Struggle at BALCO against privatisation

Voice of Electricity Workers

April- June 2001

Sub-Editorial

STRUGGLE AT BALCO NAGAR - PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT AGAINST PRIVATISATION

The BALCO Nagar at Korba, Chhattisgarh, where the BALCO plant is situated, is boiling. Thousands of workers, along with the local residents coming from all walks of life, the students youth, women and also the rural folk from the adjoining villages, have been squatting around the BALCO plant, day and night, round the clock, since 2^nd March 2001, the black day when Rs. 5000 crore worth BALCO plant has been handed over to M/s Sterlite on a platter at Rs 551.5 crore. The agitation in this phase started with a massive Korba Bandh on 26^th February 2001.

PEOPLE FROM ALL SEGMENTS UNITED

The anti-privatisation struggle gave birth to “Nijeekaran Birodhi Sanyukta Sangarsh Samity” consisting of all the political parties, viz., Congress, CPI(M), CPI and of course, not the BJP. The said Sangarsh Samity also includes various mass organisations of students, youth, women, the local businessmen, Adivasi Parishad and others. Even the local Chambers of Commerce joined the antiprivatisation struggle, as a constituent of the Sangarsh Samity, although their national forum has everyday been chasing the Govt. to ensure that Sterlite gets the possession of BALCO. From the movement of the trade unions at the initial stage, the struggle against privatisation of BALCO has now turned out to be peoples’ movement. Almost everyday, mass meetings and rallies are being held at BALCO Nagar where the leaders of various political parties except BJP and various mass organisations are addressing, expressing their resolve to stop BALCO sell-out at any cost. On 4^th March, morning, a massive procession of several thousands workers and common people covered 14 kilometer long route from BALCO to Korba town. On the same day evening, a 15000 strong torchlight procession of women moved around the BALCO township which created sensation all around. The participation of thousands of women from adjoining villages in the said procession speaks about active involvement of rural folk in the anti-privatisation struggle. On 5^th March, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Ajit Jogi, visited BALCO Nagar and addressed a huge crowd of more than 25000 people gathered at Ramlila Maidan. The Chief Minister declared his total support to the anti-privatisation struggle at BALCO and commented that “the BALCO deal is a daylight robbery on country’s wealth by the BJP Govt and the struggle must continue till the infamous deal of BALCO sell-out is reversed. “The meeting was also addressed by the trade union leaders. Manas Kumar Nandy, General Secretary of the Chhattisgarh state CITU also addressed the meeting and called upon the workers and the people to carry on the struggle unitedly to force the Govt to reverse their decision to sell BALCO to private hand.

STRIKERS’ INITIATIVE TO SAVE THE PLANT

The strike has been going on in full swing, Meantime, the Sangharsh Samity decided that, in order to save the Plant from collapse, a team of volunteers from the striking workers would work without taking any wages to maintain the temperature of the smelter furnace called `cell house’ to prevent the alluminium from freezing. Accordingly from 6^th onwards, around sixty workers have gone to plant as volunteers to work in 1cell house’, but as per report received, the Sterlite officials there have still been trying to create hindrance in their work to maintain the `cell house’.

CITU Chhattisgarh state secretary M K Nandy and the District CITU President Kameshwar Singh have been camping at Balco Nagar since 3^rd itself. On 6^th March Tapan Sen, Secretary CITU, visited BALCO and addressed the massive gathering of workers at Parasbhatta Chawk. On 8^th March, Samar Mukherjee, Vice President CITU, visited BALCO along with S Kumar, Secretary, Chhattisgarh state Committee of CPI(M) and addressed the striking workers. All the five Central Trade Unions, viz., CITU, AITUC, HMS, INTUC and BMS, by a joint statement on 8^th March, have called upon the working class to orgnaise countrywide solidarity actions in support of the BALCO workers, with protest telegram to Prime Minister demanding scrapping of the BACLO deal. On 13^th March a team of MPs consisting of Dipankar Mukehrjee (CP-M), J Chittaranjan and Gaya Singh 9CPI) and on 16^th March, Jibon Roy MP and Secretary CITU also visited BALCO Nagar and addressed the striking workers.


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