Report by a Correspondent of the Mazdoor Ekta Committee
On 1 May, a May Day rally was organized under the banner of the Mazdoor Ekta Committee at the Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Square, the main square of Ramgarh, a sub-tehsil in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. During the rally, the martyrs of Chicago, who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for workers’ rights, were remembered and tributes were paid to them.
Participants in the rally raised their voices in loud slogans: “Long live May Day!”, “Down with Imperialism!”, “Red Salute to the Martyrs of Chicago!”, “Let Workers and Farmers Rule the Nation!”, “State repression against the workers’ movement will not be tolerated!”, “India demands Red Flag on the Red Fort!”, “India demands, equal education for all!”, “Intensify the struggle against inflation and unemployment!”, “Implement equal pay for equal work!”
Addressing the gathering, speakers noted that approximately 140 years ago, thanks to the struggles and sacrifices made by workers in Chicago, we secured the right to an 8-hour workday. It replaced the previous 15-hour shifts, thereby establishing the principle of 8 hours for work, 8 hours for rest, and 8 hours for family. Today, however, this very right is being snatched away from us.
Shri. Hanuman Prasad Sharma, All-India Vice President of Lok Raj Sangathan, pointed out that the worker is the creator of every object in the world. Yet, they are compelled to struggle for their rights. Under the capitalist system, the working class is being ruthlessly exploited. They are constantly being deprived of their rights; they are not even provided with a wage sufficient to live with dignity. Today, workers are engaged in a struggle to demand the protection of their wages and their fundamental right to a livelihood.
He stated that, across the entire world, permanent jobs have been eliminated through economic policies centred on privatization and liberalization. Within this capitalist system, the exploitation of workers is being intensified by enacting laws that against the interests of workers. We must further strengthen our united struggle.
We must bear in mind that the limited rights we workers have secured through our struggles—spanning from the British colonial era to the present day—and the laws we fought to establish for the protection of those rights, are now being taken away by the implementation of four new Labor Codes. Permanent jobs are being dismantled, and today, workers are super exploited through the system of contract labour. Governments are actively moving towards the abolition of the Old Pension Scheme.
In conclusion, he asserted that regardless of which party holds power in the country, be it the Congress or the BJP, both essentially function as managers for the nation’s capitalists. When one manager loses credibility, the capitalists simply bring in another. The root cause of our problems lies within the capitalist system itself. We, the workers and farmers, must unite and establish a regime of workers and farmers to replace this capitalist order. This is the only path to liberation for all the workers and farmers of this country.
Khetaram Singathia, Maniram Lakesar, Krishna Kumar Bhambhu, Ashok Verma, and Kuldeep Bhambhu also shared their views at the gathering. Present on this occasion were Tarachand Swami, Balender Singh Fauji, Om Sanga, Dharampal Kaswan, Ram Murti, and Devendra—along with Jaiprakash Sharma, Bhup Sharma, Ramswaroop, and numerous other activists.