The joint convention of electricity and railway employees, officers and contract workers, held in Thiruvananthapuram, has resolved to hold extensive programs against the threats of privatisation of the two key public sector organisations. The Union government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been attempting to bifurcate the two key sectors under the guise of reforms.

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Tamil Nadu: The marginal workers in Tamil Nadu are frequently taking to the streets on a variety of demands, including opposition to forceful land acquisition, Minimum Support Price (MSP) and payment of dues for sugarcane supplied to mills.

The farmers in Annur and Mettupalayam blocks in the Coimbatore district have been protesting for more than one year against the proposed industrial park by the Tamil Nadu Industries Development Corporation (TIDCO).

Another section of farmers in Kumbakonam in the delta region, the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu is demanding a hike in MSP for paddy and sugarcane. They refer to the MSPs provided in Chhattisgarh and demand the implementation by the government of Tamil Nadu.

The misery of the sugarcane farmers seems to have no end, as the private mills delay the disbursal of payment for the sugarcane supplied. A section of sugarcane farmers in Thanjavur district is on an indefinite sit-in protest demanding the same. 

Strikingly, the state government’s attention is largely lacking, leading to continuous protests from the farmers. 

AGAINST LAND ACQUISITION FOR INDUSTRIAL PARK

Thousands of farmers and residents of several villages in the Annur and Mettupalayam blocks have been protesting for more than 13 months. The additional Chief Secretary of the Industries and Commerce department has published the Government Order (GO) providing Administrative Sanction (AS) to acquire 1391.93 hectares (ha) from four villages of Annur block and 171.82 ha from two villages of  Mettupalayam block.

The farmers and residents of the Annur block, from where a bulk of the land for the park is proposed to be acquired, who depend solely on agriculture have been on the warpath against the project, citing loss of livelihood. 

Irked by the inaction of the government and the district administration, the farmers have been holding various forms of protest. The farmers held a hunger strike on November 28 followed by a rally from Manneswarar temple in Annur to Vinayagar temple at Puliyankulam in Coimbatore on December 3.

“We submitted our demands to the idols in the temple, after the government remained insensitive to our demands on livelihood,” read a statement by the coordination committee of the protesting farmers. 

INCREASE MSP FOR PADDY AND SUGARCANE

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, as per its poll promise, has presented a separate agriculture budget, but the farmers are hardly impressed. The meagre increase in the MSP for paddy did not impress the farmers by any means.

The sugarcane farmers have been demanding the restoration of the State Advisory Price (SAP) but the government is yet to respond. The demand for Rs 4,000 per quintal for cane is also unmet.

The Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association are critical of both the state government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Central government for the sufferings of the farmers for want of MSP. They have demanded the Central Government double the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.

A section of the farmers from Kumbakonam in the delta region are travelling to Chhattisgarh to thank the government for increasing the procurement price for paddy and sugarcane.

AWAITING DUES FROM MILLS

The private sugar mills inordinately delaying payment to the farmers is a never-ending story in Tamil Nadu. The farmers in Thanjavur who supplied sugarcane to the Thiruarroran mills are on an indefinite sit-in protest seeking immediate disbursal of the pending dues. 

The farmers have claimed that the mill owes them Rs 100 crores towards the sugarcane supplied during the previous harvesting seasons. The farmers have also accused the same mill of borrowing around Rs 500 crores from banks in their names. 

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Zomato workers in Thiruvananthapuram won a decisive battle against the management’s unilateral decision of cutting down incentives. The management yielded to their demands after the indefinite strike entered its fourth day on August 19. 

After the conciliation talks, Zomato and its delivery partners have reached an agreement wherein weekly incentives would be calculated under three new slabs and the rain surge percentage has been reinstated. 

After refusing to participate in the conciliation talks, called by the additional labour commissioner, Zomato was left with no option but to talk to the workers following their spirited struggle. 

‘GIGS SCHEME AFFECTED WORKERS’

The workers were shocked after Zomato changed policies unilaterally and shifted to the ‘GIGS’ scheme in March. This affected the flexibility of working time and days while income was hit by the withdrawal of the several incentives.

“The workers and even the company were unable to estimate the income and incentive that they earn every week. The mandatory login every hour and the penalty for not doing so ate into our income,” Jyothish, secretary of the Trivandrum District Online Delivery Workers Union, told Newsclick.

“After working for 12-14 hours daily, we were earning around Rs 700-Rs 800 a day from which we had to meet fuel and other expenses. Considering the amount of work and the travel time, this is a very small income,” Jyothish added. 

The workers sent a strike notice on July 27 demanding the restoration of incentives and other benefits. When the company did not respond, they submitted their demands to the chief minister and the ministers for labour and industries. 

Subsequently, the workers declared an indefinite strike on August 16 under the leadership of Thiruvananthapuram District Online Delivery Workers Union, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and were joined in their protest march by their Swiggy counterparts. 

Shiju Khan, district secretary, DYFI addresses Zomato and Swiggy delivery workers during the Raj Bhavan march. (Courtesy: Jyothish). 

INCENTIVE SLABS FORMED, RAIN SURGE BONUS REINSTATED

After the intervention of the state government and labour officials, talks were held on August 19. Two officials from Zomato and four leaders, including four from the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), on behalf of the delivery partners participated in the talks. 

“More than 250 workers from both Swiggy and Zomato took part in the march, which was inaugurated by DYFI leaders. The talks were possible due to the effective intervention of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. Zomato officials had to concede to our demands,” Jyothish said.

Under the agreement, a worker will receive a weekly incentive of 15% if his delivery amount is up to Rs 4,000. Workers with a delivery amount up to Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,500 will receive 25% and 35% incentive, respectively. The rain surge bonus has also been reinstated at Rs 25 for peak time and Rs 20 for non-peak time. 

Another important demand of the workers was regarding the disciplinary action taken by the company against them. The company had reserved the right to terminate them without notice. “A show-cause notice will be issued to the partners before taking disciplinary action like termination or disabling in the app,” the agreement reads. 

The company has also agreed to intimate the implementing variation in kilometre charges for delivery and pick-up while the waiting time pay at restaurants has been reduced to 10 minutes from 15 minutes. The profiles of the workers who participated in the strike will also be activated immediately. 

Zomato officials were unavailable for a response.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Under the leadership of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the right-wing organisations have been utilising the temples for propagating their Hindutva agenda. Being home to lakhs of temples, Tamil Nadu provides a perfect platform for the Sangh Parivar to promote its propaganda.

With a 50:50 ratio of minority and majority population, Kanyakumari district has become a perfect place to experiment for the RSS and its affiliates. The right-wing has successfully managed to intrude into the day to day activities in the temples controlled by the government in the form of devotee organisations. These organisations have a free run in the temples outside the government regulations, including those managed by individuals and trusts.

From conducting preaching classes on weekends, organising special sessions for women and children and organising festivals, the right-wing organisations have their say in all activities.

The negligence of the State government and an increasing number of vacancies in government-run temples help the right-wing groups gain the upper hand in dictating terms. The democratic and religious organisations have been long demanding the government to stop the intervention of right-wing groups.

LETHARGY IN ADMINISTRATION HELPING RIGHT-WING

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department manages around 44,000 temples across the state, of which 490 are located in Kanyakumari district and Shenkottai taluk of Tirunelveli district. These temples are controlled by the joint commissioner of incorporated and unincorporated Thirukovilgal (temples), situated in Suchindram.

The increasing vacancies and negligence of administration are helping the right-wing activists intrude into the temples’ daily affairs. “The successive governments have not given sufficient attention to the temples attached to the HR&CE department. The lack of staff in temples has led to the intervention of right-wing groups,” said Aji Kumar, district general secretary of Kanyakumari DIstrict Temple Workers Union.

The functioning of 5 regional offices controlled by the joint commissioner is also being criticised frequently. The Superintendent’s office of the Kuzhithurai region has long been closed. The office is entrusted with monitoring 90 temples and several educational institutions.

A temple worker in the division accused the right-wing organisations and a few officers of being hand in glove. “The officials support the right-wing groups so that they do not need to spend time in office. In certain temples, the complete administration is run by the people belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),” he said.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), to which the temple’s workers are affiliated, have been continuously demanding the government to curb the intervention of Sangh Parivar organisations in the temple activities.

“These people are intervening in temple administration purely for their political gains, and they do not have spirituality in their minds,” the worker accused.

FAILURE IN OTHER DISTRICTS

However, the Sangh Parivar organisations cannot emulate the success in other districts as they have achieved in Kanyakumari. Prof Arun Kumar, a researcher and assistant professor at Gautam University, Bengaluru, opined that the success is a result of the religious complexion of the district.

“The Sangh Parivar organisation has been successful purely because of the Hindu- Christian polarisation, which is being strengthened through the temples. Their primary focus is on getting hold of the ‘temple committees’, which is a traditional practice in the district,” he said.

In other districts, the formula has failed, including in Coimbatore, where several Sangh Parivar groups have a considerable presence. The organisations have initiated several plans, including the ‘Hindu Temple Reclamation Organisation’, but have not succeeded.

“In Coimbatore, the organisations utilise temple space for conducting free tuitions only in around five places in the district. The organisations have made small inroads in Theni, Cumbum and Uthamapalayam areas by organising committees to retrieve deserted temples. But their success is minimal, and the organisations have not gained electorally in any other districts,” Arun said.

INTRUSION IN PRIVATE TEMPLES

Apart from the temples under HR&CE control, tens of thousands of temples are managed by individuals and trusts. The Sangh Parivar organisations have been trying to bring these temples under a single umbrella but cannot move at the pace they wish.

“There are around 6,000 temples in Kanyakumari district alone in this category. A Hindu Temple Confederation was initiated in 2018, and only 800 temples have joined this so far. For the last couple of years, this organisation has been in a stagnated state Arun said.

The temple trusts are managed by different caste groups, in which the Sangh Parivar has managed to earn a considerable presence.

“The right-wing activists become a part of the temple committees and dominate the proceedings. Once their intentions of introducing Brahmanical practices in small temples and political gains get exposed, the people used to kick them out,” said a trustee of a temple seeking anonymity.

Though the success is limited to only one district, the Sangh Parivar is desperately trying to utilise temples as their base for political gains. The devotees, workers and section of the public are demanding the government’s intervention to restrain the right-wing groups from capturing temples.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

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