People's Democracy

COUNTRYWIDE UNITED ACTION

ACTIVE SOLIDARITY WITH PEASANTRY

Tapan Sen

IT was red all over the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and surrounding them. Red Flags in their hundreds welcomed the 2600 delegates representing a 32-lakh membership, to the 10^th conference of CITU, which began on 27^th December at Hyderabad.

And not only the delegates. The city also welcomed with warmth and cheers, the four jathas that came from all corners of this vast country -- from Jalianwalabag in the north, Nagpur in the west, Calcutta in the east and Thiruvananthapuram in the south. The campaign trail of the CITU leadership from almost all the states. crisscrossed the whole country, calling for building the broadest unity of the people in the struggle against the disastrous rule of the BJP-led government.. Innumerable meetings were held en route, in cities, at factory gates, in markets, as well as in the remotest villages. Tremendous spontaneity and enthusiasm was witnessed among the peoples from all walks of life.

The conference was held for four days, till December 31, concluding with a clarion call to the working class to take the lead in consolidating the already surging spontaneity among workers and the common people, by organising countrywide militant struggles against the anti-national, anti-people policies of the BJP-led government,and the desperate pursuit of their communal design to divide the people and thus weaken the struggle.

The conference began with receiving the comrades who had travelled across the country in jathas, from different centres, by the CITU central leadership, followed by the hoisting of the CITU flag by its President, E Balanandan, and garlanding of the martyr’s tomb.

Inside the conference hall, N Prasad Rao, Vice-President, CITU and Chairman of the Reception Committee, welcomed the delegates. The session began with the Condolence Resolution moved by CITU Secretary, Kanai Banerjee,

In his presidential address, E Balanandan drew the attention of the delegates to the naïve hegemonistic design of the imperialist forces. in the background of the deepening crisis of the capitalist system, to dominate the world, both economically and politically, Through their economic machinations, engineered through the IMF, World Bank and WTO, the imperialist powers and their MNCs are seeking to crush the economies of the developing countries and recolonise them. Simultaneously, in the post-Soviet world, the same imperialist bloc seeks to expand its military hegemony over the globe through aggression, armed interventions, forcible economic sanctions and various other means as seen from developments in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Libya, Cuba and many other places. By all these methods and machinations, the imperialist bloc, led by USA, seeks to sustain its exploitative economic and political system against which opposition has already started mounting among the people in different parts of the world, Balanandan pointed out.

The growing opposition to the policies of neo-liberal globalisation, noted Balandan, expressed through militant protest demonstrations in Seattle, Brussels, Bangkok, Sydney, etc., i.e., including some of the the rich developed countries, numerous strike actions in different parts of the globe have exposed the fact that the Fund/Bank designed policies of globalisation widen inequality and aggravate poverty not only in the third world, but also shown the inability of the capitalist system to address the basic problems of humankind.

Side by side with the offensive on the economic sovereignty of the developing countries, through the neo-liberal policies of globalisation being operated through World Bank/IMF/WTO and other agencies, the imperialist forces are also pursuing an offensive on the ideological front as well, to spread a "There is no alternative" psychology, to weaken and dilute the opposition and resistance against its hegemonistic design, Balanandan cautioned.

The Indian situation, has to be understood and analysed in this background and the situation warrants front-line role of the working class to unite the entire people in the fight against the worst enemies of humankind, the imperialism, the most atrocious manifestation of the capitalist system. CITU’s 10^th conference must decide its task and course of action in this direction, Balanandan asserted.

M K Pandhe, CITU general secretary, at the outset of his report, dealt with the national political scenario during the intervening period since the last conference. which was marked by the rise of the communal forces and their occupying the seat of governance at the centre.

Recklessly continuing to dismantle the country’s economic self-reliance at the dictates of the imperialists, the BJP-led government is simultaneously, actively pursuing its communal divisive design to divide the people Under its mis-rule, minorities are being brutally attacked, the administration, educational system and social institutions are being saffronised, and the most heinous crime of the century, the demolition of the Babri Masjid, has been glorified as 'an expression of national sentiment', by the highest seat of governance. The jingoist arrogance of the Sangh Parivar is being officially patronized in the name of national pride, at the same time as our national sovereignty is being undermined by shameless servility to US political machinations on almost all national and international political issues.

The situation warrants greater active intervention by the working class and democratic people to fight for a "pro-people viable alternative. Such an alternative can only emerge through "a sharpening simultaneous struggle against both the capitalist economic policies and the forces of the communalism, and not by any other means", the report asserted.

The report dealt in detail on the economic situation in the country in the post-liberalisation period, and particularly during the period since last conference when all round consistent decline in all sectors of the economy haas been registered.

As the report states:

(since the 9^th conference, April 1997, "while the UF government pursued the same economic policy of liberalisation, its dependence on the Left parties and intervention by the trade union movement, did not allow it to proceed far on its agenda of liberalisation, despite some frantic efforts. But the BJP’s coming to power changed the situation;…it started to push through the disastrous policy more vigorously than ever before…The so-called second generation reform programme, viz., total deregulation of the financial sector and foreign trade, all- out privatisation of PSUs and complete deregulation of labour laws…are precisely the basic content of the undeclared MOU between the BJP government and the American lobby". It has already set in motion the grievous process of deindustrialisation and disaster in the economy.

The policy of wholesale surrender to MNCs, total import liberalisation, etc., has resulted in widespread industrial sickness and closures, increasing job losses, increasing unemployment, aggravating poverty. The phenomenal price rise has further deepened the intensity of impoverishment. Not onlyindustry, the agricultural sector has also been put on track of fast decline; the fall in foodgrain production, etc., has made the rural poor and landless labourers, constituting 70% of rural population, the worst hit.

All these developments have exploded the much touted myth that globalisation leads to economic growth and prosperity for all. Not only are the mass of the people pushed towards destitution, but the whole economy is being mortgaged to imperialist agencies by this truly anti-national BJP government, asserted Pandhe.

The report has detailed how, in the background of galloping profits by MNCs and Indian monopoly houses, despite the decline in the economy, the workers and common people are being put through to immense misery and exploitation by these policies. The report also points out that in the face of the rising resistance struggle by the working class, a calculated move is being made by the BJP government, to totally dismantle all existing labour laws, wiping out the gains obtained through bitter and persistent struggle, in order to facilitate enslavement and casualisation of the entire workforce. Such a move is also being accompanied by increasing repression on, and atrocities against the trade union movement all over the country by the employer-government nexus.

However, aaaas the report points out, despite atrocities and repression, this period has also witnessed a tremendous intensification of struggles, covering all sections and sectors, and all parts of the country, reflecting the deep discontentment and fuming anger of the masses, manifested in the spontaneous outburst against the whole gamut of the disastrous policy regime by the mass of the workers, peasants and people from all walks of life. Such rising spontaneity has to be consolidated into a countrywide organised assault against the BJP-led regime, to reverse this disastrous policy. The CITU has to play a foremost role in discharging this historic task before it, and for that the CITU must organizationally prepare itself with all seriousness.

With this appraisal of the challenges before the working class, the general secretary’s report concluded with a call to its members:

Over 40 delegates took part in discussion on the general secretary’s report, covering all the states. The interventions by the delegates, while reporting on the situation prevailing in their respective states, also stressed the need for more active intervention by the CITU in uniting and consolidating the rising opposition to the policies of the BJP-led government, both on the sectoral and national plane, in order to carry the struggle to a militant height, as also to ensure continuity in the movement programmes.

The speakers called for greater initiative by the CITU centre for organising solidarity actions in support of the struggles emerging in various sectors of industry and agriculture. Concrete suggestionswere put forward for joint peasant-workers programmes, in the background of the mounting resentment among the peasantry and agricultural workers, which they believe, would give the anti-liberalisation struggle a new dimension.

A separate session was held to discuss organisational questions. Besides the chapter on organisation in the general secretary’s report, a separate report on the tasks on organisation, formulated on the basis of the conclusions of the National Workshop on Organisation, organised by CITU on March 13-14, 2000, was circulated and formally placed by Kanai Banerjee. The latter report, while making a self-critical appraisal of the organizational position at different levels, right from the centre to the units, charted out the urgent tasks to be taken up on the organisational front, to enable the CITU to confront the challenges and discharge its responsibilities. Here 22 delegates took part in the discussion, which largely stressed the need for further strengthening central functioning of the CITU, and a more pro-active role of the centre to monitor implementation of the organizational tasks at various levels.

Separate discussion, in commissions, on important issues facing the trade union movement was held on December 30. The subjects covered were:

1. the imperialist ideological offensives,
2. the Imperialist economic offensives,
3. the fight against communalism, tasks of the trade unions,
4. casteism and social oppression, our tasks,
5. working women: a class perspective,
6. the informal sector and challenges before the trade union movement, and
7. unemployment and trade union initiative.

Separate papers were circulated on all the issues along with the conference documents, and deliberated upon by a total of 309 comrades in all the seven commissions. Important suggestions were put forward by the delegates in the day-long deliberations to improve upon the approach papers and sharpen the understanding on the issues concerned.

The outcome of the commission discussions was reported in the plenary session on the following day, the 31^st, by P K Ganguly, Chittabrata Mazumder, Kanai Banerjee, Tapan Sen, W R Varada Rajan, Ardhendu Dakshi and S Dev Roye respectively. The commission papers, after necessary correction and incorporation of suggestions, will be published as a CITU Policy Paper.

The following resolutions were unanimously.adopted by the conference:

1. Greetings to the fighting working class of Andhra Pradesh,
2. The fight against the anti-people economic policy,
3. Against Communalism,

4) Agricultural workers and the rural poor,

5) Solidarity with the forthcoming struggle of peasants and agricultural workers, 6) Against the disastrous power policy of the central government,

7. Solidarity with the state government employees' countrywide strike on January 10, 2001, and

8) Against the ghastly murder of Darshan Koda, Vice-President, Rajasthan State CITU.

The conference was greeted by K L Mahendra, General Secretary, AITUC, Sunderasan, Secretary, AP State Committee of HMS, and Shyama Charan Gaur, General Secretary, TUCC on the inaugural day. Also the leaders from various fraternal organisations, viz., Krishna Prasad, President SFI, K Varada Rajan, General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha, N Ramaiah, President, All India Agricultural Workers Union, Balagopal, Secretary DYFI and Maithili Shivaraman, Vice-President, AIDWA addressed the delegate session and while greeting the conference.

The reply to disscussions on the general secretary’s report and on organisation, was given by MK Pandhe. Replying to the points raised during the discussion, Pandhe called for increased organizational initiative at all levels to build up the struggle of the entire people. He informed delegates that already the initiative had been taken by the CITU for discussions with other trade unions and mass organisations for the holding of an all-India convention of the National Platform of Mass Organisations during the budget session of Parliament.

Meanwhile independent initiative by CITU organisations would help to lay the ground for countrywide united action to be announced from the convention. He also stressed the need for solidarity actions in support of the struggle going on in various sectors.

The president, Balanandan, delivered the concluding speech calling upon the working class, and CITU in particular, to make serious efforts to build the broadest unity of the toiling people.

The Conference called for more active coordination between the struggles of the workers and the peasantry which alone can broaden the mobilisation and carry the movement to a militant height. The conference called upon the CITU unions all over the country to organise solidarity actions with programmes of countrywide dharna by the organisations of peasants and agricultural workers on February 5-7. The CITU unions, if possible with other trade unions, should organise rallies/dharnas, etc., on those days to culminate in a massive demonstration on February 7.

The conference also decided to hold an ‘All India Protest Day’ on January 24, by holding massive demonstration/rallies in all industrial centres, districts and state capitals against the price-rise, sickness and closures of industries, downsizing of workforce in PSUs and Govr deptts and also in private sector including mass scale casualisation, repression and atrocities on trade union movement, attack on trade union rights and Govt-move to change the labour laws in favour of the employers.

The conference was attended by delegations of various trade unions from abroad. Among those who were present and greeted the conference were:

• Takeshi Kokuban and Masuo Kato from Zenroren, Japan,
• Nguen Van Dung and Nguen Van Dat from The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour,
• Jean Pierre Page from France,
• Om Koirala and Kamal Gautam from GEFONT, Nepal,
• Elmer C Labog from KMU, Philippines,
• Quamarul Ahsan and Raja Miah from Jatio Shramik Federation, Bangladesh,
• Dr W I Khan and Shahidulla Chowdhury from the Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra,
• M R Maznu from BADC Employees' and Workers’ Union, Bangladesh,
• Rubina Zamil, Gulzar Ahmed Chowdhury and two others from The All- Pakistan Trade Union Federation,
• I G Thompson (Australia) from 'Southern Initiative Against Globalisation and for Trade Union Rights (SIGTUR),
• Jasper Gross and Meena Patel from The International Union of Workers in The Food Processing Industry (IUF).

Besides the above, messages of solidarity and greetings to the conference were received from trade union centres of China, Cuba, Italy, France, Russia, Iraq, Korea (DPRK), Cyprus, and also from The Commonwealth Trade Union Council (CTUC), London.

Along with the delegate session, a seven-day long cultural festival was also held at the conference venue where cultural troupes from the states gave performances, drawing huge crowds. Side by side number of seminars on current issues facing the TU and democratic movement took place, addressed by eminent speakers.

As stated earlier, the conference was attended by 2603 delegates from all over the country, representing almost all industrial sectors. From the conference a 470-member General Council and a 35-member secretariat were elected, with E Balanandan as President, M K Pandhe as General Secretary and Ranjit Basu as Treasurer. New entrants to the Secretariat included S K Bakshi, president Jharkhand state CITU, P K Gurudasan, general secretary Kerala state CITU, S Veeraiah and M A Gaffoor, general secretary and president AP State CITU respectively. The General Council meeting after the conference, elected a 117-member Working Committee.

On the 31^st afternoon, a mass rally was held at the Nizam College Ground, Hyderabad, which saw the massive participation of around two lakh people from Hyderabad and adjoining areas. who joined the rally in several big processions. Jyoti Basu, Vice-President CITU, who could not attend the conference due to health reasons, sent message of greetings read out at the rally amidst cheers. Addressing the rally and explaining its decisions were by E Balanandan, and M K Pandhe, Raghavalu, secretary, AP State CPI(M), K Hemlata, secretary CITU, S Veeraiah and M A Gaffoor, general secretary and president AP State CITU, and Jean Pierre Page (France), on behalf of the foreign trade union delegates.