“Unity and struggle for Progress”.

11^th December 2012 is the 38^th death anniversary of Com. K.G.Bose, the revolutionary leader of the P&T employees’ movement, who died at  a comparatively young age of 54. He passed away in a London Hospital on 12^th December 1974, while he was being treated for cancer.

Krishna Gopal Basu was born on 7^th July 1921 in a small house in Beliaghata, Calcutta. His parents had shifted from East Bengal (the present Bangladesh). Father Shri Jay Gopal Basu worked as a teacher. Since his father and elder brother died early, the responsibility of looking after the family, including younger sisters and brother fell upon him. Hence at an early stage he started working in a private firm. Later in 1941, he got job as a clerk in the office of Divisional Engineer, Telegraphs, Calcutta after passing the competitive examination.

From day one, K.G.Basu, with his background in the students and workers movement, became active in the Indian Telegraph Association, which was the existing union there. He became the Branch Secretary within no time. His younger brother, Moni Basu, who also became the leader of the union, joined in the same office in 1944. Both were active in organising the historic 1946 strike of the Postal Workers, though the ITU did not give call for the strike. The strike was considered as part of the freedom struggle and the AITUC, which was the only central trade union in the country at that time, organised an all India solidarity strike in support of the Postal strike.

The Union of P&T Workers (UPTW) was formed in 1946, merging the three existing major unions viz. Indian Telegraph Association, Indian Postal Union and All India Postal & RMS Union. UPTW became strong and gave a call for strike in 1949. The leaders were arrested by the government and many workers were terminated/dismissed. KG as well as Moni Bose, were dismissed/terminated from service. Both were never taken back. But their entire life was devoted in the service of the workers.

National Federation of P&T Employees (NFPTE) was formed on 24 November 1954, through realignment. The new Federation was welcomed by the workers. NFPTE called for strike in 1957 demanding II Central Pay Commission (First CPC was formed in 1946). Though the strike was called off after the government announced the II CPC, but an indefinite strike was called from 11^th July 1960 against the retrograde recommendations of the CPC and demanding minimum wage, DA according to cost of living index etc. The strike went on for five days. The government termed it as ‘Civilian Rebellion’ and used all its repressive machinery to crush it. Thousands of workers were arrested, jailed, dismissed, terminated, suspended, charge sheeted etc. Without any agreement, the strike was called off, with almost all the All India leaders in jail. The Secretary General, Com. PSR Anjaneyulu was arrested, chained and put in jail. The entire state machinery was used to suppress the strike. Com. K.G. took a leading role in organising the strike.

A one day strike was again organised on 19^th September 1968 on the demand of minimum wage etc. which also had to face severe victimisation. While the progressive section wanted continuous agitation against victimisation, the reformist leadership of NFPTE was not prepared for the same, but waited for the sympathy from the government.

Com.K.G Bose was elected as the President of the NFPTE in the Federal council meeting in 1974 defeating the reformist leadership. This enthused the progressive section of workers and a new chapter was started in the P&T TU movement.   Com.K.G. was completely engaged with the work of NFPTE and toured all over India organising the workers for struggles ahead.

It is during this period that he became a victim of the dreaded cancer. In 1974 he was taken to a London Hospital for treatment, but his life could not be saved. He passed away on 11^th December 1974, putting his relatives and lakhs of P&T workers in anguish and sorrow.

From the time of all India Conference of All India Telecom Employees Union Class III (one of the nine affiliates of NFPTE) was held in Trivandrum in 1963, I had been closely associated with Comrade K.G. On our invitation, he came twice to Calicut, where I was working at that time, to attend convention/Conference. During the All India Conference, we youngsters took guidance and advice from him about the role we have to play in the AIC and in focussing the issues. He was a born leader and knew how to develop cadres.  Later, I had very close connection with his younger brother Com. Moni Bose also for a long period fighting against the reformist leadership and for a correct working class orientation in the union.  In the All India Conference of AITE Union Class III in November 1991, the reformist leadership was defeated in a closely contested election and myself and Moni Bose were elected as the All India President and General Secretary of the Union. In the next AIC at Thiruvananthapuram in 1994, Com. Moni was elected as President and myself as General Secretary. Till his death in 2010, Co. Moni Bose continued his close connection with the newly formed BSNL Union, of which he was one of the Patrons, elected in the first conference held at Visakhapatnam in March 2001. Com. Parul Bose, wife of Comrade K.G.Bose,  passed away recently.

During his trade union activities for the  period of two and half decades, Com. K.G.Bose had changed the co-relations in the organisation, guided it  to the correct path of working class ideology and inspired thousands and thousands of workers not only in P&T, but in the central government employees movement and amongst the working class. He functioned as an MLA in W.Bengal and also as a Member of the Pay Commission for the State Government Employees.

According to my information, the first memorial to him, ‘K.G.Bose Mandiram’ was inaugurated in Calicut accommodating the Co-Ordinating Committee of P&T Unions. In many centres in the country, buildings commemorating his memory have come up now. Kolkata has got two memorial buildings in his name, one of the Co-Ordinating committee of Central Govt. Employees, ‘KG Bose Bhawan’ and the other ‘KG Bose Smriti Bhawan’ of the BSNL Employees Union, W.Bengal Circle. The latest is the ‘K.G.Bose Bhawan’, the  CHQ building of BSNL Employees Union in New Delhi, which was inaugurated on 22^nd March 2012, the foundation anniversary of BSNL Employees Union.

I, along with thousands of other comrades, pay homage to the memory of Com.K.G.Bose, the revolutionary working class  leader, who gave the correct direction to the union and inspired thousands of workers. We pledge to implement his slogan “Struggle for Unity and Unity for Struggle” with the addition of “Unity and struggle for Progress”.

Red Salute to Com. K.G.Bose!

an article written by Com. VAN.Namboodiri. President BSNLEU, CHQ, New Delhi.