People's Democracy

TRIPURA

Convention Defends Right To Strike

WITH artists and intellectuals rallying behind the workers and employees, the democratic opinion in Tripura has committed itself to waging a united war along with the rest of the country to defend the right to strike which the country’s administration and judiciary seek to deny to the labouring population. This resolute determination was announced on October 29 from a state level mass convention organised by the state unit of National Platform of Mass Organisations (NPMO). The convention also decided upon the modalities of the movement to be launched statewide in support of the countrywide strike proposed by the two national conventions held in Delhi on September 25 and 26.

Above one thousand delegates from all over the state participated in the October 29 convention that was inaugurated by the CITU’s state president Baidyanath Majumder. The state secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha and Lok Sabha member Khagen Das was among the speakers at the convention. Although the convention started at 11.30 a m, both the lower and upper floors of the auditorium were filled to the brim long before. This huge cross section of the people belonged to all the trades, professions and callings, and included the workers, teachers, employees, peasants, agricultural labourers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, artists and intellectuals. The deliberations at the convention were preceded by the formation of a presidium, which reflected the unprecedented closing of ranks by the trade unions and the intelligentsia, which was a hallmark of the convention itself.

The convention resolved to collect in the next one month 5 lakh signatures from all over the state in support of a memorandum that would be presented to the parliament with 5 crore signatures as per the resolution of the national level conventions. The aim is to press for full trade union rights, including the right to strike, in consonance with the ILO convention. Besides, a fund raising drive, to the tune of one rupee from one person, will be launched in aid of the penalised employees of Tamilnadu. The convention also resolved that each trade union and mass organisation would chalk out its own programme of various meetings and marches in order to mobilise public opinion in support of the nationwide strike and signature campaign.

In his inaugural speech, Baidyanath Majumder pointed out that the polarisation of agitating workers and employees, on the one hand, and the polarisation of the administration and judiciary for vehement attacks on such united agitations, on the other hand, have both set a unique precedence in the country. One should view this phenomenon in the perspective of the growing agitation worldwide, including the strike by 1.1 crore workers and employees who brought the whole of Italy to a grinding halt on October 24. Referring to the anti-people policies and activities of the BJP-led government at the centre, Manumder said these are in tune with the intensifying imperialist attacks worldwide and pushing the countrymen from the frying pan into the fire. He urged the people of Tripura to massively participate in the movement decided upon at the convention and thus contribute to the success of the countrymen’s intensifying struggle for survival. (INN)