Report of correspondent of Mazdoor Ekta Committee
The 94th anniversary of the martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, was marked by an enthusiastic meeting organised in Delhi by Hind Naujawan Ekta Sabha (HNES), on 23 March.
Hundreds of youth — school and college students and working youth — participated in the meeting. More than half the participants were women. They had been actively organising for the program, in their schools, colleges and residential areas, over the past 3-4 weeks. The excitement at seeing their efforts bear fruit was palpable on their faces.
The meeting began with the rendering of a song “raaste pe tumhare chalke hum…” by the youth choir. Paying tribute to the martyrs, the song calls upon the workers, peasants and youth to rise up and persist in the struggle to eliminate all exploitation.
A young woman activist of HNES conducted the proceedings. She began by quoting a couplet by Shaheed Bhagat Singh, expressing the conviction of our martyrs that their sacrifice would not go in vain, but would continue to inspire generations of youth, to fight for revolution. She then called upon the secretary of HNES to introduce the organisation.
The secretary of HNES recalled the militant struggles of the youth, against state organised communal genocide, against discrimination of women and in defence of the right to education and employment, that inspired the formation of the Hind Naujwan Ekta Sabha in 2001. Through myriad activities, including street plays, elocution and quiz contests, sports and cultural contests, protest actions, study and discussion, HNES has continued to organise and inspire youth to raise their voice against all forms of injustice, with the clear goal of fighting to end all exploitation and discrimination.
The main speech presented on behalf of HNES emphasised the fact that Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his comrades had given a call to build an India, in which everyone would be free from exploitation and oppression. They had given the call for the complete overthrow of the British colonial oppressive state and the creation of a new state, which would ensure happiness, security and prosperity for all.
The speech pointed out that this aspiration of our people was cruelly betrayed in 1947. Political power was transferred to the representatives of the Indian big capitalists and big landlords, who had collaborated with the British rulers in getting thousands of our revolutionaries hanged. The rule of the Indian bourgeoisie replaced the British rule. These new rulers of India preserved and further perfected all the institutions of rule that the British has established to plunder and enslave our people.
Today, the ruling bourgeois class headed by the big monopoly capitalist houses – Tatas, Birlas, Ambanis, Adanis, etc. – decides the agenda of the country. In the existing political system of multi-party parliamentary democracy, elections are periodically held to create the illusion that “people choose their government”. However, in reality, the bourgeoisie, through its money power, control over the media and outright manipulation, ensures the electoral victory of one of its trusted political parties, which can best serve the agenda of the capitalist class and most effectively fool the masses. Decision-making power remains in the hands of the ruling bourgeois class. People have no power to hold accountable or recall the elected representatives. The working masses have no power to make any policy decisions, or to make or amend laws.
Today, 78 years later, the exploitation and plunder of the labour and resources of our people by domestic and foreign capitalists continues unabated. Exploitation and insecurity of livelihood haunt the workers and peasants and masses of youth. Crimes against women are on the rise. The brutality that the British used to torture and crush those who challenged them, continues. Today too, those who oppose the agenda of the capitalists are crushed with ferocity. Communal violence and state terror are used again and again to smash the unity of the fighting people against the brutal violation of their rights.
The speaker drew the important conclusion that today, the need of the hour is revolution! The aim of this revolution, led by the working class in alliance with all the oppressed, is to replace the existing economic and political system with a new system in which the working class will set the country’s agenda. The working people will have the power to take all the important decisions affecting the society. The major means of production will be taken out of the hands of the capitalist class and placed under social control. The aim of the economy will be to satisfy the growing needs of all working people, not the capitalists’ demand for maximum profits.
The speech ended with an inspiring call, to unite, organise and come forward, to pour in all the revolutionary energy of our youth into the struggle to create that new society, of which we the working masses will be the masters!
Following the speech, the participants were invited to express themselves. Scores of young girls and boys came up to the podium and expressed their views with full conviction and confidence.
The youth passionately described the severe challenges before them. They narrated examples of exam paper leaks, of admission and recruitment scandals, to draw attention to the cruel destruction of the dreams of millions of youth, for higher education and secure jobs. They spoke with great anger, against the increasing privatisation of education, unprecedented fee hikes and inadequate government expenditure on education, because of which good quality education has become a privilege enjoyed by only a minority of youth. They demanded that the state invest in providing good quality, affordable, universal education, from primary education up to higher education.
In their presentations the youth revealed shocking facts, such as the stark reality that one out of every six youth are unemployed. Many youth are forced to work at an average monthly salary of Rs 12,000-15,000, for 10-12 hours a day. Women are forced to work for as low as Rs 6000-8000. Equal pay for equal work for women and men is still a distant dream! Sanitation workers face discrimination and indignity on the basis of caste, even in cities like Delhi.
Young women described the terrible working conditions at the Amazon India warehouses and sweatshops where they have to be on their feet for 8-10 hours continuously, without even toilet and lunch breaks. The recent shocking rape and murder of a young woman doctor on duty at the RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata was recalled, to highlight the terrible insecurity women face at the workplace and in public places.
The youth deplored the Agniveer scheme, which effectively closes the door for millions of youth, to a secure job in the army. They drew attention to the increasing number of youth driven to suicide, primarily due to lack of educational opportunities and jobs.
Several of the interventions of the youth related to the widespread use of contract labour, not only in production and manufacturing, but even in education, health and many government services. The privatisation of railways, transport, telecom, electricity distribution, and other essential services, is leading to destruction of more jobs than are being created, they showed with examples. Some of the youth described their traumatic experiences as delivery workers, working for 12 hours a day, risking their lives for making deliveries on time. They are under constant surveillance by the company and can be thrown out at a moment’s notice!
Some youth expressed their emotions through poetry.
The youth choir inspired the audience with the song– “usha ki lalima failee hai… (the dawn is breaking out, soon the sun will rise. That day is not far off when the sun will rise for us!)”
School children presented a street play depicting the oppression of women and youth, and the need to organise and fight back. A vibrant dance performance by young girls, accompanied with the song “sarfaroshi ki tamanna” had the audience tapping their feet in rhythm.
Summing up the program, the Secretary of HNES congratulated all the participants for expressing their views with such clarity and conviction. He called upon the youth to take up the cause of revolution, of replacing the rule of the bourgeoisie with the rule of the working class in alliance with the toiling peasantry, and marching towards socialism and communism. This is the only path to ensuring a bright future for the youth and all the toilers of our country, he concluded.
The program ended with the youth choir voicing their resolve to march on this path, with the song “saathi re, bhai re, dekho rang badal raha hai aasmaan ka …(behold comrades, the colour of the sky is changing)”.