By Dr. Gyan Pathak
‘Quit India’ anniversary on August 9, 2023 saw a massive mobilization of workers and farmers across the country against the ruling establishment led by PM Narendra Modi. CTUs and farmers’ unions said it the beginning of a “united struggle of non-cooperation and defiance to anti-worker, anti-farmer, anti-people and anti-national policy of the Centre.”
The joint platform of the 10 Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and the farmers unions have thus served a stern warning to the government for conspiring against the working class and farmers. Given the spread of the demonstration and sit-in protests that covered almost entire country, one can expect greater and intensive struggle of workers and farmers as we approach the general election 2024.
It has been signalled even in the slogans raided during the demonstrations and the sit-in protests. ‘PM Modi – Quit India’ and ‘BJP – Quit India’ they demanded while the headquarters of the Mandals, Talukas, Districts and the states reverberated with the slogans – ‘Save the Nation, Save the People’ and ‘BJP Hato, Desh Bachao’ (Remove BJP, Save the Country).
CTUs, barring the RSS-BJP supported BMS, observed the Quit India Day by organizing massive mobilization throughout the country against the ruling establishment of India led by PM Narendra Modi, and vigorously demonstrated against him in particular and the BJP in general. The participating CTUs were AITUC, INTUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, and UTUC.
Reports of demonstrations and sit-in protests have come from over 700 districts, several thousands of talukas and mandals from 26 state capitals. There was also a huge demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi which was addressed by central and state leaders.
The central leaders who addressed included Shehnaz-INTUC, Amarjeet Kaur-AITUC, Harbhajan Singh-HMS, Tapan Sen-CITU, Harish Tyagi-AIUTUC, Lata Ben-SEWA, Rajeev Dimri-AICCTU, Rashid Khan-LPF, Shatrujit Singh-UTUC. Among others Santosh Kumar-MEC, Naresh Kumar-ICTU also addressed.
In contrast, the BJP which is part of the RSS, the clan that did stay away from the Quit India Movement in 1942, also ironically observed Quit India Day targeting the opposition. PM Modi called for “Corruption and Dynasty – Quit India” and tweeted “Tributes to the greats who took part in the Quit India Movement.”
The political parties in opposition have also given a call for BJP and PM Modi to Quit power in Delhi, which incidentally is the same as the call of the CTUs. It is significant since the opposition has been all along supporting the CTUs demand since 2020 for withdrawal of the four controversial labour codes that PM Modi had got passed from the parliament.
PM Modi had said the codes to be the biggest and much desired labour reforms since independence of the country, and are in benefit of the workforce, while CTUs have been agitating against the codes alleging them to be anti-labour and pro-corporate and big business which would ultimately bring modern day slavery to the workforce.
The Demonstrating CTUs exposed this dichotomy of the BJP and the PM Modi on almost every issue relating to workers and the common people. The Quit India demonstrations and sit-in protests across the country was culmination of the month long padayatras, vehicleyatras, gate meetings, public meetings, processions, and leaflet distribution against the anti-worker policies adopted by the Centre.
The CTUs have actually been busy since they have given a call on January 30 for a year long workers’ movement spreading the message to nook and corner of the country, holding joint meetings, jathas (padyatras, cycle, motorcycle, jeep jathas), gate meetings, demonstrations, approaching elected representatives – MLAs, MPs- distributing pamphlets and so on.
Comparing the ground level situation of today with that of during 1942, the CTUs enumerated the workers’ struggle. The present government is pursuing the same divisive politics and taking away the rights of the people over natural resources for Corporates and big businesses.
It is worth recalling that on a call given by the National Convention of Workers, organised jointly by the platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and independent Federations/Associations, held in New Delhi on 30th January, 2023, the workers have moved into action throughout the country with a slogan “Save the Nation, Save the People”.
As the country is approaching near to the general election 2024, CTUs are working on their strategy to take along the masses and fight back the government that they allege to be pro-corporate, anti-people, and anti-national. Needless to say, the movement of the working class is slowly turning to be political against the ruling establishment.
Today the situation is stifling for the workers, the CTUs say. The lives of the toiling masses, whether workers, farmers, students, youth, women, have become worse on every count since the BJP came to power in 2014.The national resources and assets, the public sector undertakings in all sectors including the strategic sectors are being privatised and put on sale to the big corporates of Indian and foreign brand. The inequalities are deepening making the living of common people difficult. The rising prices of essential commodities and unemployment, the jobloss, wage depression, no social security to vast majority of our people is the scenario. No other way than to mobile masses and fight back the pro-corporate, anti-people, anti-national government.
During the demonstration and sit-in protests across the country the working class and the farmers seemed visibly angry over the policies of the Centre. Their united struggle is most likely to intensify in the coming months. (IPA Service)
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