Economic reforms have accelerated in India since the introduction of the new simplified economic policies introduced in 1991 during the reign of PV Narasimha Rao. Naturally the outcome of reforms should be in the direction of increasing job opportunities. But as a result of economic reforms in our country jobs have been drained. After the end of PV Narasimha Rao’s rule, the nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders appointed prominent journalist Arun Shourie as a cabinet minister for the withdrawal of investment in public sector undertakings during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime. Since then, investment withdrawals in the country have increased, foreign direct investment has increased, permanent jobs have shrunk and contracting and outsourcing have increased. With the entry of private individuals into the banking, insurance, railways, aviation and communications sectors, the working class map has changed. Early forced retirement.
Narendra Modi, who came to power in 2014 by provoking the people with patriotism and nationalism, juggled all sorts of ‘chai’ pay debates with gimmicks like Achche Din Aayega, Man Ki Baat, changed agricultural laws and labour laws and enslaved farmers and workers.
Since 1991 there have been 23 general strikes by workers and workers against the current economic reforms. Farmers protest in Delhi for almost 378 days This long struggle is historic after the independence of the country. Finally, the central government apologized to the peasants for their struggles. But it is inhumane for today’s governments to introduce economic reforms without telling the people.
Singareni was the first public sector undertaking in our state and was pushed into the BIFR in 1991 due to the central government’s failure to allocate a budget for such an organization. Then the Singareni workers worked hard to increase production and make the company profitable and ideal for the world. However, the Central Government repealed the MMDR (Mines Mineral Development Regulation) Act, 1957 and the Coal Mines Provision Act 2015 and allowed for the entry of public sector coal companies as well as private individuals into the auction. Through this we see corporate powers like Adani and Ambani participating in the auction and securing coal mines.
Corporates are making a profit with lower wages, job security, social security, or lack of protection in the mines. With the arrival of new underground mines, the increase in open cast mines, and the increase in the number of contract workers in the open casts, unemployment has risen in the districts where the Singareni Company bought a month ago. There are workers. But if the production of Anadu Singareni was 10, 20 million tonnes, today the production is 70 million tonnes. There are about 30,000 contract workers. Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi has announced in Parliament that he plans to close 10 underground mines in the near future, increase open casts and increase production to 100 million tonnes per annum.
The strike on March 28, 29 for the protection of Singareni and the protection of public sector industries may not change, but the strike will go down in history as a symbol of labour activism. In the future there is a need for the Singareni workers to protect the company from private forces with the fighting spirit of the Delhi farmers.