The Hindu : May Day with a difference

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 03, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

May Day with a difference

By Jean Dreze

Country-wide agitations for the right to work took place on May 1, the ``international labour day". From village panchayats to Chief Ministers, representatives of the State at all levels faced public demands for an Employment Guarantee Act. This demand was also conveyed through rallies, dharnas, petitions, yatras and other forms of public mobilisation.

A broad range of organisations committed to the right to work were involved in this effort, from local organisations such as West Bengal's Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity and the Tamilnadu Agricultural Labourers Movement to larger networks such the National Alliance of People's Movements, the National Campaign Committee for Rural Workers, and the Right to Food Campaign.

In Rajasthan, a broad-based campaign for the right to work is rapidly building up. Teams of activists have been travelling from village to village during the last few weeks, to rally public support for the campaign. Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) alone trained five teams and sent them to some 300 villages. The response has been overwhelming, and gram sabhas passed resolutions on the right to work in most of these villages. Teams have also been trained by other organisations across the State, from Sankalp in Baran to Jagruk Nagrik Manch in Bikaner. The movement is of special interest in view of the coming elections in Rajasthan. It is also widely seen as a possible way of countering the insidious spread of communalism and reinstating people's concerns on the political agenda.

Similar efforts are on in Madhya Pradesh, with a special focus on drought-affected areas where the need for guaranteed employment is particularly urgent. In Sheopur, where local tribals are on the brink of starvation, a lively ``sahariya panchayat'' began late at night on April 30, and continued well into May Day.

Sahariya tribals from 55 villages gathered to discuss the drought situation in all its aspects. On May 1, they met the District Collector and gave him a long list of demands, starting with guaranteed employment during the summer months. They resolved to start an indefinite dharna if the demands are not met within 15 days. Further agitations took place in many other States including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Orissa. Aside from a united demand for an Employment Guarantee Act, the participating organisations took up different aspects of the right to work. For instance, there is growing resentment against the use of labour-displacing machinery in public works such as highway construction. A related issue is the large-scale export of grain that could have been used for food-for-work programmes at home. During the last two years alone, some 17 million tonnes of grain have been sold to private exporters at throwaway prices to feed cattle abroad, even as hunger intensified in drought-affected areas.

In a related development, the Supreme Court held two long hearings on the right to food on May 1 and May 2. In his opening remarks, Justice Sabherwal stated that he wanted "to give this petition a greater importance than any other matter, for people are dying here". The order issued on May 2 directs the Central Government to double the allocation of grain for the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), for an initial period of three months. When counsel for the Government of India complained that this would involve a major financial burden, Justice Sabherwal replied "Don't call it a burden, it is your duty to protect people who cannot fend for themselves".

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