People's Democracy

HOUGH the CITU and other Left trade unions have been warning the people right from the beginning against the disastrous consequences of the new economic and industrial policies, being followed at the diktat of the World Bank, IMF, WTO and transnational corporations, the people at large were reluctant to accept the reasoning of such a premonition. But now people's own experience in the last ten years, particularly since the BJP-led NDA government assumed power at the centre, has made them realise how the CITU’s and other Left organisations’ warning about the dangers of this policy is coming true. This realisation became manifest when Mumbai witnessed one of the biggest mobilisations of blue collar workers and white collar employees protesting against privatisation on November 15.

The central issue on which these workers and employees came out in processions in thousands, staged demonstrations and held rallies was to protest against the government’s privatisation drive. The protestors marching in streets and demonstrating in government office compounds included industrial workers, bank employees, insurance staff, state and central government employees, airport and railway employees, university, college and school teachers, civic and semi-government employees, and contract workers. November 15 was thus a day of mighty trade union actions at the call of organisations representing these sections. And their common demand was: "Stop Privatisation!"

The first to assemble at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai on the day were white collar employees from banks who had struck work as a part of their all-India strike against the government’s decision to reduce its equity share in nationalised banks from 51 to 33 per cent. Their rally was addressed by leaders of different organisations of the bank employees and officers. They included amongst others G M V Naik (BEFI), Suresh Dhopeshwarkar (AIBEA), N Nagarajan (AIBOA), R C Agarwal (AIBOC), S Sreenivasan (NCBE), Keni (NOBW) and Ravi Raman (NOBO).

The day also saw an agitation by state government employees. Stopping work from the midday onward, they came out from their respective offices, gathered in their office compounds and held demonstrations, raising slogans against privatisation. Then they marched in large processions from different directions to first assemble at the historic Chowpati sands at Girgaum in central Mumbai in a huge congregation. The state government employees who came from other parts of Maharashtra first gathered at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Maidan in Kalachowki in central Mumbai and, from there, marched in a huge procession to reach the central venue of the meeting at Azad Maidan.

Teachers, lecturers and professors from schools, colleges and universities collected near the Ruia College at Matunga and marched in a procession, covering the longest route to join the rally with others at Azad Maidan. The rally was addressed amongst others by R G Karnik, Krishnarao Bire, Ashok Dhool, G S Shetye, P D Dastoorkar and Dr K K Thekedath. This collective rally of state government employees, teachers and semi-government employees, as reported in the language papers next day, was 1.75 lakh strong and was described to be the biggest in Mumbai in the last decade of the 20th century.

Earlier, the LIC employees struck work for 2 to 3 hours in all offices throughout Maharashtra in solidarity with the nationwide strike of bank employees, staged militant demonstrations and held meetings before Yogakshema (the LIC headquarters near Mantralaya in South Mumbai), the LIC regional office at Vile Parle in North West Mumbai and at Thane office in North East Mumbai. LIC employees staged similar demonstrations in other parts of Maharashtra after their pen-down strike in support of the bank employees. The meetings of LIC employees in Mumbai were addressed by Rajendra Shendre and S L Deo.

A third and highly militant assembly took place at Maharashtra High School Maidan in central Mumbai. This was a massive rally of factory workers, office employees, railway staff, contract workers, civic employees, airport employees, and state and central government employees from far off places. Though these workers and staff are organised in different organisations, they came out this time under the banner of Trade Union Joint Action Committee (TUJAC). Travelling by suburban trains from places such as Kalyan, Thane, Fort, Flora Fountain, Colaba and Churchgate to areas in South Mumbai in large numbers, they got down at Parel and Elphinstons Road railway stations. Gathering on railway platforms and nearby places, they set in processions to reach the famous Maidan at Parel in central Mumbai. Having thus first assembled here, they started in one single procession, marched through Dr Ambedkar Road and Curry Road bridge under the banner of TUJAC, and reached the rally venue at the Maharashtra High School Maidan. The placards and banners carried by the procession prominently displayed slogans against privatisation. When the procession reached the Maharashtra High School Maidan, it turned out to be an overflowing one.

The proceedings of the meeting were conducted by a presidium comprising K L Bajaj (CITU), G V Chitnis (AITUC), Dada Samant (Kamgar Aghadi), Suryakant Bagal (HMS), Sharad Rao (HMKP) and Pushpa Mehta (UTUC). Apart from these leaders, others who addressed the meeting were Jayant Chavan (Sarva Sramik Sanghatana), Y G Joshi and P B Menon (NRMU), Sukumar Damble (AITUC), Sanjay Singhvi (TUCI), C D Soman (Air Corporation Employees Union), R P Singh (Central Government Employees Confederation), Milind Ranade (Sarva Sramik Sangh), S A Deo, (LIC), Pravin Narkar (AIFTU), P R Krishnan (CITU), N Vasudevan (Trade Union Solidarity), Vijay Gancharya (Insurance) Dr Abraham Mathew (KEC), Gayatri Singh (Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti) and V S Mhatre (Electricity Employees Union). The rallyists were welcomed by A D Golandaz (TUJAC).

Reports subsequently received in Mumbai indicated that similar protest meetings, demonstrations and rallies were held in many other parts of Maharashtra.