Save the People – Save the Nation.

            The working class movement is facing tremendous challenges as well as opportunities.

        As per the latest and continuing systemic crisis of the capitalist order and its reflection on all aspects – political, economic and social governance; in the authoritarian and divisive onslaughts by the ruling classes in all fronts with clear fascistic intent.

            At the same time, the voice of opposition is becoming louder and widespread, bringing forth the reality of organised combat.         We must vigorously work to bring this reality of organized combat into concrete action by intensifying the struggles both at sectoral and national level with continuity.

            The response of the toiling people has been quite encouraging wherever they could be reached and organized in struggles against the onslaughts on their lives and livelihood.   

            The policy machinations of the ruling regime are destroying the wealth generating capacity of the country’s productive economy, as a whole, through the aggressive all out privatization drive of all PSUs in the strategic and core sectors of the economy – in fuels and energy, minerals, metals, financial sector and the infrastructure sector in entirety – which hold the very foundation of the country’s economy, economic self-reliance and sovereignty. The latest is NMP (National Monetisation Pipeline) project of handing over the entire infrastructural sector – roadways, railways, airlines, ports, minerals, energy etc – virtually free of cost to private corporate, both domestic and foreign, for profit-without-investment, destroying the national economy, built by the people through seven decades of post independence.  

            The mass of the people, who cannot avail and use these infrastructural services and are already subjected to miseries of aggravating impoverishment, are going to be further squeezed and exploited as the private operators of these infrastructures are empowered to increase the user charges/tariffs without any control or regulation.

            Same destructive exercise is being carried to the agricultural sector through enactment of three Farm Laws, which aims at destroying peasants’ agriculture in favour of corporate farming; put an end to regulation and control on prices and distribution of all essential commodities; and completely buried the self-reliance on food economy.  

            And to facilitate all these loot and plunder, the governance structure is being made authoritarian within the apparent democratic structure; – trampling the basic Constitutional norms and federalism undermining the rights of the States, including financial rights; – use of UAPA, abrogation of article 370, onslaught against any dissent and opposition through foisting false cases under sedition clauses and vindictive deployment of Govt agencies like CBI, ED, etc against the dissenters and political adversaries; – attacking on labour rights through Labour Codes followed by prohibiting workers’ collective actions through Ordinances, followed by enactment, and bulldozing even deliberation and discussion in the Parliament.

            Simultaneously, the RSS-led Govt has been deploying all its agencies and wings to cultivate poisons of communal and all kinds of divisive polarization in the society to disrupt the unity of the people and divert the attention to non-issues; and to carry on their destructive reign of loot and plunder on the country and the people.

            However, these machinations of the BJP regime is not getting a walkover in the background of united struggles, with continuity, by the working class, the peasantry and the agricultural workers against these policies; – and coming together of all sections of toiling people voicing their opposition to this barbarous regime gradually overcoming the poisonous divisive, disruptive and diversionary designs of the ruling classes and their present political agents in governance.

            The retreat of the Modi Govt and its announcement on repealing the retrograde Farm Laws in the face of the historic one year long united and determined struggles by the farmers, with working class solidarity movement, clearly established the fact that crimes do not have the last word and oppression and arrogance by the rulers can never get a walkover.

            We have to go forward in our united struggles with greater confidence. The task before us is to further heighten the struggle towards defiance and resistance. Repeal of Farm Laws did not come through negotiations, but through united actions of defiance and resistance. Appropriate lesson needs to be drawn out of it.  

            Farm Laws may be repealed in the winter session of the Parliament. But, on statutory provision for MSP, the Govt is still silent.  At the same time, the Govt is bringing Electricity Amendment Bill in this session for enactment as also the amendment Bill of PFRDA Act aimed at taking the administration of National Pension System along with its huge corpus fund out of the purview of Govt regulatory regime and for private fund managers’ control. Labour Codes are still alive.

            The draft Rules under the Codes by the Central and many State governments have many deficiencies. Whatever rules have been formulated under the IR Code and OSHWC Code are more adverse than the original enactments for demolition of labour rights. There are several other issues of concern for the working people. During pandemic, despite aggravating hunger among the toiling people, the demand for Rs 7500 income-support per month to all non-income-tax paying families are being ignored. Further, the Govt is going to stop the free ration-support for the people, introduced during pandemic period, by this end-November despite proven record of widening hunger situation and the situation of dislocation of employment/livelihood opportunities owing to prevalent pandemic. And above all, under the guise of the notorious NMP, the process of handing over vital infrastructures virtually free to private corporates has already started.  

            In this background there is urgent necessity of heightening the struggles both at sectoral and national level. Initiative has been taken by the Joint Platform of Trade Unions in the National Convention on 11 November 2021 to organize two days countrywide general strike during the forthcoming budget session of the Parliament; and intensive preparatory campaign during the intervening period.  

            Many sector level struggles are also emerging. The Construction workers are going for strike on 2 December 2021. Steel workers are preparing for the strike, on 16 December 2021. Against MPA Act and NMP, Port workers federations have jointly served the notice for strike on any day after 15 December 2021 while continuing their other agitation programmes. Similar strike programme is also being planned in the banking sector against the Govt’s move of bringing Bank Nationalisation Amendment Bill to facilitate privatization of banks. The Joint platform of Electricity Employees’ Federation has also been planning similar action programme against the Electricity Amendment Bill to be introduced in the current session of the Parliament.

            In private sector industries, numerous struggles are going on and in some of them the struggling workers could even achieve their demands. Recent example is that of the workers in Hydel project of Jindal Co in Himachal Pradesh who succeeded in regularizing 500 contract workers in permanent employment of the company with attendant benefits through bitter struggle.

            An overall atmosphere of surging workers response to combative struggle is emerging wherever the union could reach and organize. In this background of surging response to call of struggles, the success of Kisans struggle has added enthusiasm and confidence.

            We must leave no stone unturned to carry this forward to heightened nationwide action against the anti-workers authoritarian policies of the Govt.