People's Democracy

ON May Day this year, workers pledged to wage a united nationwide struggle against the BJP-led Vajpayee government's ruinous, anti-people economic policies. May Day was marked by huge rallies held in various parts of the country.

In Delhi, the central trade unions CITU, AICCTU, AITUC, TUCC, UTUC, UTUC-LS, the federations and associations AILICEF, AIBEA, BEFI, NZIEA, DMRA, GIEAI and FSTCEU held a joint workers rally on May 1, 2002. The rally called upon the working people of the country to build up countrywide militant resistance against the anti-national and anti-people policies of the central government.

On the occasion of May Day, the unions gave a joint call :

• Solidarity with the worldwide struggles against imperialism
• Fight back imperialist sponsored policy of neo-liberal globalisation
• Unitedly combat the communal and divisive forces
• Defend Unity of the toiling masses and integrity of the nation

The workers in several thousands joined the procession from Ramlila ground which later converged into a mass rally at Town Hall, Chandni Chowk, Delhi.

The May Day rally rejoiced with pride at the growing momentum of the militant struggles of the working people worldwide, throughout the Asia, Africa, Latin-America and Europe against the barbarous attack on their rights and living conditions by the capitalist lobby led by the MNCs. The rally also congratulated the heroic toiling masses of Venezuela for their victory in restoring pro-people governance in their country defeating the coup of the Trans National Corporations (TNCs) backed by CIA and the Bush administration. This demonstrates the tremendous strength of peoples’ power in action which shows the path to the toilers of the entire world. For the first time in recent history, the imperialists failed in their coup attempt in Venezuela, after their conspiracies succeeded in Chile, Granada and other countries.

The May Day rally also congratulated the toiling people of India for their magnificent response to the call for countrywide action on April 16 against the anti-national and anti-people policies of the BJP-led NDA government at the centre, their nefarious bid to sell out the PSUs, the attack on labour rights and their moves to change the labour laws in favour of multinational companies (MNCs), closure of industries and mounting joblessness and unemployment. The workers and the common masses are the worst sufferers of these policies all over the country.

This rally expressed grave concern at the disaster perpetrated on the society by the communal forces. The seeds of provocation and hatred have been sown assiduously by the fundamentalist forces of all shades. The BJP's ascendancy on the national political scene with a communal plank is calibrated with the increase in the incidents of provocation and hatred resulting in unforeseen violence, human tragedy and loss of properties in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat and many other places - in that order.

It warned that right from the nefarious incident of Godhra killings to thr immediately followed, well planned genocide and mass killings in Ahmedabad and other parts of the state with the active patronage of the BJP led state government, exposed the desperate bid of the BJP and the communal forces of other hues to bring permanent "divide" among the people on religious lines and "rule". Saying that they are the worst enemies of the entire humanity, the rally gave a call for the working class movement to fight and expose them thoroughly.

THE May Day rally held at the Shahid Minar maidan in Kolkata was one of the biggest meetings of the working people in recent times. The rally was organised under the aegis of the CITU, the AITUC, the UTUC, the TUCC, the HMS, the UTUC (Lenin Sarani), the banking federations, the 12^th July committee, the mercantile federation, the united movement committee of Railways, Defence, and Post & Telegraph workers-employees, and the central and state government employees’ associations.

The resolution of May Day 2002, placed before the meeting by Ashok Ghosh of the TUCC, and subsequently adopted unanimously, spoke of the globalisation-liberalisation-privatisation drive of the TNC’s as a sign that the global corporate capital was seeking a way out of a deep-seated crisis. The crisis has already manifested itself in the so-called "advanced" capitalist countries as a rapidly decreasing production, a shrinking and distorted market structure, a high rate of joblessness, and a widening ambit of social unrest.

The neo-colonial thrust of the global corporate capital, the resolution noted, was reflected in the search for markets, and in the attacks being orchestrated against the hard-earned rights of the workers-employees. The process is accompanied by political encroachment by the US imperialists and their cohorts on the sovereignty of nations of the Third World.

The resolution noted that the entire phenomenon was being clearly seen in India where a weak-kneed union government was ready to oblige the "unholy trinity" of WTO-IMF-World Bank by going out of its way and putting the country’s economic and political sovereignty on the line. Attempts are made to coerce the state governments to fall in line or to suffer from cut backs on central assistance.

Addressing the rally, CITU leader, Chittabrata Majumdar said that the way out of the imbroglio was to sharpen the workers’ struggles further in the face of the mounting assault being launched against the country by corporate capital. Majumdar pointed out that global corporate capital and their local agents were out to isolate the working class through orchestrating acts of terrorism and wanton violence.

A subsidiary, and highly volatile, component of the newer form of attack was manifest in the effort to brand a particular community as "terrorist" worldwide in order to weaken the solidarity of the working people. Communal fault-lines existing in the country, said the CITU leader, to wreak havoc on the working people’s unity nationwide even as a plethora of anti-people policies were being put in motion. The conspiratorial moves of the ruling classes in utilising the communal card to frustrate the struggles of the working people must be thwarted through mass mobilisation and mass movements all over the country, said Chittabrata Majumdar.

In his address, veteran CITU leader, and Polit Bureau member of the CPI (M), Jyoti Basu (who mounted the dais amidst a tumult of slogans) exhorted upon the workers to take a pledge for carrying forth the struggle for the establishment of a society free from exploitation. He also called upon them to concentrate their efforts to the political task at hand, which was to bring increasing pressure on the BJP-led union government to either mend its ways or to quit.

"We," said Basu, "must follow up the undoubted success of the April 16 strike action to organise greater working class actions in the days ahead and at an all-India level." In order to make the programmes a success, there was need, pointed out the former Bengal chief minister, for the political consciousness of the workers to be raised further. Basu emphasised the importance of the coming together of all TU’s irrespective of political differences and he also spoke on the importance of organising joint TU actions from down below at the grass-roots." The uncivilised and barbaric regime of the BJP must be removed, and this should be the vow of May Day 2002, Basu concluded.

Other speakers at the Rally included Saral Deb (TUCC), Atanu Sarbadhikari (AICCTU), Sankar Saha (UTUC-LS), Ranjit Guha (AITUC), Chunilal Dasgupta (12^th July Committee), and Shibshankar Ray (united movement of Railways, Defence, P & T workers-employees). Nanda Srimani of the AITUC presided over this year’s May Day rally. Besides the central Kolkata rally, the CITU in conjunction with other Left TU’s organised May Day rallies throughout the province on May Day 2002.

GIVING a rousing call for resolute resistance against the all out imperialist bid to rob the working classes of all their privileges acquired since the May 1 martyrdom at Hay-Market in 1886, the May-Day was celebrated all over Tripura through hundreds of marches and meetings, conventions and congregations. A record sale of the May-Day issue of the CPI(M) daily Desher Katha, also marked the day. The chief minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated on the day an assistance scheme for workers of the unorganised sector.

As in the entire state, the inhabitants of Agartala also woke up on May 1 to the revolutionary songs and slogans reminding them of the toiling masses of Chicago who were the first to wake up the exploited masses worldwide. All sections of men and women, from labour to intellectuals lent their voice to the May Day song in their morning marches along all roads, lanes and by-lanes of the city. In the afternoon, a large rally with participation from workers, students, youth, women, peasants and intellectual classes was held at the Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan compound under the auspices of the joint forum of mass organisations.

Presided over by the CITU state committee president Baidyanath Majumder, the rally was addressed by the CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Manik Sarkar, the party state secretariat member Anil Sarkar and CITU state committee general secretary Manik Day.

Addressing the rally Manik Sarkar said that May Day this year coincided with several aggressive and divisive designs of world imperialism. The imperialist agents in the third world including India are going all out to divert the attention of working classes from the crisis that the world capitalist economy faces today.

But, he pointed out, this is just one part of the perspective, the other part being that, as wheels of history cannot be rolled back. Workers of the world are uniting with right perspective against imperialism.

The growth of movement for economic demands is possible only if the conspiracy to strike at unity and integrity is defeated by the working people.

Addressing the rally, Baidyanath Majumder said that while the capitalist world to consolidate itself is bent on nagating all the hard-earned rights of workers achieved through decades of struggle, the workers resistance is on the rise worldwide.

To mark the day of international solidarity of workers, the pro-worker Left Front state government launched on May 1, a very positive and encouraging scheme for workers welfare. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated this assistance scheme for workers of unorgansied sector by handing over a Provident Fund pass book symbolically to a female stone crusher at a ceremony organised by the Department of Labour at Agartala Town Hall. A total of 107 such unorganised sector workers received their pass books on the occasion, out of 15,000 workers to be benefited by this scheme this financial year.

May Day was also marked by the sale of May Day special issue of Desher Katha daily reaching a record of 73,000, up from this year’s Lenin Birth Anniversary sale of 59,000 copies.

THE working class of Amritsar showed its full strength and support to the CPI(M) and CITU at a May Day rally held at the railway station in the city. Over 3000 people participated in this rally which was addressed, among others, by Suneet Chopra, joint secretary, AIAWU, Vijay Mishra, vice president Punjab CITU,

They stressed the importance of May Day at a time when the working class and peasantry was suffering from the onslaught of liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation policies. The leaders emphasized that a militant and reliable organisation is a must which could give the working people a clear perspective. They stressed how the Left and democratic forces led by the CPI(M) and its mass organisations were precisely such a force and it was on their strength that the Left Front coalition in West Bengal won six elections in a row. This was the record of Left-led governments all over the world. The leaders pointed out that divisive and opportunistic forces came together at the centre, using the grossest forms of greed and opportunism to grab power.

They urged the working class and toiling peasantry to move forward to caution and inform all sections of the masses about these divisive and opportunistic elements to bring about the emergence of a Left, democratic and secular alternative to challenge and send the NDA government packing. The leaders stressed that unity of all working people, ignoring minor irritants and individualistic aspirations, is a must for achieving this.

MAY Day was observed enthusiastically through out Jharkhand under the leadership of CITU in the capital city Ranchi, CITU along with Ranchi Workers and Employees Coordination Committee celebrated May Day. All the important centres in the city were decorated with red flags and buntings. At about 9 in the morning a 400 strong scooter rally was taken out. After touring around the city the rally culminated into a meeting in front of CITU state committee office.

Addressing the rallyists, state CITU vice president J S Majumdar called on tem to wage a relentless battle against the fascistic communal forces who are bent on breaking the unity of the working people. Coordination Committee leader J M Sen Sharma also spoke on this occasion.

THE major trade unions in Maharashtra celebrated May Day jointly by taking out rallies, hoisting flags and organising gate meetings in all industrial centres.

In Mumbai , a rally was organised under the banner of TU's Joint Action Committee comprising of central trade unions CITU, AITUC, HMS, UTUC, HMKP and many other federations. Teachers also participated in large numbers. This committee had spearheaded many joint agitations in the recent period against the anti-working class and anti-people measures of both the state and central governments.

The rally at High School Maidan near Curry Road in central Mumbai was preceded by a colourful and militant procession. The procession started from Kamgar Maidan in central Mumbai and marched through the working class areas of the city to reach the Maidan.

The meeting was presided over by CITU Maharashtra state committee president Prabhakar Sansgiri who warned the working class about the dangers of state sponsored communalism being spread by the BJP. Stressing the need for maintaining the unity of the working class, CITU state general secretary K L Bajaj said that CITU will be in the forefront in the fight against the communal forces who are trying to break the country's unity and integrity.

Among those who addressed the gathering were R G Karnik (state govt. employees confederation), Dada Samant (Kamgar Aghadi), Sharad Rao (HMKP), Suryakant Bagal (HMS), Sukumar Damle (AITUC). Leaders of federations also spoke.