S. Mohandoss.
REMEMBERING THE HEROIC STRUGGLE OF SEPTEMBER 19, 1968
As an aftermath of the 1960 strike, the Government of India constituted the S.K. Das Commission in 1964 and the Gajendragadkar Commission in 1966 to go into the DA issue. To avoid unnecessary confrontation with trade unions and to settle issues through negotiations, the Government was convinced to create a machinery on the pattern of the Whitley Council in Britain. On that basis, the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) was formed in 1966.
In the JCM, the following demands were raised:
1. Need-based minimum wage
2. A DA formula that fully neutralizes price rise
3. Merger of DA with basic pay
4. Abolition of contract and casual system - including these, 7 demands were placed.
After prolonged negotiations, a disagreement was recorded. As per the JCM rules, if a disagreement is recorded, the issue should be referred to compulsory arbitration. But the Government refused to implement even the rule it had made.
Therefore, the Confederation of Central Government Employees, All India Railwaymen's Federation, All India Defence Employees Federation and NFPTE together formed the Joint Council of Action (JCA). It was decided to hold a one-day token strike on 19th September 1968.
It was not a struggle to paralyze the Government. It was not a struggle declaring that we will not retreat until demands are settled. It was just a one-day token strike to express our resentment against the indifferent attitude of the Government towards our demands. Even that expression of resentment could not be tolerated by the Government.
Severe repression was unleashed. The draconian Essential Services Maintenance Ordinance (ESMO) was promulgated. Police and para-military forces were let loose on the agitating Central Government employees. A war-like situation prevailed. 12,000 people including leaders and activists were arrested and jailed across the country. Arrests started on the 18th itself. Com. P.S.R. Anjaneyulu, General Secretary of our NFPTE, was handcuffed and paraded through the streets to Delhi's Tihar Jail. Departments were instructed to take the harshest actions. Recognition of unions was withdrawn.
Thousands of employees were dismissed. 40,000 were suspended. 64,000 temporary employees were given one-month termination notices. State Governments were directed to crush the strike and strictly enforce the President's Ordinance. As the climax of it all, 17 comrades were brutally killed in firing, in lathi-charge, and by running trains over those who were doing rail-roko at Bikaner, Pathankot, Bongaigaon and Delhi Indraprastha Bhavan.
This struggle tore off the progressive mask of Smt. Indira Gandhi's Government and exposed its ugly face. The strike was for one day only, but the vindictive actions continued for years.
Only one State refused to obey the orders of the Union Government. That was the Communist Government led by Com. EMS in Kerala. That Government extended its full support to the struggling Central Government employees. It did not bow down to the threats of the Union Government to dismiss it. It declared that Kerala Police will not arrest the agitating Central Government employees.
Let us salute the memory of those 17 martyrs who laid down their lives fighting for just demands. Let the light from their graves and the fire lit from their pyres guide our path of struggle.
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