BEST WISHES AND GREETINGS TO ALL ON THE EVE OF DURGA PUJA, NAVARATRI AND DUSSERAH FESTIVALS!

It was on 24th October 1851 that the telegraph services was first introduced in India. It was in a small route between Calcutta, then capital of British India, and Diamond Harbour.

The history of telegraphs started long back. The electrical telegraph was invented in 1775. The first commercial telegraphs were introduced by the Western Railways in Britain in the 1830s. It was introduced in India in 1850s along with the railways. The telephones were not invented and the fastest communication system was the telegraphs. Only the Britishers were employed as telegraphist both in Railways and in Telegraph Offices in the initial stages due to its utmost importance and secrecy. The Britishers used the Telegraphs and Railways effectively to crush the First Independence War of 1857, which they called as ‘Sepoy Mutiny’. The Telegraphs grew fantastically during the second part of the 20th century and there were telegraph offices in all important cities and towns. In small places, the services were manned by the Postal officials called ‘Singnallers’, who kept the connection between the cities and the villages through telegraph wires.
Telegrams were sent by government as also by public to inform urgent and important news. The CTOs in the metro cities used to have about 100 or 200 telegraphists at the same time and round the clock. The telegrams were taken as official records in the court etc. It was authentic and clear. Since the charge for sending telegram was on the basis of the number of words, the message was constructed briefly with minimum number of words. The message may be of great happiness or that of sorrow like death or disease. The unions used to organise ‘telegram campaigns’ as a method of protest sending the same in large numbers to the concerned authorities.

After the growth of telephones and mobile services, the importance of telegraphs started to wane. By the second decade of 21st century it was almost limited to certain official messages. According to the government and the BSNL, there was much loss and it can not be continued as a viable service.

When the government decided to close the telegraph offices and telegraph/telegram services from 15th July, BSNL Unions put up strong protest and organised protest meetings. As President of the Union, I went to Mumbai and Kolkata offices and held press conferences for getting the support of the people at large for continuing the services.

Telegraph is a heritage service and accommodated in heritage buildings in the big cities. CTO buildings in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata etc. are heritage buildings, which have to be maintained as such. Lakhs and lakhs of documents connected with the history of the Mughal, British rule etc. are there in the old documents of the telegraph offices. Just like Western Court building in Delhi is occupied by a hotel, there are proposals to turn these heritage buildings also in to such posh hotels. You can see that many of the historic palaces have already been converted in to hotels.

A PLI case was filed in the court, but did not get any relief. It can only be said that the BSNL management had taken an unwise anti-people decision as also without taking in to confidence of the unions, which were trying to improve the services and make the company financially viable.

Despite all efforts to ensure that the telegraph services are kept as a token of the past, as in the case of trams in Kolkata, neither the government nor the BSNL agreed. It was finally decided to close it on 15th July 2013 forever.

Nobody expected what happened on the day. It was a pleasant surprise. Thousands of people gathered in front of telegraph offices to send their last telegrams to their near and dear ones. Even after midnight of 15/16 July, the queue did not stop and many people had to return disappointed that they could not send the last telegram. Their spontaneous response on the last day showed their love and appreciation of the telegraph services.

seven years are over after closure of telegraph services. The people have almost forgotten the ‘telegram’. The new generation may wonder what is ‘telegraphs’ and ‘telegram’? But those who knew telegram and sent or received them, still remember the same. For them it is nostalgia indeed!

THE BASE YEAR CHANGE FOR CONSUMERS PRICE INDEX FOR-INDUSTRIAL WORKER A DESIGN TO MANIPULATE THE REALITY OF PRICE MOVEMENT.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions expresses serious concern over the change in the base year of consumer Price Index for the industrial workers (CPI-IW) from 2001 to 2016 announced by the BJP Govt through its Labour Minister, arrogantly ignoring all the questions raised and suggestions made by all the trade unions in the country through their joint letter dated 25^th August 2020.

Entire exercise made by the Labour Bureau functioning under Ministry of Labour on this matter has been thoroughly arbitrary, deliberately designed to suppress the real impact of the price rise of essential items for human survival and also to deprive the workers of their entitlement for legitimate DA. The Labour Bureau deliberately ignored the very fact that even in the midst of economic slowdown, the prices of essential items, food items in particular always remain on the rise and did not hesitate to arbitrarily as well as drastically reduce the weight assigned to food items in the standard consumption basket from 46.2% to 39% for the purpose of computation of consumer price index. Minister’s statement justifying this arbitrary reduction as change in the consumption pattern of the working people away from food item is absolutely ridiculous and  cruel inhuman joke; this is done when the average consumption expenditure marked a sharp decline with the rural consumption expenditure falling by more than 9 per cent as per CSO estimate (suppressed by the Modi Govt); and also when in global hunger index, India has been ranked as low at 94 out of 107 nations under survey below Bangaladesh and Pakistan.

Manipulation by the Govt with a dubious intent does not end here. It is also done in the linking factor for converting the numbers of 2016 to 2001 series equivalent to suppress the impact of actual price rise. Two previous changes of base year witnessed a higher linking factor of 4.93 (1960 to 1982 -22 years gap) and 4.63 (1982 to 2001—19 years gap); now a 16 years gap (2001 to 2016) entailed a linking factor of only 2.88 (62% reduction for difference in 3 years in gap.). Can fraud go further ?

Then the choice of base year in 2016 is also designed for manipulation to suppress the impact of price rise. Originally till July 2020, exercise was being done with the idea of 2013-14 as the base year. Changing it to 2016 is an afterthought by the Modi regime as the same year, the notorious demoetisation was undertaken affecting negatively the price-level of the items in standard consumption basket for CPI-IW owing to virtual collapse of the economic operation in the country in the last quarter of 2016. This change is also done with the purpose of suppressing the real impact of price rise.     

The employers’ oranisations have long been demanding upon the Govt to freeze the variable DA payment to workers as a relief to them during the period of economic slowdown. Govt has now responded to that demand of their capitalist bosses through backdoor. The present exercise of changing base year of CPI-IW to 2016  with all its components, some of which are mentioned here, is meant for that at the cost of the working people.

It is reported that Com. Ravindran, a contract worker engaged in GMT Office Palakkad, Kerala, has committed suicide in the night of 21st October unable to face the trauma of reduced working hours and non-payment of wages for more than 4 months. He is working in BSNL for more than 20 years.

The BSNL employees and workers held protest demonstration, keeping Corona protocol, against the cruel attitude of the BSNL management and the contractors.

Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends and comrades!

During his election speech US President Donald Trump insulted India stating that India, China etc are responsible for the present environment problems. Earlier he had denigrated India about lack of cleanliness.

But India PM Narendra Modi is silent. Unfortunate. Has India become a subordinate ally of US?

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This time , the Foundation Day of our mighty organisation , AIBDPA was to be celebrated amid  discontentment and strong protest against denial of pension revision and medical facilities to BSNL pensioners and Covid-19 pandemic challenge. All these adverse conditions did not deter our Comrades all over the country from celebrating the Foundation Day befittingly.

Sweets were distributed in many places. In some Districts like Vellore in Tamil Nadu 5 kg rice each was distributed to 65 BSNL contract workers whose wages are not being paid for months, incurring an expenditure of Rs.11,930 to the district Branch. They also utilized the occasion to enroll 16 new members, mostly AGMs and DEs to AIBDPA. All the 8 branches under Vellore District Branch have celebrated the Foundation Day as reported by Com.Jothisudanthiranathan, District Secretary. Kolkata Telecom Factory & Stores along with BSNLEU Kolkata Telephones Circle distributed relief to BSNL Casual Contract workers and the Tea Vendors near the Telecom FActory.

CHQ heartily congratulates all our comrades for celebrating the Foundation Day of our great oragnisation in a fantastic manner. (AIBDPA WEBSITE)

BSNL DOT Pensioners all over the country celebrated the 12th Foundation Day of AIBDPA on 21st October 2020, by hoisting union flag, holding meetings through video conference, WhatsApp meetings etc, maintaining covid protocol. Speeches on the activities, achievements and issues were made by leaders in these meetings. Details will be published in the AIBDPA website.

Congratulations to AIBDPA Comrades!

Very sad news – Com. M. Bhaskaran, former Mayor Kozhikode and State Vice- President, SCFWA and senior leader of CPI(M) has passed away today noon. He was under treatment at Kozhikode Co-op. Hospital. He was 80.Com. Bhaskaran as Mayor had through his excellent leadership done wonderful improvement for Kozhikode Corporation and its people. He was also President of Kozhikode Co-operative Hospital and received Best Hospital award from President of India a few years back.In strengthening the SCFWA Com.M.Bhaskaran’ s valuable contribution is noteworthy. The last state conference of SCFWA at Kozhikode was held under his guidance.He was was always pleasant and helpful to all. He was one of the best administratior. My friendship with him goes back to many decades.His death is a great loss to all of us. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends & Comrades. Red Salute!

V.A.N.Namboodiri State President SCFWA.

CABINET APPROVES PRODUCTIVITY LINKED BONUS AND NON-PRODUCTIVITY LINKED BONUS FOR 2019-2020

Ministry of Finance

Posted On: 21 OCT 2020 3:25PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to pay Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB)for the year 2019-2020 to 16.97 lakh non-gazetted employees of commercial establishments like Railways, Posts, Defence, EPFO,ESIC,etc.will be benefitted and the financial implication would be Rs.2,791 crore.

Non-PLB or ad-hoc Bonus is given to Non-Gazetted Central Government employees. 13.70 lakh employees would be benefited and Rs.946 crore will be the financial implication for the same.

A total of 30.67 lakh employees would be benefited by the Bonus announcement and total financial implication will be Rs 3,737 crore.

Payment of Bonus to non-gazetted employees for their performance in the preceding year is usually made before Durga Puja/Dussehra season. The Government is announcing the Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) and ad hoc bonus for its non-gazetted employees to be disbursed immediately. VRRK(Release ID: 1666381)

Modi government often claims that India is marching ahead as the most emerging economy in the world. Yes, it is a fact that Indian Corporates have amassed assets even beyond their imagination, thanks to Modi government’s all out patronage. Ambani and Adani got a steep hike in their assets in a single year with increase of 73% and 61% respectively.

But what about the common people ? The widening gap between the poor and the richest have put their lives to poverty and miseries. This fact is being vindicated through the study of global agencies. Now, according to the Global Hunger Index, released on 16-10-2020, India ranks 94 with Sudan and behind African countries, Kenya (84) Tanzania (89), Angola (93), among the 107 countries.

Our neigbhours are far ahead of India, China (5), Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (73), Bangladesh (75) and Pakistan (88).

India has the higest prevalance of wasted children under five years in the world, which reflects acute undernutrition. The report says that the situation has worsened during 2015-19 period, when the prevalance of child wasting was 17.3%, in comparison to 2010-14, when it was 15.1% .

The report is a clear indictment against Modi government’s pro-corporate and pro-rich policies. (Courtesy: AIBDPA Website)