People's Democracy

THE 24-hour hectic commercial capital of India, Mumbai, is now set to be totally closed down on April 25. The bandh is to register the strong resentment against the anti-working class and anti-people policies of the BJP-led central government and the INC-NCP-led Maharashtra state government. The call came from the Trade Unions Action Committee, which comprises 30 trade union organisations in the city and when first announced from the platform on Azad Maidan on March 15, was spontaneously and enthusiastically endorsed by the massive congregation of industrial workers and middle class employees who had gathered after the huge procession of the LONG MARCHES from different areas of Mumbai.

For the present the bandh is restricted to Mumbai only, but state CITU is examining how best this action could be extended to the whole state of Maharashtra. Thus, the state of Maharashtra and its capital, the city of Mumbai which is the cream centre of Indian capitalism, is going to be a burning spot for the multinationals and their Indian counterparts.

The huge public meeting at Azad Maidan was unique in being the culmination of the programme of the six LONG MARCHES – something which Mumbaikars witnessed for the first time. And this programme itself was the realisation of the decision announced in the previous public rally at Shivaji Park a month before on February 15.

Each of these LONG MARCHES from six different places in Mumbai itself comprised large numbers of state government employees, university and college teachers, municipal employees, transport employees from the prestigious BEST undertaking services, central government employees, bank and insurance employees, railways staff and workers from the Central and Western Railways, dock workers, airport employees, public sector and qusi-government employees, electricity workers, contract labourers and so on.

On March 15, all participants drawn from mills, factories, offices and other workplaces in different areas of the city, first assembled in the afternoon at six selected places --- 1. The Maharashtra High School Maidan near Curry Road Railway Station, 2. The Kamgar Maidan in the predominantly textile workers areas of Parel, 3. Mahalaxmi Bridge adjoining the famous Race Course Ground, 4. S K Patil Udyan near Charni Road railway station, 5. Central Government Accountant General Office Complex, near Churchgate railway station, and 6. Around the Martyrs Memorial in Flora Fountain.

From there the LONG MARCHES then set out as scheduled. Marching under the banners of their respective organisations, the workers, employees, etc raised slogans agaisnt the globalisation policies of the state governemnt and the central government. In this way all the heavily populated important areas of Mumbai were covered, to meet together by evening in huge congregation at the Azad Maidan.

The longest route traversed was the one from Kamgar Maidan, Parel. The participants in this procession were exclusively university and college teachers, under the banner of the Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teachers. This procession of the teaching community was led amongst others by Dr Arun Dixit, Professor C R Sadasivan, Dr K K Thekedath and Professor Tapati Mukhopadhyaya. All the processions as the public meeting at Azad Maidan also, recorded the presence of a numebr of middle class women employees from offices, and working women from factories.

The public meeting held at Azad Maidan was undoubtedly one of the biggest in the recent period. Though completely blocked out by the English Print media, it received a fairly good and sympathetic coverage in the language papers. A general estimate is that up to thirty five thousand must have participated.

The meeting at Azad Maidan was also joined by activists of the National Alliance of Peoples Movement, under leadership of the noted environmentalist and leader of Narmda Bachao Andolan, Medha Patkar. A number of leaders addressed the meeting from the different organisations – R G Karnik (State Government Employees Confederation), Ahilya Ranganekar (CITU), Sukumar Damle (AITUC), Dr Arun Dixit (MFUCT), Suryakant Bagal (HMS), Sarad Rao (HMKP), Dada Samant (Kamgar Aghadi), Jayant Chavan (SSS), R P Singh (Central Government Employees), Suresh Dhopeshwarkar (AIBEA), A D Golandas (MSEB) and Medha Patkar.

This action follows on the statewide protest demonstration mobilised by the left political parties in Maharashtra on March 1, against continuation of the ENRON Project; protest demonstrations by the trade unions against the anti-people and anti-working class provisions contained in the central budget March 2, in response to the call given by the National Platform of Mass Organisations; a militant demonstration by trade union organisations near Churchgate railway station on March 9, to protest against the sale of BALCO and in support of the striking staff and workers of the public sector Bharat Aluminium Company.