[Reader-list] Fwd: Posting by NAGRIK MANCHA

[iram at sarai.net]

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Subject: Forward of moderated message
To:      iram at sarai.net
From:    reader-list-bounces at sarai.net
Date:    Mon, 09 May 2005 06:39:05 +0200


Workers of locked out industries and the changing urban space

 *I.*

We were walking along the crowded streets of Belgharia, once bustling with
large and famed industries like Mohini Mills (NTC), Beni Engineering and
others. Our tableau was ahead and a few of us were distributing leaflets as
a rearguard. Feeling a light touch on my elbow I turned back to find a frail
smiling man who wanted the leaflet. He looked into my eyes and said, " I am
a worker of a locked-out unit, too." Pointing at his meagre wares spread out
on the roadside, rather shyly he said, "I sit there!" Embarrassed for having
passed him by unintentionally and touched by his interest in what we had to
say, I stood a while and asked him about his unit. He was from a composite
steel mill at Belur, Howrah, locked out almost ten years back. When I told
him that there were quiet a few workers from that unit campaigning from the
tableau his eyes lit up and without a backward glance he ran towards the
tableau. I stood guard while the warm reunion unfolded in front of my eyes.
It was almost five years since they had met! He came back beaming and
promptly promised that he would join the Bhukha Michhil on May Day when
workers from locked out units would take to the streets of Kolkata. He did
keep his promise!

 *II.*

A leading wire manufacturing company had been locked out for almost 8 years.
Some of the workers from this unit had regrouped and the well-attended
meeting they had organised, with support from local citizens, was underway.
The venue was right by the side of the busy BT Road – the arterial
'Barrackpur Trunk' Road – passing through one of the most thriving
industrial hub of yesteryears. As if adding colours to the proceedings there
stood a man selling his gas-filled balloons tied by strings to his machine
on a cart. Just to engage him into a conversation I asked about how many
balloons he lost everyday by accident. Like a natural philosopher he tugged
at the taut strings to which the balloons were straining against and said,
"These are there!" What he said next came as a sucker punch! "What can we
do? We do not have any strings anymore. So the balloons have scattered in
all directions." He was from the same locked out factory and since he wanted
to attend the meeting he had parked his cart nearby and did not take the
usual route as on other days. "I have read the handbill and I am sure we
will be able to do something," he said sounding optimistic.

 *III.*

The huge Thermal Power Station had been shut down at Shyamnagar, North 24
Parganas. We were keen to take some shots since we were sure that a closed
down unit today could be a residential apartment tomorrow. And this was big!
We skirted the boundary and approached it from the riverside. Local
activists told us that there were security personnel galore and half a dozen
Doberman guarded the huge area inside. We had to have a suitable escape
route since we were NOT stealing any property, we were told! Theft, in
connivance with those in charge – earth to boiler parts – was rampant, it
was alleged. As the pictures will tell, this was ideally suitable for an
exceptionally located riverside residential complex! Before we could
complete shooting to our hearts content we were given the charge and the
escape route, chosen with care, engulfed us in a maze of lanes through one
of those clusters of riverside 'jhopris' beyond the control of the private
security personnel. Later we heard from various sources that perhaps the
Sahara Group was in the run to create a residential township in this
industrial 'fallow' land! It was really big! We also came to know that in
another nearby Cotton Mill, located similarly beside the river, negotiation
was on to evict the workers from their quarters and to sell off the quarters
to proper 'promoters' who would then get some lovely riverside apartments in
place. It would help the 'company' financially and would also be a bane to
those who would not be able to afford the expensive Sahara flats! What
healthy competition and how contagious too! It is a pity that the State
Government too has actually given a green signal to such a proposal. It is
ominous when one takes note of the fact that West Bengal Government has
identified 1,36,000 bigha of land stuck up in locked and closed industries
and naturally it is considering its 'fair' use! We sincerely hope that the
Government will not embark on a project of 'unfair' land speculation in a
big way.

 *IV.*

"The nature of this intersection has changed beyond recognition. Previously
there were hundreds of stalls and makeshift shops. From sunrise till late
night, eating houses, vegetable producers-turned vendors and shops selling
everything that the working population needed, made this Sukchar More a
hubbub of activity. Now eight large and many more small units have closed
down in the vicinity and the working population have little to spare. So the
problem of closed units is not for us – the directly affected workers –
alone. What about the auto rickshaw operators? We now walk three kilometres
instead of jumping on to a shuttling auto since even Rs. 3 is hard to come
by!" said Gulab while imploring the locals to realise that the demands of
workers from closed out units were not only just but also beneficial to the
rest of the society. Gulab Goyala, from a local locked out industry had
around Rs.40,000 of unpaid dues when his factory was locked out in 1998. He
said, "Don't be surprised! Sarkar-da, who was old and sick and unable to
walk the streets for work died just last Sunday. The neighbours would feed
this jobless hungry man. His legal dues amounted to Rs. 85,000. And he died
without food or medicine!" How we hoped that the heart wrenching economics
rendered by this ordinary worker could cut ice! "Bhaai, where do you want to
go? Back to Bihar/UP from where you had to run away as a child?" were his
words as he ended his 'speech' at one of the preparatory meetings to the run
up to the May Day Rally. We learnt a lot and we spoke with a lot of Gulab's
co-workers telling them that we would come back to learn more from them.

 *V. *

On May Day 2005, they came in two's and three's. They came in dozens.
Workers from locked out industries spread far and wide. They were not
obliged to go to the May Day Meeting at Shahid Minar organised jointly by
all the left Central Trade Unions since their issue was not on the day's
agenda. No one, these days, ask them to attend! They had not heard about
Daabi Mancha but they knew that all the 13 demands being pressed for were
related to them. So they came. So did a couple of hundred seemingly
'unrelated' members of the civil society. They came in solidarity. They
thought quite a few of the 13 demands could be pressed home without much
'pressure' on the cash strapped State Government. And they all walked in the
May Day Bhukha Michhil – with banners, colourful posters and full throated
in their response to the 13 demands of the day. The grand total – between
eleven and fifteen hundred – was immaterial. It was a hot and humid Sunday
afternoon! What was important is that we are now in touch with hundreds and
hundreds of hitherto 'unknown' workers from scores and scores of locked out
industries who are not only suffering but are also prone to come out of the
rut, into which they have been pushed into, and fight for their just and
legal demands. This we feel is the first modest achievement of the
preliminary round of this study we have been doing with support from SARAI!

 It will be wonderful to get some feedback / suggestions / advice /
references / comments. We are yet to elicit any response till date but there
could well be so many understandable reasons for that.

 Warmly,

Ashim

On behalf of Nagarik Mancha, Kolkata
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