Pricol struggle: Breaking out of Encirclement
S. Kumarasami
If it is Operation Green Hunt in Central and Eastern India, in Tamilnadu it is crushing the emerging trend of revolutionary working class movement – with the Pricol struggle as the first and primary target. It was not just the Pricol management, but the Confederation of Indian Industries representing the entire corporate sector, that launched an “encirclement and suppression campaign” of sorts to annihilate the Pricol workers’ struggle for dignity, trade union democracy and a better life. Apart from targeting the Pricol workers’ struggle, several state officials have openly identified the preaching of Marxism-Leninism among workers as a threat and sought to curb the AICCTU and its leaders precisely on this count.
Pricol workers and AICCTU responded to this encirclement not with hesitant, defensive, typical trade unionist steps. Instead, a political offensive was launched. A padayatra from Coimbatore to Chennai, highlighting the basic issues of the toiling masses of Tamilnadu, was planned. It was to start on 17 April with a public meeting at Periyanaickenpalayam in Coimbatore and culminate in a May Day mass rally in Chennai after moving through the districts of Coimbatore, Erode, Namakkal, Salem, Cuddalore,Villupuram, Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur. The timing was significant not only because of the May Day but also because the TN Assembly was in session and the labour grants issue was to be taken up on 30th April.
We duly sought permission for the programme from appropriate police authorities in Periyanaickenpalayam, Coimbatore and the Director General of Police, Tamilnadu, before 10th March 2010. It however soon grew into an interesting legal battle. Acting as a private security agency of the corporate lobby, the Tamilnadu police went out of its way to block the programme. The S.P, Coimbatore rejected permission for the public meeting in perianaickan Palayam as well as the entire Padayatra beyond his jurisdiction in districts other than Coimbatore also. He stated in his orders:
“In view of the law and order problems due to labour unrest at Pricol company, Perianaickan palayam and considering the murder of one Roy J. Geroge, Vice President, Human resources of Pricol on 21.09.2009 by AICCTU members and also their involvement in the last two years in illegal activities and since Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and Salem are highly industrialized districts, the permission for the padayatra and public meetings are rejected”.
We moved a writ petition (WP 7436/2010) on 9th April, where we challenged the SP’s orders on the following main grounds.
a) SP can lead the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases. He cannot step into the shoes of the court and pronounce “GUILTY” verdicts.
b) The SP’s reasoning that the padayatra cannot pass through highly industrialised districts is arbitrary as it denies democratic rights in highly industrialised districts.
c) As peace prevails in Pricol, the SP’s reasoning is contrary to ground reality.
d) The SP has usurped the powers of the DGP by denying permission for the padayatra in other districts beyond Coimbatore.
After the Govrnment pleader took notice, Justice Paul Vasanthakumar asked the DGP as to how the SP could pass orders for entire Tamilnadu which only the DGP could do. The DGP then passed orders on 13.4.2010, once again reiterating the position of the SP, Coimbatore. We were forced to amend the prayer and challenge the DGP’s orders in the same writ petition.
The DGP stated that on consulting ADGP (L&O), SP (Coimbatore), IGP (Intelligence), IGP West Zone, she was told that the President of AICCTU MR. S. Kumarasami is accused no. 1 in the murder case and 150 AICCTU activists figure as accused in 25 cases. The DGP also informed that the procession will disturb industrial peace in view of the violent history of AICCTU.
In WP 7436 / 2010, we filed a miscellaneous petition wherein we sought an interim direction for inauguration of the padayatra on either 17.4.2010 or within a week thereof. This safety provision for a week beyond 17.4.2010 was sought as the very writ petition will otherwise become infructuous after 17.4.2010.
On 16.04.2010, we made a tactical move by giving a new letter to the DGP to hold the inaugural meeting in Coimbatore on 23.4.2010 and to move over to Erode by vehicle on 24.4.2010 and to start the padayatra from Erode on 24.04.2010.
In such circumstances Justice Paul Vasanthakumar on 16.04.2010 directed the DGP to consider and pass orders on our representation dated 16.4.2010 and to give us an audience. The DGP was given time upto 21.04.2010. April 17th and 18th were holidays. On 19th we were given an audience by the DGP. On 21st the DGP was out of station. The ADGP told our delegation on 21st that they would give altered permission if we give up Coimbatore. We did not agree. They thought that since our date was 23.4.2010, our legal challenge will become infructuous by 23.04.2010, if only they could drag us beyond 21.04.2010. They did not expect that we would again move the court on 22.04.2010 itself.
We again filed WP 8537/2010 on 22.04.2010 seeking permission as per our revised petition dated 16.04.2010. We raised the following grounds:
a) The DGP’s order (after consulting all higher police officers) describing Com. Kumarasami as A1 would amount to a Freudian slip and not a mere error. (Kumarasami is accused no. 10 in the murder and conspiracy case) Their aim is to curb AICCTU.
b) Accused persons are presumed to be innocent until proved guilty. Accused persons can even become law makers in the state as well as Centre. Neither our constitution nor our electoral laws prohibit that. Denying the right to freedom of association, expression to accused persons is unconstitutional as being violative of Articles 14 & 19 of the constitution of India.
c) The DGP’s orders will not stand the scrutiny of law as per a decision of the Madras High Court reported in 1991-1-L.W.(CRC) 73 (Nedumaran Vs State of Tamilnadu) and the Supreme Court’s decision reported in 1989 (2) SCC 574 (S. Rangarajan Vs P. Jagajivan Ram)
a) a public meeting in Coimbatore, and b) a propaganda yatra.
The Public Meeting in Coimbatore
When the new orders were passed by the DGP on 22.04.2010, Com. Kumarasami was in Salem, attending the party’s cadre convention on the party foundation day. Com. Natarajan, the state General Secretary of AICCTU was in Chennai. April 23rd was a working day in Pricol. There was no time at all for preparation. This meeting place was very important for us, as our struggle nearly commenced from here on the May Day of 2007.
In spite of the paucity of time and preparation, more than 1300 including a few hundred women workers participated in this meeting. Comrades Krishnamurty, Gurusami, Janakiraman (Pricol) Lakshmana Naraynan, Advocate (President, Coimboatre Labour Law Practitioners’ Association), Chandran (LMW), Bharathi (AISA) Bhuvaneswari, Natarajan and Kumarasami spoke in this meeting. More than Rs. 65,000/- was donated to the propaganda yatra on the stage of the meeting.
The Propaganda Yatra
The team of 30 was led by Com. Kumarasami and they all sported a special common uniform for this occasion. This itself was a source of attraction. In Erode, on 24.04.2010 we were greeted by Tamilnadu Labour Front. There was a procession and meeting which were over by 9.30 a.m. Comrades Vijayakumar of TLF and Govindarajan of AICCTU spoke in the meeting.
The very same evening we moved to Pallipalayam. We were met by a posse of police officials and a riot control van. They accompanied us in the procession and public meeting. They outnumbered our team and in fact helped as crowed pullers. The public meeting evoked a good response from the public as well as the police. The police safely accompanied us to Kumarapalayam. There again was a public meeting and procession. Comrade Govindarajan arranged everything. On 25.04.2010 we had a press conference in Salem. There was a meeting of co-optex union. In the evening there was a public meeting. The arrangements were made by Comrades Chandramohan, Mohanasundaram, Ayyandurai and Natarajan.
On 26th we had a procession and public meeting in Tirukoilur, Villupuram distirct. Both events were held in heavily crowded places. Com. Venkatesan made the arrangements and Com. Balasundaram CCM and Party State secretary attended the public meeting. On 27th we were in Virudachalam. That was the day of the All India General Strike. Ironically we were the only organisation to hold a procession and public meeting on that day in TN. In the public meeting, AIALA state President, T.K.S. Janrathanam, Party SCMs, Elangaovan, Venkatesan and Ammaiyappan spoke. The public meeting was addressed by Comrade Balasubramniam AICCTU National Secretary and also Puducherry party secretary. The procession and public meeting were attended by a good number of agrarian workers and youth. On 28th the team was welcomed in Sriperumbudur by Poonamallee Solidarity Forum. Here again was a public meeting and procession. Here Com.T.R.S. Mani, AITUC State Secretary and Com. MuthuKumar, CITU district secretary also addressed the meeting. They both expressed the hope that the spark ignited by AICCTU will become a prairie fire.
On 29th we had a very big rally and public meeting in Redhills. Here elaborate propaganda was carried out. The arrangements were led by AIALA State General Secretary and party SCM Com. Janakirman. On 30th an effective public meeting and processions were organized in Ambattur by comrades Sekar and Palanivel, AICCTU State Secretaries.
The issues of the Yatra
The issues were not Pricol-centered. Class issues of the urban and rural proletariat were raised as political demands. The yatra wanted the TN Assembly to focus on these issues on 30th April.
These issues and our extensive propaganda materials and our speeches have created enthusiastic response among the toiling masses and have generated confidence among our forces.
From a Class in Itself
To a Class for Itself
Pricol struggle is one of our practical laboratories. When leading comrades were there in jail for 100 days, they had a discussion and decided to join the party and organise and lead the people in and around periyanaickenapalaym. They decided to integrate with all toiling and oppressed sections of society. They eagerly grasped the opportunity of holding the yatra. Tactically they were on a peace offensive inside Pricol and this has also yielded results. They wanted to involve the whole lot of pricol workers in peoples’ issues. Live politicisation is now a continuous process in Pricol. When the yatra was outside Coimbatore the Pricol workers in their areas met thousands of people and collected Rs. 2.2 lakhs from them. During the yatra, classes were held on Lenin’s “Three sources and component parts of Marxism”, Comrade DB’s article on CPI(ML), CPI(Marxist) and CPI(Maoist), and a note on “Pricol: yesterday, today and tomorrow”. More than 500 Pricol workers joined the May Day rally in Chennai. Now they have two immediate programmes.
1. Going in a big team and propagating the all India strike of rural workers on July 7 in the rural district of Pudukottai.
2. Organising a Pricol workers’ festival along with AISA to enhance the social dimensions of the movement.
Some initial steps have been taken, a long journey lies ahead.
May Day 2010
The entire stretch of Thana Street in Chennai wherein the May Day meeting was held was full of colourful digital banners highlighting people’s issues, demands and their resolve to struggle. The stage was well decorated. The whole programme was spirited and the entire audience of 3000 was enthused by the presence and speech of party General Secretary Com. Dipankar. The meeting paid homage to martyrs and took a solemn May Day pledge. Comrades Sankarapandian, Krishnamoorthy, Janakiraman, Bharathi, Natarajan, Balasundaram, Kumarasamialso addressed the meeting. The workers felt that with our increasing profile we should lead bigger struggles in the coming days. The announcement in the State Assembly on 30.04.2010 about the State Govt. reminding once again on 15 April 2010 about LA Bill 47/2008 and about the steps towards an amendment in the Trade Union Act, had a positive impact on the audience and was definitely a boost to their confidence and will.
To sum up, Pricol struggle is not confined to Pricol. It has larger political ramifications. It is a living symbol of class solidarity, dedication, sacrifice, unity, relentless struggle and of course politicisation of the class. The yatra is not only a milestone for AICCTU but also for the working class movement of Tamil Nadu.