AISMA-60 Part-I
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AISMA-60 Know thy History Part-1
While we are approaching towards the Diamond Jubilee (1953-2012) of this Association, it was an effort to bring out our History for the knowledge of the new comers and for refreshing the Seniors.
1853, the year the Indian Railways came into existence. Let us not be blamed as self centered, who cares only about our category men. Let us see what necessitated our forerunners to form a categorical union, the All India Station Masters’ Association in 1953.
For this, it is necessary to give you the account of Trade Union movement in Indian Railways since 1853.
It was after a decade that the Company Railways came into existence, there emerged series of unions. It was in the year 1924 an industrial union in the name of All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) came into existence in the British Railways of India. The Railway Board accorded recognition to AIRF in the year 1930. The events narrating to its recognition is well summarized by Stephen Sherlock in his book titled, ‘The Indian Railway Strike of 1974’. (Pages 42 & 43):
“The watershed in relations between the Railway Board and the AIRF was the 1930 Strike in the Great Peninsular Railways. The Strike was called by the Great Peninsular Railwaymen’s union, the most communist influence of the unions affiliated to AIRF. The railway dismissed a large number of workers singling out communist supporters and began negotiations with the conservative section of AIRF. The AIRF reached an agreement to end the strike under which some, but not all, of the dismissed workers were to be reinstated. The Railways violated the terms of agreement. The communist attempted to continue the strike but were defeated by heavy repressions including the killing of 2 workers in police firings. The communist portion in the AIRF was severely weakened. The Federation was granted official recognition by the Railway Board in return for its assurance of ending the strike. From that time on, the conservative leadership of AIRF was used by the management to counter the strength of militant elements in the Railway Union movement.”
Till the independence there was no other industrial union in Railways. It was after the independence, i.e. in the year 1948, the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) came into being at the behest of the ruling congress party, patronized by Sardar Vallabhai Patel and the then PM, Jawaharlal Nehru to counter the activities of AIRF.
The AIRF had sacrificed its principles within a decade of its existence, i.e. after 1930 strike. After the arrival of NFIR, it was found that the AIRF started increasingly the line of appeasement of Management. “The NFIR was established in 1948 by the Indian National Congress leaders such as Hariharanath Sastri and G. Ramanujam, to wrest control of the Railway Trade Union Movement from the Royalists, Socialists and Communists in the AIRF.” (Reference – Presidential address in the Second Annual Session of the INTUC at Indore on 6th May 1949 –Page 10 & 11). NFIR was given recognition in the year 1950, after withdrawal of recognition of AIRF as a result of its strike call in the year 1949. AIRF lost its right to negotiate. There were large scale victimizations. The leadership of AIRF changed their path, sacrificed the principle of espousing the workers cause and began to act as a middleman between the Management and the workers on individual grievances. Cause of workers especially that of the open line staff, like locomen and Station Masters were left unconcerned. The Station Masters found the urging need of forming their own Union. The Station Masters had a solid reason to form their own Association. An All India Conference was held at Mysore in the year 1953. Com. V.P. Sood was elected as the first Secretary Generally and Mr. B.S. Moorthy, a Parliamentarian, chosen as the President of the Association. Thus this ASSOCIATION came into existence in the year 1953.
Till 1970, non category men were also elected Central office bearers. For instance, the former Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpaye was three times Central President. After the publication of the ‘Constitution of AISMA’ and consequent upon a decision by the members of GB at MDU in the year 1970 that politician shall not hold any post in the organization, only categorymen are being elected as office bearers.
Even before registration of our organization in the year 1969, our Association conducted many major struggles such as Pay Sathyagraha – 1957, Participation in the Joint Strike in 1960, Work to Rule Programme – 1961 (which drew the attention of the government to set up a Committee under Justice Sankar Saran, Work to Rule – 1966 (continued for 20 days), March to Parliament – 1967 (Demanding a day’s Rest for SMs), 1 day Fast – 1966, 1 day Fast – 1969. A decision to ‘Stay Away from duty’ from 1.1.1970 was taken in 1969 AGM held at Jaipur. The Association decided to defer the action in view of the assurance given by the then Minister of Railways Shri P. Govinda Menon, on the floor of Lok-Sabha, to look into the grievances of the SMs category. It was to a starred question No. 483, the Hon’ble Minister of Railways on 9.12.1969 assured as follows:
“(a) Yes, Sir! It is understood that this Association passed certain Resolutions both at Delhi and Jaipur in May 1969 and August 1969 respectively.
(b) The reaction of the Government to the demands of this Association has already been clarified on the floor of the house, namely, that all their demands have been examined by the Government but could not be acceded to, except that the question of laying down unified channel of promotions for them is under consideration, in consultation with the Railway administration”
Comrades! Do you know – It was in the year 1957 a Station Master of Hubli Division, of the then Southern Railway, returned the misfitting uniforms and was severely punished. Thus the first and mighty seed for our Uniform Struggle was sown. We had to wait for more than two decades and achieved the same because of the sacrifice of many veteran leaders by undergoing increment cuts, Inter & Intra divisional & Railway transfers, highest of all the Removal of 3 Comrades (Com. Nicholas Fernandez and others) from service.
Cont. in Part-II……………………….…...AISMA FROM LATE 70s
( Efforts were taken to write the History, any ommission or commission may please be advised to the web incharge)
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