13th July 2011 is the 73rd death anniversary of Henry Barton, one of the Pioneers of the P and T Trade Union movement. He died on 13th July 1938 in London after serving his whole life for the P and T workers in India.
Starting his career as a Telegraphist, he started a journal for the Telegraph Workers and later formed the Indian Telegraph Association and organised several struggles. He was interned by the British Government for some time. In his last days he returned t0 London and expired on 13th July 1938.
My respectful homage to the memory of Henry Barton, one of the P and T trade union pioneers!

Comrade B.N.Ghosh or Dada Ghosh as he is respectfully called left us fifty years back.He was the leader after Babu Tarapada Mukherjee and Henry Barton who organised the P and T Workers in to a mighty force. He left us on 7th June 1961. It is half a century after he left, but still his memory is fresh.
He was one of the top leaders of the P andT movement which organised the mighty Postal Strike of 1946, which is considered as part of the independence struggle and which compelled the British Government to accede to the majority demands of the strike.
When the National Federation of P and T Employees(NFPTE) was formed in 1954 as part of the realignment scheme, there was no two opinion as who should be first Secretary General. Dada Ghosh continued to be the Secretary General till 1960 when he vacated the post on his own. During his period as SG the organisation was strengthened and the government was compelled to appoint the II Central Pay Commission.
After leaving the SG post Dada Ghosh returned to Calcutta. Probably he could not adjust to the quick change. To the sorrow of the entire P and T workers, he was found dead having committed suicide on 7th June 1961.
I pay my respectful homage to Dada Ghosh, the founder Secretary General of NFPTE!

KeluEttan with Balasubramanian and VAN Namboodiri

Today, 20th May, is the death Anniversary of Com.M.K.Kelu, popularly known as Kelu Ettan . He died in 1991. For a very long time he was the District Secretary of the CPI (M), Kozhikode.
One of the pioneers of the communist movement in Kerala, Keluettan was in the forefront of every struggle. Due to his big stature and body build, he was always the target of police atrocities. I still remember when during a protest dharna, he was beaten in the head by the police breaking his skull and blood spurting out. Immediate attention in the hospital only saved his life. He was respected by all for his simplicity, humble behaviour and the affection that he showed to each and every body. Even Comrade EMS Namboodiripad used to call him Keluettan though he may have been younger than EMS.
Once when Com.EMS came to Calicut and was resting in the Rest House at West Hill, I went there to meet him. Com.Chandran who was with EMS called me and told me confidently that the shirt of EMS is old and torn, but he is still using the same and asked me to speak to EMS to purchase a new one. I was afraid to speak. So when comrade Kelu Ettan cam a little later I told the problem to him. Immediately Kelu Ettan went to EMS and told him “I am taking this shirt with me and going to purchase a similar one from the market”. EMS could not object to Kelu Ettan and thus a new readymade shirt was purchased. Many people could not take such freedom with Comrade EMS.
Comrade Kelu Ettan came to my house warming function. Immediately after entering the house, he admonished me stating that why the gate is so small that even a car could not enter. He asked me to make the gate wider which I did later. He was fond of food and once or twice he took the initiative in coming to my home to eat vegetarian food.
It was rarely that he spoke about his past. However we got a chance to hear some of the past struggles etc. from him after a meal in a comrade Balasubramanian’s house. Comrades Balasubramanian and Aboobacker (Deshabhimani) were there. I remember that the narration was published in the NFPTE souvenir.
In 1980s, there was some problem between the staff of Telephone Exchange and the police. Both the offices were nearby and the police in large numbers trespassed the telephone exchange to arrest the union leaders. The entire telecom staff went on strike immediately. I was on duty and the police was searching for me to take in to custody. Getting the information, within a few minutes comrade Kelu Ettan and other comrades reached the exchange and a strong protest meeting was held and during that I escaped arrest and went underground. The strike continued for three days which became a Kerala Circle strike. The State Government had to intervene and an amicable agreement was reached after the concerned police officers were transferred.
I had a lot of pleasant memories regarding Keluettan. As with everybody, he was affectionate with me also. Whenever there was any doubt about any programme or how to plan it, he patiently gave the guidance.
I pay my respectful homage to the memory of this great leader.

The death anniversaries of two stalwarts of the Kerala Left arrived on 19th & 20th May. Comrade EK Nayanar former Chief Minister of Kerala and died on 19th May 2004 and Comrade M.K.Kelu, the veteran Communist whose entire life was a sacrifice for the party and the people died on 20th May 1991. Their contribution to the growth of the party and the left movement in Kerala are beyond words.

I pay my respectful homages to these two comrades on their death anniversaries.

Com.W.L.Tumdum, former Circle Secretary, E-III (Namboodiri), Maharashtra and one of the stalwarts of the Union leaders in Maharashtra passed away on 8th May 2011 after a brief illness. He took initiative in forming and expanding the union in Maharashtra despite very adverse conditions. He was a comrade in Nagpur who grew up under the guidance of Comrade N.J.Iyer, the veteran P&T Union leader. Even after retirement, he was closely connected with BSNLEU.

I express my deep grief and convey condolences to the bereaved family, comrades and friends.

Comrade P.Sundarayya, former General Secretary of the Communist Party of India(Marxist), former M.P. and one of the founders of the Communist movement in the country passed away 26years back in 1985 on this day, 19th May. He was the foremost leader of the Telengana Movement which gave freedom to thousands of villages from the rule of the Nizam and Razakkars. His simplicity, wide learning and committment to the cause are well known. On his 26th death anniversary, I pay my respectful homage to the great revolutionary.

Sad news! Veteran P and T Union leader, comrade K.Prabhakaran breathed his last today, 18th May 2011 at Ernakulam (Kerala). He was ailing for some time. He was victimised several times for active leadership in all the struggles and strikes. Even after retirementand despite his ill health he has been in active touch with the BSNLEU and CGE organisations. In the 1968 strike of Central Government employees, we were together at Calicut and faced severe victimisation. When I went to Kerala in connection with the membership verification, I went to his house and had met him the last time. He was very weak at that time also.
I express my deep grief at this sad demise and convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, comrades and friends .

The great poet and Nobel laurate Rabindranath Tagore was remembered on his 150th birthday on 9th May 2011. He was one of the greatest poets India has seen. Conferences, Seminars memorials were held in many places and discussed about his various contributions to the mankind.

I pay my respectful homage to Rabindranath Tagore.