People's
Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) No. 08
February 23, 2003
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) |
Vol.
XXVII No. 08 February 23, 2003 |
FEBRUARY 26 is going to be the most memorable day in the annals of united struggle of the working class in the country. The whole country has been preparing for a massive and militant ‘MARCH TO PARLIAMENT’ on that day at the call of National Assembly of Trade Unions held on July 15 last year drawing the participation of almost all the trade unions in the country, viz., AITUC, CITU, INTUC, HMS, UTUC, UTUC-LS, AICCTU and almost all the major independent employees Federations in the service sectors like bank and insurance, state and central government employees, port and dock, transport, railways and others.
All
out
opposition
to
the
disastrous
policies
of
neoliberal
imperialist
globalisation
is
the
theme
of
the
mammoth
march
where
several
lakhs
of
workers
coming
from
all
corners
of
the
country
are
going
to
converge
before
the
Parliament
in
a
militant
demonstration.
The
march
will
highlight
the
eight
point
demands
formulated
jointly
by
all
the
trade
unions
in
the
country
including
INTUC
and
BMS.
These
are:
·
Halt
to
privatization
of
profit-making
and
potentially
viable
public
sector
undertakings
·
No
change
in
the
labour
laws
in
favour
of
the
employers
and
against
the
interest
of
the
workers
·
Restoration
of
quantitative
restrictions
on
imports
·
No
to
policies
leading
to
severe
aggravation
of
joblessness
and
unemployment
·
Immediate
enactment
of
comprehensive
legislation
for
agricultural
workers
·
Widened
and
all-embracing
social
security
schemes
for
all
·
Amendment
of
Payment
of
Bonus
Act
by
removing
all
ceilings
·
Restoration
of
12
per
cent
interest
rate
on
Provident
Fund
deposits.
The
grievous
impact
of
the
Fund/Bank
dictated
policies
of
neo-liberal
imperialist
globalisation
being
vigorously
pursued
by
the
BJP-led
central
government
has
already
become
so
much
all-pervasive,
creating
noticeable
unrest
at
the
grass
root
level,
that
it
could
ultimately
force
a
wider
unity
in
the
trade
union
movement
in
the
fight
against
these
policies.
Never
before
the
country
witnessed
such
sharp
and
terminal
decline
in
all
the
sectors
of
the
economy
directly
affecting
the
mass
of
the
people
involved
in
those
sectors.
Never
before,
the
ruling
polity
demonstrated
so
much
unconcern
towards
the
agony
of
starving
workers
in
the
rural
economy,
and
the
fate
of
the
retrenched
workers
owing
to
mad
spree
of
downsizing
besides
widespread
industrial
closure
and
sickness.
Never
before,
those
in
the
seat
of
governance
have
become
so
much
desperate
in
frittering
away
national
wealth
in
favour
of
their
masters
in
the
corporate
lobby,
both
domestic
and
foreign.
And
never
before,
people
did
confront
such
inhuman
and
heinous
design
of
the
ruling
clique
who,
to
tide
over
their
increasing
isolation
as
a
consequence
of
its
anti-people
policies,
resorted
to
devastating
communal
carnage
inflicting
severe
wound
on
the
whole
body
of
the
society,
which
is
still
bleeding.
The
massive
courting
arrests
by
the
people
in
thousands
in
several
parts
of
the
country
on
January
8
also
reflected
the
mass
hatred
against
this
worst
enemy
of
the
society
and
mankind—the
RSS-led
saffron
combine.
FIRM
RESOLVE
TO
FIGHT
AND
CONFRONT
The
decade
long
struggles
by
the
left
trade
unions
since
the
onset
of
the
liberalised
policy
regime
did
also
play
a
vital
role
in
this
direction.
Since
the
beginning
of
the
new
millennium,
the
country
witnessed
more
militant
united
actions
in
almost
all
the
vital
sectors
of
the
economy.
This
has
forced
even
those
reformist
trade
union
centers
which
were
so
long
staying
away
from
united
struggles
to
come
round,
all
vacillations
notwithstanding.
In
this
background
the
National
Assembly
of
Trade
Unions
comprising
almost
all
the
trade
union
centers
in
the
country
was
held
on
July
15,
2002
which
gave
the
call
for
united
countrywide
mobilisations
against
the
anti-national
economic
policies
of
the
NDA
government.
The
National
Assembly
decided
to
observe
countrywide
Satyagraha
on
January
8,
2003
followed
by
a
huge
demonstration
before
the
Parliament
on
February
26,
2003
as
the
launching
pad
for
further
militant
countrywide
action
including
general
strike
in
the
next
phase.
The
widespread
and
spontaneous
response
to
the
January
8
programme
of
‘mass-satyagraha’
in
almost
all
corners
of
the
country,
the
spread
of
participation
in
many
states
even
up
to
the
sub-divisional
level,
reflects
the
desperate
readiness
among
the
mass
of
the
working
community
to
resist
the
onslaught
on
their
living
by
these
new
policies.
Moreover,
the
design
of
slavery
planned
to
be
imposed
on
the
working
class
by
the
government
through
retrograde
changes
in
labour
laws,
the
blue
print
of
which
has
already
been
drawn
by
the
Second
National
Commission
on
Labour,
has
also
posed
a
serious
challenge
before
the
working
class,
which
got
reflected
in
the
agility
of
the
demonstrators
all
around.
This
challenge
has
to
be
confronted
by
asserting
more
aggressively
the
rights
to
organise,
mobilise
and
struggle,
the
rights
of
the
working
people
which
are
being
made
the
target
to
be
chopped
off
through
change
of
labour
laws.
Such
challenging
temperament
is
getting
reflected
in
the
ongoing
countrywide
campaign
for
the
February
26th
Parliament
March.
All
roads
lead
to
Delhi
on
February
26th
–
has
been
the
buzzword
among
millions
of
workers.
All
the
state
committees
have
already
drawn
out
detail
programmes
of
grassroot
level
campaign
at
the
factory
gates,
workers
colonies,
market
places
and
even
in
the
rural
areas
to
ensure
maximum
mobilisation
from
their
states.
In
many
states
like
Orissa
and
Madhya
Pradesh,
several
jathas
have
been
organized.
Posters
and
leaflets
giving
a
clarion
call
to
join
the
March
to
Parliament
have
been
printed
and
circulated
in
terms
of
several
lakhs
throughout
the
country.
In
every
state,
separate
badges
are
being
printed
for
those
coming
to
Delhi
in
several
batches
from
February
23
onwards.
All
the
major
Federations
in
bank,
insurance,
state
and
central
government
sector,
railways,
port
and
dock,
coalmines,
electricity
etc
have
also
been
holding
gate
meetings
and
general
body
meetings
to
enlist
volunteers
in
terms
of
several
hundreds
from
each
centers
for
the
Parliament
March.
The
insurance
employees
of
Delhi
offices
will
stage
two
hours
strike
from
11
am
on
February
26
to
join
the
March
en
masse.
Oil
sector
workers
who
have
already
declared
their
firm
resolve
for
a
countrywide
strike
action
against
privatisation
have
also
been
preparing
to
join
the
march
in
several
thousands.
In
the
southern
states
of
Kerala,
Tamil
Nadu,
Karnataka
and
AP
and
the
eastern
states
of
West
Bengal,
Assam
etc,
wherefrom
thousands
of
workers
are
preparing
to
come
to
the
Delhi
March,
it
has
been
decided
by
the
respective
state
committees
to
hold
massive
demonstrations
at
the
state-capital/districts
of
the
respective
State
on
February
26,
when
millions
of
demonstrators
shall
stage
militant
demonstration
before
Parliament
at
Delhi.
In
West
Bengal,
a
massive
rally
shall
be
held
at
the
Brigade
Parade
ground
at
Kolkata
where
several
lakhs
of
workers
are
joining
from
all
over
the
state.
To
accommodate
the
marchers
from
all
over
the
country,
huge
tents
have
been
commissioned
by
all
the
organisations.
CITU
established
its
camp
at
Laxminagar
district
centre
across
the
Yamuna
bridge
and
elaborate
arrangements
are
being
made
to
receive
the
marchers
at
railway
stations
and
and
accommodate
them
in
the
camp
from
February
24th
itself.
The
Delhi
state
committee
of
CITU
while
carrying
on
intensive
campaign
among
the
Delhi
based
workers,
has
shouldered
the
responsibility
of
running
the
camp
and
making
all
volunteer
arrangements.
The
capital
city
is
getting
ready
to
welcome
several
lakhs
of
marchers
from
all
corners
of
the
country.
Numerous
contingents
of
working
people
will
be
reaching
Delhi
on
February
26
to
cry
halt
to
the
anti-national
policies
of
the
communal
fascist
government
at
the
centre
and
declare
their
resolve
to
build
up
militant
united
resistance
to
the
anti-people
policies
which
will
include
countrywide
strike
action.
