People's Democracy

Maharashtra

NRMU Organises Meet at Nandurbar

L R Rao

It was an impressive march through a small township Nandurbar in Maharashtra on May 6, 2007 in which hundreds of agricultural workers, peasants and self-employed youth belonging to adivasi, dalit and OBC communities participated with overwhelming enthusiasm. The slogans were raised spontaneously and continuously. The red flags waved high by the girls and women in front of the march did not surprise the onlookers in the town as they were used to such red bannered marches organised by the agricultural workers’ union and kisan sabha every month. What astonished the townsfolk was that the slogans raised were not on any urgent and pressing demands. The participants who came from remote interior hamlets in Satpuda ranges and from villages in Tapti valley were for firm solidarity with the working class in the organised sector. The slogans “jagatil kamgaranno Ek va” (workers of the world unite) and “Ham Sab Ek Hai” reverberated all over.

The march started from Nandurbar railway station where the rural poor welcomed and greeted the leaders of National Railway Majdoor Union (NRMU) arriving from Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Solapur, Bhusaval and other places. P. R. Menon, Haridas, Joshi, Sharma, Bhalerao and other leaders were greeted with flowers by Vaishali Bhil, a daughter of landless widow worker. Braving the scathing heat, the joint united procession of railway workers and rural labourers reached the venue at Mahatma Phule High School where the meeting was held.

Ishwar Patil, district secretary of agricultural workers union introduced and spoke on the importance of this unique gathering. Nathhubhau Salve and Indira Chavan, district secretary and vice president of the union recollected the horrible memories of the last year when the torrential rains and unprecedented floods devastated the life and livelihood of 15,000 families and washed away more than 70 villages. Jaising Mali, district president of kisan sabha reminded the prompt and timely help and cooperation given by NRMU to the flood affected families providing medicines, clothes, edible items and most importantly a vehicle (jeep),which was used to protect and carry people to safe places from villages surrounded and inundated by the slashing floods.

A close bond exists between the workers in the organised sector of railways and the most downtrodden and vulnerable lot of the rural workers. The NRMU members frequently visit the villages and hamlets in Nandurbar district and maintain constant lively contact. They come and stay with rural families, discuss with them, grasp the exact problematic situation, understand the aggravating difficulties of the people at the ground level as a result of the neo-liberal policies and then make appeal to the railway workers of all categories including porters, sweepers, running staff and officers to donate generously to extend aid to the needy.

As a consequence of these efforts the railway workers are donating regularly and the NRMU is in the forefront to help not only when a natural calamity occurs like floods, tremors, tsunami, and cyclone etc., but also on other occasions. When they noticed the acute anaemic conditions of tribal women, the extensive spread of scurvy in some deep forest hamlets and the recurring phenomena of deaths due to malnutrition, the NRMU immediately sent medical kits after due consultations with expert medical practitioners. It has indeed improved the health status in few hamlets. When there was an acute scarcity of drinking water creating unbearable hardships to rural women, NRMU immediately came forward to ameliorate the situation by providing for hand pumps.

The agricultural workers union and kisan sabha members in Nandurbar are of course very cautious about receiving donations and help so as not to create any habit of dependency and undue expectations. The NRMU leadership is also very conscious about the harmful dependency syndrome. That is why before offering donations/help, the NRMU leadership takes stock of the real situation with comradely consultations with agricultural workers union. Similarly the union decides the purpose for receiving the donations. The main objective behind the cooperation is not only to give some relief to the neediest toiling families in distress but also to build solidarity between the organised and unorganised sections of urban and rural working class.

This matured and healthy attitude was reflected in the speeches delivered in the meeting. P. R. Menon and Kumar Shiralkar addressed the gathering stressing categorically the urgent need to unite all the democratic and secular forces irrespective of where they stay and work to defeat the pro-imperialist, pro-rich neo-liberal policies. They said that the policies of privatisation and globalisation are affecting workers and peasants, depriving them more and more of employment opportunities and causing fear of losing whatever meager income they get, driving them to suicidal attempts. They emphasised the firm worker-peasant alliance on the basis of which the democratic and secular front can be built and the malicious designs of communal and casteist forces can be thwarted. The support and cooperation given should not be limited to donations, medicines and clothes but be carried to a level of mutual support for each others’ demands and forging consolidated strength to end exploitation, starvation and discrimination of all sorts.

At the end of the meeting, the NRMU distributed twenty bicycles to the rural poor youth whose livelihood depended upon collecting scrap (bhangar) material and selling small items like ‘kulpi’, earrings, bangles etc. Sewing machines were given to three girls. The NRMU donated a huge amount of Rs.5.5 lakhs to build a community center for organising useful activities regularly, not only during natural calamities but also at other times. The cheque was handed over by vice president of NRMU Joshi to Manik Suryavanshi, a landless adivasi youth who has been associated with the red flag right from his childhood and was implicated in false criminal cases by the capitalist landlords belonging to Congress and BJP and was jailed for 14 years. Unperturbed, firmly committed and determined even after 14 years of rigorous imprisonment, Manik endeavors hard for the emancipation of the working class. The resounding applause from amongst the gathering at the end of this exemplary rally reflected the importance of unity and struggle.