended, terminated and heavy punishments imposed. It was state terror on the poor CG employees who were only asking for a minimum wage to maintain their families. Rarely can be seen such cruelty in the annals of history.

In Kerala, when the then Chief Minister Com. EMS Namboodiripad heading the Left Ministry refused to implement ESMO, the Central Government threatened that the state government will be dismissed. But Com. EMS stood to his ground and openly supported the strike. The anger against the state government resulted in more victimisation by the Central Government.

As a participant of the strike, I still remember the people who gathered in thousands in front of each exchange and office and supported the workers despite the ESMO and Black Rules. Calicut, where I was working was one of the divisions, which had to face the maximum punishment and victimisation. Along with a few comrades, we were under suspension for about long three years and then transferred outside the division. Criminal cases were filed against us. Leaders were banned from entering offices.But all the comrades faced the brutal attack without any complaint. This was the case every where. The workers  understood that the Indira Gandhi government wanted to crush the CGE movement and especially the Posts and Telegraph movement. But we never surrendered or moved an inch back. We fought back to the last to ensure that each and every worker dismissed and terminated is taken back.

The strike was utilised by the government to float a new union, FNPTO, to support its policy. But it did not make any dent in the TU movement.

There are pages and pages to be written on the sacrifices of the workers in connection with the strike, which can be done later. The strike was historic in more than one sense. The same government which refused to accept the demands were compelled to implement some of them afterwards. Each and every struggle is not vain. The result may come immediately or later. Secondly, the government understood that the P and T movement can not be crushed.

On this 47th Anniversary of the One Day Token Strike of 19th September 1968, our Red Salutes to those Comrades who held the Red Flag of the Union till their last moment and  sacrificed their  valuable lives for the cause of the working class.

W.Bengal Government to release Subhas Chandra Bose files

11 Friday Sep 2015

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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that she will release all the files connected with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which are with the state government by next Friday. The Central Government has been continuously refusing to release the Netaji files which are with them all these years. After the release of the files with the by the W.Bengal government, the Central Government will be under compulsion to release their files.

The secrecy and mystery behind the plane accident and consequent death of Subhas Chandra Bose on the one side and on the side that it was a fake story and Netaji lived for years in Faizabad as a saint named Gumnami Baba are still unsolved. Gumnami Baba died on 16th September 1985.

There have been continuous demands to release the secret files on Subhas Chandra Bose for a long time, but the central government stoutly refused. A lot of information will certainly be known after the release of the W.Bengal Netaji files. But more files are with central government.

The people have got a right to know what happened to one of the great leaders of the Independence movement, who even formed the Indian National Army(INA) to fight  the British for the Independence of India.

Telecom TU Movement 1991- 2015 (6) – Disruption at Mysore CWC Meeting

09 Wednesday Sep 2015

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1992

Mysore CWC – Disruption by the defeated leadership

OP Gupta, as Secretary General, issued notice for holding of the Federal Council of NFTE at Mysore from 14th to 17th March 1992. Federal Council consists of the office-bearers of the Federation, all the General Secretaries of the affiliated 9 unions and the Federal Councilors elected from the All India Conference of the respective affiliated unions on the basis of their respective membership. As part of the conspiracy against the new leadership of E-III Union, the defeated leadership requisitioned for a CWC meeting of the E-III Union.

The CHQ E.III Union, after receiving the requisition, called for a  special meeting of the Central Working Committee at Mysore on 14th March 1992 for the specific purpose of discussing the non-acceptance of Moni Bose as GS of the union by the DOT. This was also to enable the CWC members, who are also Federal Councilors to participate in the Federal Council being held at Mysore.

From the very beginning, some of the  CWC members from the OPG group tried to obstruct the proceedings on one issue or another. But unfortunately for the disruptors, the majority of the CWC members fully supported the CHQ. When they found out that they are in minority, they wanted to create dispute and scuttle the meeting. They demanded without any justification that the District Secretaries of Ahmedabad, Bangalore etc. be treated as circle secretaries. This was against constitutional provisions and as such was rejected by the President.

OPG and group tried to create pandemonium and started beating some of the CWC Members. This was naturally resisted. Again finding that they are not getting any support from the majority, they walked out. That was the plan  to create a dispute.

Later, a circular was issued by OPG that he does not accept the verdict of the Bhopal AIC and the old office-bearers will continue. Com.S.Jagannathan was nominated as Officiating General Secretary, followed by Com. M.B.Vichare. OPG also wrote to the department stating that they are the real office-bearers of E.III Union.

DOT supports disruptors

Instead of rejecting the bogus claim of the disruptors outright as was required under the circumstances, DOT accepted the letter and treated the same as a dispute. It was most shameful on the part of the DOT to support a dispute after five months of the All India Conference, thus helping the disruption to butcher democracy and truth.

The Mysore CWC condemned the non-recognition of Comrade Moni Bose and strongly demanded that he should be accepted as General Secretary.

Federal Council at Mysore, 14-17 March 1992

There was sharp difference on the policies to be adopted by the Federal Council. The acceptance of reduction of staff by the three Federations, viz. NFTE, FNTO and BTEF,  in the name of cadre restructure was severely criticized by many Federal Councilors.

Shri B.S.Verma, Director (SR), who attended as official observer, openly praised O.P.Gupta, in his speech, possibly to influence the election in his favour. This in any way, was a breach of rules and democratic principles. A resolution moved by Com. Moni Bose criticizing the NFTE leadership on cadre restructure received 42.3% votes, though it could not be passed.

Stiff contest to the election took place.  Coms. J.N.Mishra, P.S.Ramankutty and Tirlok Sharma who contested to the posts got 43% votes. Com.O.P.Gupta was elected as Secretary General, but with  a low margin of votes, which reflected that he was losing support even from his own comrades. Later, some more comrades deserted OPG.

Unfortunately, the NFTE Executive decided to recognize the disruptor group of M.B.Vichare as  the General secretary of E.III Union, thus supporting disruptors of the movement. The duly elected General Secretary of E.III union, Moni Bose, was kept out. All doors were being closed in the face of the democratically elected leadership.

NFTE Office demolished

The accommodation allotted to NFTE and occupied by it at  Gole Market, New Delhi,  was demolished on 27-03-1992 by a large number NDMC workers supported by the police. The NDMC wanted the site to construct certain buildings, including a hotel. The unexpected demolition resulted in the loss of valuable documents, furniture, type-writers etc. The offices of the P&T Administrative and T.IV unions were also destroyed. NDMC claim was that notice was given earlier for vacating and since not vacated they are demolishing the same. Com.OPG, Secretary General, NFTE, who was in the office protested. He was arrested and taken in to custody and kept at the Mandir Marg Police Station.

Coms.VAN Namboodiri and K.M.Pillai, who were in the Dada Ghosh Bhawan, hearing the news rushed to the NFTE office. The demolition was continuing. Despite protest, the demolition did not stop. They went to the Police Station and met OPG. The police stated that he has not been arrested but is in custody only and after some time will be released. But nothing happened.

Demolition of NFTE office and arrest of the Secretary General were serious matters. Com. Moni Bose, GS, was out of station. Com. Namboodiri immediately contacted the leaders of three Federations and wanted immediate protest action. E.III Union gave immediate Sit-in-Strike call in the night itself, which was followed by the 3 Federations next day. Complete dislocation of telecom services was the result. Detailed  discussions took place at high level. On the assurance of the Cabinet Secretary that alternate accommodation will be allotted to NFTE, the agitation was called off by the evening of 28th March 1992. Com.OPG had been released in the late night of 27th itself.  NFTE was allocated quarters in  Bangla Saheb Street, near VSNL Office (now Tata Communications). (To be continued)

Telecom TU Movement 1991-2015 (5)

01 Tuesday Sep 2015

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Protest Telegrams to DOT demanding recognition to Com. Moni Bose

As per the direction of the CHQ hundreds of telegrams/Savingrams were sent by the District /Branches of the E.III Union  to the Secretary, DOT demanding recognition of Com. Moni Bose as General Secretary. It was felt that the DOT will be compelled to accept the democratic verdict of Bhopal AIC.

All India Trade Union Convention on 17th September 1991

The collapse of the USSR in the 1980s changed the equation of world powers. The capitalist countries  led by USA with a uni-polar power centre had its implication world over. India was no exception. The Congress government with Prime Minister Narasimha Rao initiated the anti-worker new economic  policies by the early 1990s.  Attacks on the working class increased.  Many proposals for privatization loomed large. CITU and other progressive trade unions strongly opposed these anti-people and anti-worker industrial policies. The All India Trade Union Convention held at New Delhi on 17th September 1991 by the Central trade Unions, called for an Industrial General Strike on 29th November 1991 against these anti-people policies.

All India Convention of CG Employees & Workers on 10-11-1911

An All India Convention of the Central Government Employees and Workers was held at Azad Bhawan Auditorium, New Delhi on 10th November  1991 to discuss about the new developments. The Confederation, All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF), NFTE and NFPE were the sponsors. AIRF and other Federations were participating. A total number of 357 delegates from the Federations and different State Co-ordination Committees participated. The Presidium consisted of Comrades  O.P.Bhasin(Confederation), K.Adinarayana (NFPE), S.Jagannathan (NFTE) and Ganguly (AIDEF).

Com.S.K.Vyas, Secretary General of the Confederation of CG Employees & Workers presented the Declaration for the consideration of the All India Convention, which narrated the latest developments and the need to fight back the anti-worker economic policies of the central government.  The Declaration was supported by the various speakers including Comrades K.M.Mathew (AIDEF), K.Adinarayana (NFPE), O.P.Gupta (NFTE), G.L.Dhar (Secretariat Employees Fedn), Bhangu (AIRCE), K.K.N.Kutty (ITEF), Baroda Bhattacharjee ( CGCC W.B), Prabhakaran Nair (CGCC AP), Moni Bose (E.III), M.B.Vichare (CGCC Bombay) and Bhavani Bhattacharjee (Audit & Accounts). Most of the speakers stressed upon the necessity of not only extending solidarity and support but also directly participating in the strike called by the Central trade Unions.

The Declaration adopted by the Convention decided to organize country wide campaign on the following demands:

  1. Reformulate the industrial trade and Economic policies in consultation with the trade unions.
  2. Stop privatizations of government departments and no computerization without employees consent.
  3. Concede wage parity and grant 20% wage increase
  4. Regularise ED/Casual employees
  5. Lift ban on recruitment and fill up vacancies.
  6. Grant bonus to all employees drawing pay up to Rs. 3,500 per month
  7. Income Tax exemption for those drawing salary up to Rs. 3,500 etc.

The convention called upon the CG employees and workers to express solidarity to the strike by holding rallies, demonstrations, wearing of badges etc. as also direct participation in the 29th November 1991 strike called by the All India Trade union Convention.

The Postal and telecom unions decided for direct participation in the strike and call was given for the same.  Certain other federations also gave call for strike. The new leadership in E.III took the strike call in right earnest and made all out efforts for the same.

Nationwide Industrial General strike on 29th November 1991

The 29th November 1991 General strike was a big success. Railways, banks, insurance, transport, heavy industries all were seriously affected by the strike. Discontent of the workers against the new economic policies was expressed through the strike.

The CG employees participated in large numbers. The new leadership in E.III union gave valuable contribution in taking the correct decision by the workers. In E.III, there was complete strike in Kerala, W.Bengal, Assam, N.E.Region. In T.Nadu Circle, E.III Union observed one hour strike, while a full day strike was observed in Madras Telephone District.  Where full day strike was not possible, the workers participated in mass demonstrations, dhrnas etc. en masse with virtual stoppage of work. The CG employees have joined the fight along with the working class in one form or another. This was a unique feature.

In Delhi, a massive rally was held on 29th November 1991 at Boat Club, participated by thousands of CG employees. The same was addressed by Coms. S.K.Vya, OP Gupta, K.L.Moza, G.L.Dhar, O.P.Bhasin, Moni Bose and others.

The role of the new leadership in E.III was much appreciated by the entire central government employees and their organizations. Within 2 months after the Bhopal AIC, the workers understood the change for the better.

Massive Signature campaign

The Meeting of the Central Secretariat of E.III Union held on 3rd February 1992 strongly protested against the non-recognition of Moni Bose as General Secretary and congratulated the branches for the large number of telegrams/savingrams sent to the DOT demanding recognition. The meeting decided to organize a massive Signature Campaign on the issue. The members were called upon to sign a  Memorandum addressed to the Chairman, DOT on the following demands:

  1. Recognise Shri Moni Bose as General Secretary of All India Telecom Employees Union Class III.
  2. Stop Privatisation of Telecom Services and Telecom Industry and
  3. Stop all measures resulting in reduction of staff, redundancy and mass scale transfers on account of closure and conversion of Telephone exchanges.

The signature campaign was a big success with many thousands of employees signing the same and sending to DOT. (To be continued)

Govt. again refuses to disclose Netaji Files

28 Friday Aug 2015

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Another promise by Modi Government is broken. It was assured earlier that the declassification of files connected with Netaji Subhas Bose will be favourably examined.  It is 70 years since the disappearance of Netaji after a plane accident. One view is that he died in the accident on 18th August 1945 and his body is laid to rest in a temple in Japan. The other view is that he survived the accident and lived incognito.

There is not an iota of doubt that he is no more. The people has got a right to know what happened to the revolutionary leader who fought for the freedom of the country. But now, once again, the government has decided not to declassify the Netaji Files and make it public. This time, the plea for not declassifying is that it will adversely affect relations with foreign countries.

This is a bogus plea. Finding out the truth about an incident happened about 70 years ago is not have any major effect on any body.

The Government needs to rethink on the matter.

Telecom TU Movement 1991-2015 (4)

25 Tuesday Aug 2015

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E.III – New leadership at Central Head Quarters

Workers in Telecom all over India were enthralled hearing the election of new team of office-bearers. Congratulations and Greeting Telegrams poured from many places. Senior leaders of the P and T movement congratulated the new progressive team.

V.A.N.Namboodiri, President and Moni Bose, General Secretary were given a rousing reception at the New Delhi Railway Station on their arrival from Bhopal AIC. Coms. K.Adinarayana, Secretary General, NFPE, P.S.Raman Kutty, General Secretary, T.III Union and other leaders spoke congratulating the victorious office-bearers. They stated that this election of AIC Bhopal will strengthen the Telecom Trade Union movement in its forward march. None of the defeated leadership of OPG & Co was present in the railway station to greet the newly elected office-bearers.

The ballot papers and other connected records were brought to Delhi, which the defeated leadership had tried to destroy at Bhopal. They were deposited in a safe place.

The new leadership went to Dada Ghosh Bhawan, the Central Head Quarters of the E-III Union. O.P.Gupta, out-going General Secretary, gave charge to the new office-bearers and stated that he will vacate from Dada Ghosh Bhawan within one month , since he is no more an office-bearer. He also handed over the car of the union.( a very old car almost not usable). Since OPG was staying for some more time in DGB, Moni Bose was given another room to stay. A small kitchen was constructed in a few days for the use of Moni Bose and family. Jyotsna Bose, his wife, came to Delhi.

(But OPG did not shift from DGB as promised and continued to stay there with family). The residential accommodation of the GS was never handed over to Moni Bose, new General Secretary).

OPG, as outgoing GS, addressed a letter to Secretary, DOT intimating the election of the new office-bearers as required. The new office-bearers met the Secretary DOT and other top officers and started functioning. It was decided that V.A.N.Namboodiri, All India President, should function at CHQ in addition to the General Secretary. In fact, he had not returned to Kozhikode, Kerala, his place of office, after the AIC, since Moni Bose insisted on his presence at CHQ.

The Conspiracy

At the same time, a conspiracy was being hatched by OPG & Co. with the connivance of the administration and FNTO leader Ch. Raghubir Singh, who was very close to OPG. Raghubir Singh, in his capacity as Leader of the Departmental Council of Joint Consultative Machinery, wrote to Chairman, Telecom Commission and Secretary, DOT (both posts are occupied by  same officer) on 10-12-1991, after more than one month of the AIC, opposing recognition of Com. Moni Bose, on the ground that he is a dismissed employee of the 1949 strike. The letter-head of the JCM was misused, of which OPG was the Secretary, Staff Side. On enquiry, it was found out that the letter was typed and got signed by Raghubir Singh by the defeated leadership and given to the management.

Moni Bose De-recognised as General Secretary

Within two days of the submission of the letter, DOT intimated Moni Bose on 13-12-1991, denying recognition to him as General Secretary of the Union. The conspiracy of OPG-Raghubir Singh –DOT was exposed. The fact was that OPG could not accept his defeat in grace, even though he has accepted the same at the venue of the conference. Later it was also understood that there was much pressure on him by many, to somehow stick to his earlier position as GS.

The plea of the DOT to deny recognition to Moni Bose had no base or sense. It was a blatant violation of rules. There was no rule that a dismissed employee can not be an office-bearer. Moni Bose, all along has been an office-bearer of the Union and was the All India Vice-President of the same union, till he resigned from the post just before the Bhopal AIC. He was recognised as an office-bearer by the DOT as Vice-President when OPG was the General Secretary, but when he became General Secretary defeating OPG, the DOT derecognised him! Wonderful logic of the government to protect the pro-management leaders!

The derecognition of Moni Bose was taken as a challenge by the union. The new team continued its regular functioning. VAN Namboodiri, as President of the union, corresponded with the DOT in the new situation.

Case filed in Calcutta High Court for recognising Moni Bose

CHQ took up the case of non-recognition of Moni Bose with the Calcutta High Court. Com. Somnath Chatterjee, MP, who later became the Speaker of the Parliament, was the advocate for the union. (To be continued)

 

Heritages being destroyed by ISIS – now it is Palmyra Temple in Syria

25 Tuesday Aug 2015

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The Jihadist group / ISIS is continuously destroying world heritage and ancient monuments in the countries and areas, where they have got a hold. The world renowned Budhist statues of Afghanistan were destroyed a few years back. Now it is another world heritage at Palmyro, an ancient city in Syria.

The The Baal Shamin Shrine /Temple, the second most important world heritage monument in Palmyra, has been destroyed by using large quantity of explosives. The jihadists were destroying such monuments in Syria after their take over of certain parts of the country since May 21, 2015. It seems that all the earlier civilisations and heritages are taboo to these jihadists.

UNESCO President in a statement has stated that ” This destruction is a war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and the humanity”.

Fidel Castro completes 89 years! Greetings to the Revolutionary who changed Cuban History.

13 Thursday Aug 2015

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Today, 13th August 2015, is the 90th Birth Day of the Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who created a new history for the Cuban people.

On his 90th birthday, the Communist leader has demanded the US government that it should refund Cuba for the loss   of millions and millions of dollars Cuba had to suffer because of the US trade embargo which was imposed about six decades back. This is a fully justified demand of the Cuban people.

In the same way, it is time for India to demand Britain for the return of the thousands and thousands of valuable books, antiques, historical artifacts, precious stones, gold etc. including the Kohinoor Diamond to be returned to India, which is the real owner. Will Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, take courage to raise the demand in his Independence Day Speech at Red Fort on  15th August 2015?

Telecom TU Movement 1991 to 2015 (1)

03 Monday Aug 2015

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Telecom TU Movement  1991 to 2015  (1)  –    V.A.N.Namboodiri

The Bhopal All India Conference October 1991

The All India Conference of the All India Telecom Employees Union Class III, affiliated to the National Federation of Telecom Employees (NFTE) was held at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, from 24th to 29th October 1991, which was a milestone in the trade union movement of the telecom workers. About five thousand delegates participated. All the arrangements were made under the leadership of Com. N.T.Sajwani, Secretary of the Reception Committee. Com. Homi Daji M.P., All India President of the Union, who hailed from M.P. was fully available at the Conference.

The Conference was held after a long period than provided in the constitution of the union. There were severe criticisms in the union with regard to the policies and decisions taken by the leadership. The agreement on cadre restructuring with the management was anti-worker and there was serious discontentment. Upgradation was limited to those having higher qualification or passing examination. Seniority and experience were ignored. More than one lakh existing posts were going to be reduced as per the agreement. The union compromised with the decision of the department to implement ban on recruitment.

The leaders and active workers at various levels, who were critical of the functioning of the General Secretary Com. O.P.Gupta and the policies being adopted by him, were systematically removed from the posts of office-bearers. This process was being continued for a very long time to silence all criticism against CHQ leadership. Strongly protesting against such a situation, three all India Office-bearers of the union, viz. Coms. Moni Bose, Vice-President, J.Renganathan, Vice-President and V.A.N.Namboodiri, Asst. General Secretary resigned from their respective posts and issued pamphlets exposing the compromises being made by the CHQ leadership which are against the interest of the workers.

OPG and his supporters tried to silence the delegates who were critical of him, by not allowing them to speak. However, Moni Bose, V.A.N.Namboodiri, J.Renganathan, Ananta Bhattacharjee, M.N.Reddy, Shibdas Banerjee and other leaders through their scathing attacks exposed the pro-management and anti-worker agreements made by the OPG leadership. The three office-bearers who resigned from the posts explained why they were compelled to take the drastic action.

 The Election of Office-Bearers

OPG got the biggest shock, when the agenda of election of office-bearers were taken up by Homi Daji, President on the last day of the Conference. In addition to the official panel with O.P.Gupta as General Secretary, another panel with Moni Bose as General Secretary was received. Negotiations failed and contest became unavoidable.

It was not an easy task to prepare for the election with about 5000 delegates. The vote of each circle/delegate has to be calculated, ballot papers prepared and polling arrangements to be made. It was a herculean task. It took hours to finalise the modalities and arrangements. This was the first time that any serious contest took place in the E-III Union, the biggest of the unions in the NFPTE/NFTE. The office-bearers were usually unanimously elected. OPG was the General Secretary since its formation in 1954.

Homi Daji, President, was nominated as the Presiding Officer to conduct he election with the help of Assisting Presiding Officer Com.J.Renganathan. Circle secretaries were authorised to look after the voting of their respective circles.

OPG, using the Circle Secretaries, who were mostly his close associates, tried every method to rig the election in his favour. Delegates were threatened to vote for OPG and team. They ridiculed Moni Bose and Namboodiri, predicted their utter defeat, stating that whoever contested OPG in E.III Union was never able to win.

On the other side, Moni Bose-Namboodiri team went to each and every delegate and explained the reasons for their contesting the posts. There was much appreciation to their stand. They organised rallies in the conference premises, which was held in a big maidan, displayed banners and posters explaining their position. The entire atmosphere was in an election mode. Though the scheduled date for the Conference was almost over, a good number of delegates stayed to cast their votes. (To be continued).