Communications Minister Kapil Sibal has now accused NDA government of handing over the 773 acres of VSNL land for Tatas at the time of VSNL sale to Tata Telecommunications. BSNLEU had several times raised the issue of undervaluing the sale and in fact it was actually a ‘gift VSNL to Tata’. Now the skeletons in the cup board are exposed one after another. Though the 773 acre land was not given to the Tata, the latter was using it without any rent or anything all these years. If the issue of 2G scam had not come, gradually it would have gone to Tata and nobody will know. This is one instance where the Government was handing over property worth thousands of crores of rupees to the big business free.

DOT has now appointed a high power committee to look in to the matter and submit its report before 31st March 2011.

It is 34 years since the hated and draconian ‘Emergency’ was withdrawn in 1977. When a political crisis arose for the ruling Congress and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, instead of facing the same, Indira Gandhi declared the draconian ‘National Emergency’ on 25th June 1975. Thousands of leaders and workers of opposition political parties and trade unions were arrested and jailed. Left parties were specially targetted.Draconian orders were issued to silence the media and all democratic institutions. Many P&T Union leaders were arrested including Com.N.J.Iyer. I was taken in to custody twice, but released. In Calicut, where I was working two comrades were arrested and jailed for one year. It was the same in W.Bengal where about more than one dozen leaders of P&T and central government employees were arrested and jailed.

The government continued with suppression and terror but the democratic movement also resisted with all its force. The struggles, JP movement and international pressure all compelled the Congress rulers to declare election. A survey conducted by the government also suggested that the congress will win the election with thumping majority. The Emergency was withdrawn on 27th March 1977, but in the elections, the Congress was routed out. For the first time in India, a non-congress, Janata Government came in to power. The one party Congress Rule at the centre was over. The people defeated dictatorship. A new era came in Indian Politics.

The UPA government has moved the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill in the Lok Sabha on 24th March 2011 amidst strong protest from the Left and many other opposition parties. The Left parties demanded for a voting on the presentation of the bill and the speaker allowed the same. There was panic in the government side since they were lacking in numbers if voting takes place since many members on its side were not present. It is reported that the Congress sought the support of the main opposition party, BJP in moving the bill and it shamelessly supported. What would have been a great debacle for the ruling party was avoided by the support of the BJP. The voting took place and 115 got in support and 45 against, and the bill was moved. The bill which could not be moved in the UPA I government due to the strong opposition of the Left parties have now been moved with the support of the BJP. The hypocrisy of the BJP has been once again exposed. Both the Congress and the BJP are two sides of the same coin, birds of the same feather, when it comes to attacks on the workers.

The working class has to continue its sustained and mighty struggles against this bill which wants the Pension funds of thousands of crore of rupees to be put in the share market for the benefit of the big business and speculators, endangering the pension of crores of employees.

The Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises(BRPSE) has recommended implementation of VRS in BSNL, reduction of retirement age from 60 to 58 years , reduction of allowances to employees, outsourcing and reduction of manpower etc. for improvement of the performance of BSNL. They have also recommended for efficient management etc. ( A copy of the order is put in the BSNLEU website http://www.bsnleuchq.com).

BRPSE’s main recommendations are to reduce the staff and retirement age. BSNLEU Central Executive Committee held at Chennai from 22nd to 24th March has discussed the issue in detail and has decided to oppose and defeat these anti-worker proposals. The Joint Action Committee which is scheduled to meet on 29th March 2011 at New Delhi will take suitable decisions to face this attack. A call has already been given to organise lunch hour demonstrations on 5th April against VRS. Let us be prepared for further struggles to protect the interests of the workers.

The Central Executive Committee meeting of BSNL Employees Union held at Chennai from 22nd to 24th Marxh 2011 ended with a clarion call to the entire workers to prepare for sustained struggles against disinvestment, VRS, reduction of retirement age from 60 to 58 etc. and also to ensure financial viability of BSNL and to strengthen the BSNL and its services.

The CEC members discussed all the important issues thoroughly and took necessary organisational decisions as also decisions on th important issues and demands of the workers.

Detailed report will be available in the BSNLEU website by tomorrow.

The Prime Minister is in the dock for the cash for vote scam as also other scams in the country. Both the Left as well as the right exposed the role of the Prime Minister sidelining every scam without answering anything; without taking any responsibility.

Yesterday night (20th March) I reached Chennai by the Duronto Express from Delhi to attend the Central Executive Committee of the BSNLEU to be held from 22nd to 24th March 2011. Com. T.A.Biju, Office Secretary and my wife were along with me. Comrade Nagarajan and other comrades from the Chennai Circle received us and took to the IQ, after the parcels including CEC reports, bags etc. were taken from the luggage compartment.

We started at 1550 hours on 19th March from Delhi and reached Chennai by 2030 hours the next day ie. by about 31 hours. Duronto don’t stop anywhere, except for technical stops or for loading of meals etc. Tickets are issued only to the last point ie. Chennai. Since we were in AC-3 tier, we were provided with kambals, bed sheets, pillow etc. as also meals. Food was OK. In short, it was a comfortable journey.

While sitting in the train, my mind went back to the journeys I had to undertake to Delhi many times for attending meetings, dharnas, Parliament Marches etc. My Delhi journeys started from the 1960s.There was no direct train from Kerala at that time. We had to go to Madras (now Chennai) first and then catch G.T.Express, the only train going to Delhi from there. There was no question of getting any reservation at all. The only thing that could be done was to rush and occupy a seat in the general compartment as soon as the train reaches the platform.But that was also not so easy. Or if you give 4 annas to the coolie, he may somehow manage to get you a seat in the general compartment. Sometimes you will not be that fortunate. Then you have to stand till somebody vacates a seat. You will have to stand full day or more than that.

No food supply in the train. When the train reaches any big station, we rush to the water pipe in the Rly station, drink water and fill up in the bottle. No water bottle for sale as at present. Vijayawada was a station, where you can get the meal. The moment you reach Vijayawada, get down and run to the restaurant in the station. Take a meal ticket from the person standing at the door, sit in any of the table where food is already served, eat it fast and run back to the compartment before it starts. A bell in the restaurant will ring one minute before the departure of the train. Whether you have completely eaten the meal or not, you rush back to get in to the train.

It will take more than two days to reach Delhi. By the time you reach your destination, your dress will be completely black with the smoke of the train ( only coal engines were there). No chance to take any bath.

I still remember one such journey. Com. K.Bhaskaran Nair ( expired last year)senior leader of E.III Union, who was Kerala Circle President later, and myself were travelling by train to Delhi. Even after two days, we could not get a seat to sit. We were so tired so we thought we will get down, take a bath, and then proceed to Delhi. Since there was no reservation, we could use the ticket for the next train also. So, we got down at Jhansi station at the early morning by about 0500 hours or so, kept the bags in the cloak room and had a cup of tea. All of a sudden, we got the idea why can’t we visit the famous Jhansi Fort where somehow we can take a bath also. I took with me a small bag with the money in it, also with some oil and soap.

We hired a judka and asked the driver to take us to the Jhansi Fort. It was too early even to see the road clearly. The driver dropped us near an old fort, got his money and returned. We got down and walked to the fort. It was in a very dilapidated condition. The gates were broken, dirty water wa s flowing in the front side. Rooms were open and dirty clothes were seen inside. The atmosphere was very bad and we decided to return without waiting to see the rest of the fort. By the time we returned, we were surprised to see many people standing near the gate watching us angrily. A good look at them and we shuddered. They were lepers and the old fort was a lepers colony. They might have thought that we had come to rob them. Any way it was a dangerous situation. If they caught us and kept us their prisoners, no body will know. Our families will not know where we are lost. We were in great danger.

Then Com. Bhaskaran Nair told me the plan. Don’t be panicky. Appear normal. The moment we reach near the gate where they are standing, run for your life. Do’nt look back or wait for each other. Because they are lepers they can’t run and catch us. If they try to catch, push them and continue your running.

It was in fact a run for our life. They did not try to catch us. We ran past them for about a furlong and then only looked back. They were watching us curiously. We were safe.

We got another judka on the way. The driver told us that this is a very old fort and fort of Jhansi Rani is in another direction. He took us there. It was almost a military camp. We went inside the fort and found a small temple and tank down in the fort. We told the priest that we wanted to take bath and pray. He allowed.

While searching the bag for oil, I found that the oil had spilled while we ran and all the notes were soaked with oil. Com. Bhaskaran Nair told me not to worry. You put ash (bhasma) on the note and the notes will be ok.We returned to the Railway station, got in to the train and reached Delhi without any further difficulty.

Now we journey with all comforts in the train, AC, food, kambals, sheets etc.There are much to be improved, but comparing to the old times, it has drastically changed. Times change, we also change.

How is the Japan people facing the holocaust due to the earth-quake, Sunami and the nuclear danger? It seems from the report that despite the fact that thousands of valuable lives have been lost and towns themselves washed away and nuclear danger hanging on their heads, the Japan people are facing it squarely and in a disciplined, systematic way without becoming panicky. A write-up in ‘The Hidawada’ dated 20th March by Talveen Singh sums it up as follows:

” There are lessons in disaster management that India can learn from Japan. The orderly way in which rescuers went about their terrible task? The courage with which people who lost every thing behaved? The methodical checking for radiation exposure? The cleanliness of the camps in which victims took shelter? These are not things that we see in India at the best of times.”

After exposing the vote-for-cash scam of the UPA-I government, the wikiLeaks has exposed the role played by BJP also which assured the US diplomats, they are opposing the nuclear treaty as a tactics of the opposition party. Congress as well as BJP stand exposed in supporting the nuclear deal.

The government’s inaction in unearthing black money was again pointed out by the Supreme Court. Despite knowing well that people like Hasan Ali, who have huge black money stashed in foreign banks are not yet brought to book, the Supreme Court on 18th March suggested to the Government about setting up of a Special investigation Team (SIT) for the same including Enforcement Directorate, CBI and Income Tax Department. The Government is yet to reply to the suggestion.

All these developments naturally point to a very unhappy situation, that the Central Government is not interested in unearthing black money or catching up those who are the culprits. The image of the government is already tarnished with so many scams, including the latest cash-for-votes scam and the continued adverse remarks by the Supreme Court.