People's Democracy

BTR Centenary: Celebrated by Bengal Power Workers

P N Chowdhury

THE major union of electricity workers in West Bengal, WBSEB Workmen’s Union, celebrated the birth centenary of Comrade B T Ranadive, the pioneer leader of trade union movement of India and founder president of the CITU with befitting spirit and enthusiasm.

The union conducted a variety of programmes as part of the year long celebrations programme for the specific purpose of propagating the ideals and teachings of the stalwart leader. The latest among them was held on November 21-22 in Kolkata. A series of state wide programmes conducted by the union culminated in the BTR centenary celebration at the union’s headquarters, Mohit Moitra Bhawan, at Salt Lake, Kolkata. Shyamal Chakraborty, president of the union as well as the CITU state committee, attended the programme on the first day to encourage the participants.

Various competitions – debates, essay writing, drawing of cartoons, posters and coining slogans etc – were organised among the members of the union and their families. The subjects included anti-globalisation, anti-communalism, the right to work and on the life and contribution of Comrade BTR.

All the topics were circulated among the members of the union eight weeks before the date of the state level competition. It was encouraging to note that all the participants, irrespective of their oratory skill, made a thorough study on all the topics. The topics for individual speakers were finalised through lottery draw just before the commencement of the competition. An exhibition was held in the premises with the contributions of the entrants of the competitions from different districts and power stations.

On the second day, state level speech competitions were held on the following eight topics like (1) BTR’s life and ideals (2) Role of CITU in united struggle in the backdrop of history of trade union movement in India (3) BTR’s teachings on organising working women (4) Present status of communalism after the fall of the NDA government (5) Condition of Indian peasantry and working class in the context of globalisation (6) Industrial situation of West Bengal from different angles (7) Evaluation of performance of UPA government in implementation of the CMP and (8) Power sector reforms from the viewpoint of electricity workers and consumers.

The union’s programme of BTR centenary celebrations will be concluded at the different district and power station level in the month of December. Prizes to the successful participants of the competitions will be given away in the respective district/power stations. Power workers of West Bengal vow through all these programmes not only to hold high the teachings of BTR as well expand the CITU strength with the object of fostering the same.

It may be recalled that on December 19, 2003, i.e. on the opening day of centenary celebration, a special number of the organ of the union, Sathi Hatiyar was published with three eternally valued articles of Comrade BTR. In different subsequent issues of the organ, teachings of Comrade BTR were published. The BTR centenary publications of CITU were also widely circulated among the union organisers all over the state.