Com. O.P.Gupta – A Homage
V.A.N.Namboodiri
President,BSNLEU
Comrade Om Prakash Gupta, the veteran leader of the P and T and Central Government, is no more. He left us on 6th of January 2013, in the Military Hospital, New Delhi, where he was admitted for serious breathing problems. He was 90.
The death was unexpected. Even a few days before, he had come and attended a meeting of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations meeting held at BSNL Mazdoor Sangh Office and even spoke for some time. A few weeks back he had come to my residence in Gole Market, had a cup of tea and discussed for some time certain issues like pension. Before going, he had another cup of tea. In fact, just like me, he was fond of tea/coffee.
When Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, BSNLEU, informed at about 21.30 hours on 6th January 2013 about the death of Com. OPG, I could not believe it first. When I have met him a few days back he seemed OK. I, immediately contacted Com.R.K.Kohli, who confirmed the sad news. On my part, I intimated the news to our comrades through SMS. When I contacted and conveyed my condolence to his son Shri Salil Gupta over phone, he informed that the funeral will be held at Lodhi Road Crematorium at 11.30 hours next day. Along with Com. Giriraj Singh, General Secretary of AIRMS Union Class III, I reached there on 7th morning, before the last rites started. Family members, friends and many union leaders had already reached the spot. I paid my homage to the departed leader and placed a flower wreath on behalf of the BSNL Employees Union and myself.
At the announced time, the body was taken to the pyre by his two sons Salil and Kapil and other family members. After certain formalities, the pyre was lit. The fire went up and the body was in flames.
A condolence meeting was held outside of the cemetery by the union workers present. I presided and expressed my deep grief on the death of the great leader and conveyed condolences to the bereaved family members. Comrades C.Singh, GS, NFTE, P.Abhimanyu, GS BSNLEU, Suresh Kumar, GS, BSNLMS. R.K.Kohli, GS, NFTBE, K.G.Jayaraj, GS, AIBDPA, Jaya Prakash, GS FNTO, M.K.Bagchi, Chairman Joint Forum, R.Krishnamoorthy, NFTE, Pattabhi Raman, NFTE and other leaders addressed. All the workers stood in silence for one minute paying homage to the respected leader.
Another condolence meeting was held at New Delhi CTO Conference Hall which was attended by many leaders and workers from Delhi and nearby places. I also attended a condolence meeting organized by R.IV Union at the Market Road Post Office. Along with other leaders I also paid my homage and spoke in remembrance of Com.OPG. Throughout the country, many such condolence meetings were held to pay homage to the departed leader.
A great working class leader, who has dedicated his entire life to the cause of the P and T and Central Govt. employees has passed away causing an irreparable loss to the movement. It is very difficult to have another such colourful personality for a long time.
O.P.Gupta – his entry in to P and T Unions
Born to Shri Ram Lal Gupta and Smt. Sona devi on 08-04-1922, Om Prakash Gupta got educated at Karnal and Lahore. He got employment in Defence Department, but was dismissed in 1942, probably due to the connections with Communist Party. That was the time when many young men were denied jobs or lost jobs after the police verification.
In the P & T Department, unions have been formed since the first decades of the 20th century. Indian Telegraph Association formed by Henry Barton, All India Postal & RMS Union formed by Babu Tarapada Mukherjee, The All India Postmen and Lower Grade Staff Union formed by Com. V.G.Dalvi and Indian Posts & Telegraph Union were already in existence. The historic 1946 Postal strike was launched from 11th July 1946 on a 16 point Charter of Demands. While a large number of workers joined the strike, the leadership of the AIPRMS refused to join the strike. The strike got complete support from the Congress and AITUC, the only central trade union at that time. Massive rallies were organised in Madras, Bombay and Calcutta in support of the strike. The strike was treated as part of the Independence movement. The government was compelled to discuss with the unions and to accept 12 out of the 16 demands. The strike was called on 6th August 1946 after agreement. It was a historic strike in which majority of the demands were achieved.
The leadership of the unions which did not participate in the strike in AIPRMSU were compelled to resign. It was at this time that Com.O.P.Gupta was appointed in the Union office. To pass over the crisis in the organisation, he was appointed as Probationary General Secretary at the young age of 25. The ‘ khadi clad in kurta, pyjama and Gandhi cap’ young man never looked back.
The success of the strike and the demands raised created an atmosphere for unity of the existing unions. Com. O.P.Gupta took a pivotal role along with Com.B.N.Ghosh, Com. K.G.Bose and other leaders in forming the Union of P&T Workers (UPTW). In the name of the proposed 1949 P&T strike, the new government of free India took harsh measures. Almost all the leaders including O.P.Gupta were arrested, even before a formal decision could be taken in the meeting being held for declaring the strike. Many comrades were dismissed/terminated from service including Coms. K.G.Bose, Moni Bose etc. Com.Janak,( who later married OPG ) who was the Branch Secretary of the union in Delhi was also terminated at that time. OPG was in jail for 14 months.
NFPTE formed in 1954
The formation of the National Federation of P&T Employees (NFPTE) on 24th November 1954 uniting all the existing unions in P&T was an important mile stone in the forward march of the P&T trade union movement. The historic conference held at Delhi on 24 November 1954 formed 9 unions, two (Class III and Class IV) unions each for Postal, RMS, Telegraph and Telegraph Engineering and one for the Administrative Offices (together both for Postal and Telegraphs). Com. OPG was elected as the General Secretary of the All India Telegraph Engineering Class III Union as also All India RMS Union, Mail Guards & Class IV. Com. B.N.Ghosh (Dada Ghosh) was elected as the Secretary General of NFPTE.
The Historic 1960 strike
The first two decades of NFPTE was full of struggles. The proposed strike of 1957 for appointment of II Central Pay commission was withdrawn after the demand was agreed to by the government. The recommendations of the II CPC was completely unsatisfactory and NFPTE along with other Central Government organisations like Railway, Defence, Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers (of which NFPTE is also an affiliate) called for indefinite strike demanding minimum wage, grant of DA according to the increase in Cost of Living Index etc. The strike started on 11th July 1960. The government treated the strike as ‘Civil Rebellion’ and suppressed it with all the powers at its disposal. Essential Services Maintenance Ordinance (ESMO) was promulgated and thousands of workers were arrested, jailed, dismissed, terminated, suspended and charge sheeted. Even outsiders who supported the strike were arrested and jailed. Top leaders including the Secretary General NFPTE, General Secretaries including OPG – all were arrested and put in jail. The strike could not continue more than 5 days because of the brutal repression and the same was called off by the leaders who were in jail. It was only after the strong protest and exposure of the unheard of brutal victimisation of the striking workers in the Parliament by leaders like coms. A.K.Gopalan, S.M.Banerjee and others that the government was compelled to take all the workers back in service.
A One Day Token Strike was organised on 19th September 1968. The victimisation was more than in 1960. The main demand was the ‘Minimum Wage’ again. It took many years to vacate the victimisation.
In all these struggles, Com. O.P.Gupta took a pivotal role. In addition to the post of General Secretary, he was elected to the post of Secretary General of NFPTE later.
Differences in NFPTE
The one decade from the late 1960s to the late 1970s was a period when there were serious differences in the Left, which reflected in the NFPTE with serious consequences. In the 1970 Federal Council, Coms. K.G.Bose and A.S.Rajan were elected as President and Secretary General of NFPTE defeating the candidates supported by OPG. Instead of accepting the verdict of the Council, OPG and others with him tried to make all obstacles in the functioning of the Federation and in the next Federal Council in Calcutta, a parallel list was floated well knowing that they cannot win. NFPTE was thus divided and the government supported OPG group. This again adversely affected the participation in the 1974 strike with one section of Confederation and NFPTE participating in the strike and another led by OPG opposing the same. The government effectively utilised the differences to their advantage. Many officials were victimised for the strike.
The unity was restored in the Federal Council held in Bombay in 1976 and later in the E.III All India Conference at Chandigarh.
P&T Bifurcated
The P&T Department was bifurcated in to Department of Posts and Department of Telecommunications in 1984 and consequently the NFPTE was also bifurcated in to NFPE and NFTE in the Calcutta Federal Council.
However, the differences in the approach to the issues as well as the government continued in NFTE. Com. OPG started taking individual decisions and a compromising position with the government against the common interests of the workers. This resulted in a stiff contest in the All India Conference of the AITEU Class III Union at Bhopal in 1991 in which the panel with Com. Gupta as General Secretary was defeated and myself and Com. Moni Bose elected as President and General Secretary respectively. Although Com. OPG accepted the election initially, but within 6 months he created a dispute and hurdles for the normal functioning of the union. These disputes and different approach on issues and struggles adversely affected the union functioning.
BSNL formed
Despite strong protest and strike actions by the Federations and Unions in DOT, the government formed the new telecom corporation, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). It came in to being on 1st October 2000. An agreement was made by the three federations with the government ensuring govt. pension for the BSNL absorbed employees as also regularisation of thousands of casual labour engaged in DOT. Com.OPG played a dominant role in reaching this agreement.
Conversion of CDA to IDA scales
On the demand of the unions, discussion took place and a new wage agreement was reached in 2002 between the unions and the management converting the CDA to IDA scales. The workers got a fair increase in the pay scale.
Recognition of Union in BSNL
In the first membership verification in BSNL in 2002, OPG led NFTE to victory and recognition. Though the management was ready to recognise two unions as in the DOT, OPG insisted for recognition for only one union as per the Code of Discipline. BSNLEU which was second with only a difference of 15,000 votes in the total votes of 2,95,000, it was denied recognition as also proportionate representation as demanded by most of the unions. This hard position taken by OPG as Secretary General of NFTE turned against NFTE itself in the future verifications.
BSNLEU wins next verifications
From the second membership verification onwards, BSNL Employees Union with myself as the General Secretary got the majority votes and was recognised as the representative union, instead of NFTE, which had to satisfy with the second position in the polls and no recognition. It is by this time that there was a change in the leadership of zNFTE and Com. M.B.Vichare was elected as General Secretary in place of Com. OP Gupta, who became the President. By 2007, Com. Om Prakash Gupta, retired from elected posts, but continued to advise and guide the P&T workers in his capacity as a senior leader.
The death of his wife, Com.Janak Gupta, during this period was a serious blow to OPG. His health also started failing. Though he had several times stated that he wanted to die in the Dada Ghosh Bhawan itself where he was staying from the 1960s onwards, his failing health and also change of the chief executive post resulted in his shifting from DGB and staying with his sons’ families.
And the end came unexpectedly on the fateful day of 6th January 2013 in the Military Hospital in Delhi.
6 decades of uninterrupted service
Com Om Prakash Gupta was a leader who mingled freely with everybody and kept close contact with his co-workers and comrades. He led a very simple life and was approachable to all. He was not shy to express his opinion and fight for the same. Controversies were part of his life and work, but nobody doubted his sincerity to the workers cause.
I met him for the first time in 1959 at Cannanore (now Kannur, Kerala), when he visited there on organisational tour. I was, of course, impressed by his big build, but more impressed with his approach to the ordinary workers like me. Later I had the chance to work under him as the Circle Secretary of E.III Union, Kerala, as also as the Asst. General Secretary of the same at the Central Head Quarters till I resigned from that post along with Coms. Moni Bose and others, protesting against the reformist and compromising position taken by him. And it ended up in the elections in Bhopal AIC in 1991.
During the last five decades, there have been several occasions when we held different views on many issues even when we were in the same or separate unions. But it never affected our personal relations. Even when we fought bitterly on issues, our personal relations were warm and cordial. There are many important incidents during our long association, which I do not want to narrate here due to paucity of space. It has to wait for another time.
OPG, the Leader, the Fighter
While Babu Tarapada Mukherjee, Henry Barton and other pioneers started the Unions in P&T and brought it up with great sacrifices, it was Dada Ghosh, K.G.Bose, O.P.Gupta, and other leaders who united the P&T movement in to NFPTE and led and strengthened it. Com. O.P.Gupta had a pivotal role in all these.
He always thought about the workers and their future. He fought for what he thought was right and was fearless fighter.
My respectful homage to the great leader of P&T and Central Government Employees!
………………
VAN Namboodiri's Blog 