Broad Your Knowledge
“Saviour Of Labour Rights in India”
-- Revolutionary Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Mostly all the facts about Dr.
Babasaheb are unknown to common people even educated also. I feel this is my
great respect to Dr. Babasaheb and shut the mouths of half-baked fellows always
shouting against him and branded him as a leader of some section.
If there any person who secured
the rights of Labours in India, the person was none other than “Founding Father
of Modern India” Revolutionary Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar. Of course today there are
thousands of labours leaders in India. But without Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar at
least whatever so today the rights secured by the Labours in India would be
only question mark. If Dr.Babasaheb born in any other nation, then concern
nation can pride him and has provided countless awards for his contribution in
the various field to the nation. He is one of the people in India with multi
dimensional.
After all he was born in the land of the most
Congenital Casteist idiots are living in the world so called my nation ‘India’.
We cannot expect anything from this mental culture nation. These mental Indians
only want the outcome, but never give credit to the person. Shame on you all
Casteist mental Indians.
Anyway as an Indian and a youth
of this nation, I am very proud to share about what Dr.Babasaheb did to the
Labours as a Labour leader and as the Labour Member of the Viceroy’s Executive
Council between 1942 and 1946. He swore as the Labour Member of the Viceroy’s
Executive Council in July 20th, 1942. I wish you all happy Labour's day. Be
Patience and read the whole article.
Anyway as an Indian and a youth
of this nation, I am very proud to share about what Dr.Babasaheb did to the
Labours as a Labour leader and as the Labour Member of the Viceroy’s Executive
Council between 1942 and 1946. He swore as the Labour Member of the Viceroy’s
Executive Council in July 20th, 1942. Be Patience and read the whole article.
1) Reduction in
Factory Working Hours (8 hours duty):
Today the working hours in India
per day is about 8 hours. Really I do not know how many Indians know,
Dr.Babasaheb was the Saviour of Labours in India. He brought 8 hours duty in
India and change the working time from 12 hours to 8 hours became a light for
workers in India. He brought it on the 7th session of Indian Labour Conference
in New Delhi, November 27, 1942. The Indian Labour Conference, consisting of
the representatives of Central and Provincial Governments, important states and
employers and workers organisations unanimously supported the principle of the
48-hour week in India's factories at its meeting.
The Text of speech of Dr.
Babasaheb, "It emphasised that the present was an opportune moment for
taking up this question because there was a need for giving relief to factory
workers. Moreover, shorter hours would lead to greater employment. The
memorandum made it clear that the reduction in hours should not be accompanied
by any reduction in basic wages or dearness allowances unless there was a fall
in prices"
2) Tripartite
Labour Conference:
On August 7, 1942 he called for
the Tripartite Labour Conference in New Delhi. The objects were namely, the
laying down of a procedure for the settlement of industrial disputes and the
discussion of all matters of All-India importance as between Labour and
Capital. The great achievement of the Tripartite Conference is the fundamental
change it has brought about in the outlook of Government and of Employers and
of Employees on labour problems, Establishment of Employment Exchanges, and
Collection of Statistics under the Industrial Statistics Act. The Text of
speech of Dr. Babasaheb, "I do claim credit for the Tripartite Labour
Conference, that, if we have done nothing more, we have at least done one thing,
namely, to induce, if not to compel, the representatives of employees to meet
the representatives of employers and discuss matters of the utmost and gravest
importance."
3) Industrial
Disputes:
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was
instrumental in set up the two bodies 1) Plenary Conference, and 2) Standing
Advisory Committee to discuss industrial problems of Labour Welfare both in
their legislative and administrative aspects and also to advise the Government
of India as to the most satisfactory line of action in dealing with those
problems.
4) Dr.Babasaheb
framed many laws for Women Labours in India:
~
Mines Maternity Benefit Act,
~
Women Labour welfare fund,
~
Women and Child, Labour Protection Act,
~
Maternity Benefit for women Labour,
~
Restoration of Ban on Employment of Women on Underground Work in Coal Mines,
~
Equal pay for equal work irrespective of the sex: On this regard he said,
"We have also taken care to see, and this is an important point, that
women shall be paid the same wages as men. It is for the first time that I
think in any industry the principle has been established of equal pay for equal
work irrespective of the sex."
5) Compulsory
Recognition of Trade Unions:
Indian Trade Unions Act was
enacted in 1926. This act helped only to register the trade unions, not
approved by the government. On 8 November, 1943 he brought the Indian Trade
Unions (Amendment) Bill for compulsory recognition of trade unions. The Bill
had three important features. They are to compel an employer to recognise a
trade union, to imposes certain conditions on a trade union in order to make
the trade union, to make non-recognition by an employer of a trade union, which
has observed all the conditions prescribed in this measure and which has
therefore qualified itself for recognition, an offence which is made punishable
by law.
6) Employment
Exchange in India:
Dr.Babasaheb was instrumental in
bringing the establishment of employment exchanges. The Employment Exchanges
was set up to help the resettlement and employment of demobilised Services
personnel and discharged war workers during the transition period. It also
helped the mutual benefit to employers and employment-seekers and will ensure
satisfactory distribution of manpower among various branches of production.
7) Employees State
Insurance (ESI):
ESI helps the workers with
medical care, medical leave, physically disabled during working injuries as
compensation Insurance for providing various facilities. Dr.Babasaheb enacted
and brought it for the benefit of workers. Actually India only brought
‘Insurance Act’ as the first nation among the East Asian countries. Credit goes
to Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar.
8) Finance
Commission of Indian reports:
The original source of reference
for all the Finance Commission of India reports in a way, are based on Dr. Babasaheb
PhD thesis, "The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India",
written in 1923. The man who started the provision for finance commission every
5 years in the Indian Constitution was none other than Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
9) Reserve Bank
of India:
The Reserve Bank of India was
conceptualized based on the guidelines presented by Dr. Babasaheb to the Hilton
Young Commission in 1925. His PhD thesis, "The Problem of the Rupee- Its
Problems and Its Solution” was the reference tool and guidelines for the RBI
Act 1934.
10) Minimum
Wages:
For fixing minimum wages for
labour, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was instrumental in drafting legislation on
November 28, 1942.
11) Coal and
Mica Mines Provident Fund:
At the time, Coal Industry played
a vital role in our country’s economy. Due to this, Dr.Babasaheb enacted the
Coal Mines Safety (Stowing) Amendment Bill for the benefit of the workers on
January 31st, 1944.
On 8th April 1945, he brought the
Mica Mines Labour Welfare Fund which helped the workers with housing, water
supplies, education, entertainment, improvement of educational facilities and
standards of living among the workers, including nutrition, amelioration of
social conditions and the provision of recreation and transport facilities, the
improvement of public health and sanitation, the prevention of disease, the
provision of medical facilities.
12) Post-war
Development of Electric Power in India:
For the problems relating to the
post-war development, Lord Linlithgow was set up the Reconstruction Committee
of Council under the chairmanship of J. P. Srivastava. The Reconstruction
Committee of Council was set up five different Reconstruction Committees. Among
this committee, (Reconstruction Policy Committee) Public Works and Electric Power
was under the chairmanship of Dr. Babasaheb. Problems relating to the post-war
development of electric power in India were discussed by the Reconstruction
Policy Committee. This Committee studied the problems connected with electric
power and to make a recommendation as to the best way of solving them.
Dr. Babasaheb emphasized that the
country needed “cheap and abundant electricity”, without which no effort for
industrialization could succeed and development of irrigation and electric
power were essential to raise agricultural productivity.
Dr. Babasaheb was instrumental in
creating the department of power and advocated autonomous state electricity
boards. He was also of the opinion that the central government should have the
option to participate directly in the production and supply of
electricity. In the early 1980s the
concept of regional grids which was suggested by Dr. Babasaheb, was being
extended to the creation of national 'Grid System'. His initiatives
subsequently led to the creation of a Power Supply Department at the Centre.
On
October 25, 1943 at New Delhi he said, "I emphasise these considerations
because what India wants is an assured supply of power, cheap power and
abundant power." He added electricity should be a purely provincial
subject. Further, "I make a few observations pointing out the significance
of and the ultimate objective that lies behind the need for electrical
development in India? It is necessary that those who are placed in charge of
the subject should have the fullest realisation of its significance and its
objective. If you agree with me in this I will request you to ask yourselves
the question, ' Why do we want cheap and abundant electricity in India? ‘The
answer is that without cheap an abundant electricity no effort for the
industrialisation of India can succeed. This answer brings out only a part of
the significance of the work this Committee has to undertake."
13) Indian
Statistical Law:
In 1942, Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar
passed the Indian Statistical Act. Later DK.Paisendry ( Former Deputy
Principal, Information Officer, Government of India) said in his book, without
Dr.Babasaheb’s Indian Statistical Act he could not formulated the Labour
conditions , their wage rates, other Income , Inflation , debt , housing , employment
, deposits and other funds , labour disputes.
14) Labour
Welfare Funds:
Dr.Babasaheb set up an Advisory
Committee to advise on matters arising out of the Labour Welfare under
B.P.Agarkar. Later he promulgated it on January, 1944.
15) Technical
Training Scheme and Skilled Workers:
He was instrumental in set up the
best Technical Training Scheme for Workers in India. On August 24, 1944 in
Calcutta, “No plan for the future development of the country can be deemed to
be complete which does not provide for technical and scientific training. This
is the age of Machine and it is only those countries in which technical and
scientific training has risen to the highest pitch that will survive in the
struggle that will commence when the war is over, for maintaining decent
standards of living for their people. The Technical Training Scheme not only
maintained but extended all over the country and become a permanent part of the
country's educational system".
16) Foundation
for Water resources and Electricity development in India:
Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar laid the
foundation for water resources and electricity development, the two sectors
which are so crucial for the development of India when he was Member, Labour,
Irrigation and Electric Power Department in the Executive Council of the
Viceroy during 1942- 1946. His major achievement was the establishment of two
technical organizations, presently known as ‘Central Water Commission’ and
‘Central Electricity Authority’, that have contributed for the development of
irrigation and power in the country.
The proposal for creation of
Central Irrigation, Waterways Advisory Board was approved by Dr.Babasaheb in
September 1944. Subsequently, it became Central Waterways, Irrigation, and
Navigation Commission (CWINC) and was approved by Dr.Babasaheb in April 1945.
It became Central Water Power, Irrigation and Navigation Commission (CWPINC) on
16th January 1948 and subsequently it became Central Water and Power Commission
(CWPC) in April 1951. It was bifurcated into Central Water Commission and
Central Electricity Authority in October 1974.
He only created the Central
Technical Power Board (CTPB) on 8th November 1944 for power system development,
hydro power station sites, hydro-electric surveys, analysing problems of
electricity generation and thermal power station investigation which was
subsequently merged with CWPINC and became Central Water and Power Commission
(CWPC) in April 1951.
He laid the foundation for the
development of infrastructure in India such as electric power, irrigation,
communication, roads and transport services and technical manpower were treated
as prerequisites for industrial and agricultural development. He suggested
interlinking of major south Indian rivers. He was man of Vision and foresight.
While drafting the constitution of India, he has not put water resources and
management entirely in the state list but he had concluded this subject under
the provision of central control.
17) Instrumental
in creating the Multi Purpose River Valley Projects and Large Dam Technologies
in India:
Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar who was the
Instrumental in creating the Multi Purpose River Valley Projects and Large Dam
Technologies in India. If there any person who played the most central role in
introducing large dam technologies and Multi Purpose Projects into India, the
person was none other than Revolutionary Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar. According to
Petty minded Indians, Dr.Babasaheb is mostly related only with two things. One
is ‘Architect of Indian Constitution’ and other as the leader of some
particular section. But “Founding Father of Modern India” who contributed in
the various field to our nation is totally ignored and hiding.
After all how many Indians know
Dr.Babasaheb was instrumental in creating and outlined the projects?
1)
Damodar Valley project (the first multipurpose river valley project in India)
in 1944 on the lines of Tennessee Valley Authority,
2)
Bhakra-Nangal Dam (India's biggest multipurpose river valley project, highest
gravity dam in India),
3)
The Sone River Valley projects and
4)
Hirakud dam (Longest dam in India)
Babasaheb introduced the idea of
establishment of Multi-purpose river projects in India who was influenced on
the lines of Tennessee Valley project. He was the 1st person in India has make
effort for the establishment of Damodar Valley project. He was the pioneer of
Multi-purpose river projects in India.
a) Damodar
Valley project:
Damodar valley is known as
'Sorrow of Bengal' because of the problems of flooding. To tackle the problem
Babasaheb had entrusted the work of planning and designing to Central Power
Board set up the machinery and directed the planners, engineers who executive
the plan prepared under his guidance. Till 1946, the responsibility for the
Damodar Valley project was under Babasaheb. Afterwards the entire work for the
dam was given over to Damodar Development Corporation.
Here I just extract the address
speech of Dr.Babasaheb before the representatives of Bengal and Bihar
Governments at a Conference held in Calcutta on January 3, 1944 to discuss the
means and methods for developing Damodar Valley as a Member, Labour, Irrigation
and Electric Power Department in the Executive Council of the Viceroy. He said,
"The Damodar project must be a multi-purpose project. We intend that it
should not only deal with the problem caused by floods, it should also provide
for irrigation, electricity and navigation. Along with the question of a site,
these matters have also to be examined."
On April 23 and 24, 1945 at New
Delhi under the Chairmanship of the Dr. Babasaheb, it was Rs. 55 Crores
recommended to Damodar River Project for starting immediately the construction
of the first dam (at Tilaiya). After considering the reports of the central
Technical Power Board and the advice of the Tennessee Valley Authority
engineers, Ross Reigel and Fred C. Schlemmer, and their associates, Rai Bahadur
A. N. Khosia and Mr. M. Narasimhaiya, Chief Engineer, Mysore State, the
conference was convinced-of the advisability of pushing forward as rapidly as
possible the scheme as a whole. It has accepted the proposal that the dams
across the Barakar, tributary of the Damodar, should be at Tilaiya (near
Kodarma) and at Maithon, just above its confluence with the main river.
b) Multi-purpose
Plan for Development of Orissa's Rivers:
In 1945, the plan outlined under
the chairmanship of Dr.Babasaheb, it was decided to invest in the potential
benefits of controlling Odisha rivers particularly Mahanadi for the
multipurpose use to conserve water, serve irrigation, generating electric power
etc., Mr.B.K. Gokhale, Adviser, the then
H. E. to the Governor of Orissa, welcoming the plan outlined by Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar to invest in the potential benefits of controlling Odisha rivers
particularly Mahanadi for the multipurpose use to conserve water, serve
irrigation, generating electric power etc., and said: " Orissa is perhaps
the most backward part of India and no single project is likely to do more to
improve the conditions of the people than the multipurpose development which we
have under contemplation. He outlined the history of Orissa up to modern times.
Orissa expected that the thought which had been given to planning and regional
development would start her on an era of happiness and prosperity."
c) Bhakra Dam
project:
A
major initiative was taken by Dr.Babasaheb when he was member in-charge of
irrigation and power during 1942-46 to take concrete steps to see that the
Bhakra Dam project should be taken up on priority. An expert from the United
States Bureau of Reclamation in 1944 was invited, who after examining the
feasibility report recommended that the dam site was suitable for the
construction of a dam with maximum reservoir level at 487.68m and suggested
further exploration for foundation and abutments. This work was carried out
during 1945-46, while Dr.Babasaheb was the Member of Irrigation of the
Viceroy’s Council.
18)
Dearness Allowance (DA)
19)
Holidays with Pay for Factory Workers
20)
Health Insurance for Industrial Workers
21)
The Legal Strike.
22)
Provident Fund Act.
23)
Revision of Scale of Pay for Employees.
Dr.Babasaheb believes that caste is
not merely the division of labour but division of labourers based upon the graded
inequality. Further in his ‘Annihilation of Caste’, Volume - I, Dr.Babasaheb
Ambedkar Writing and Speeches, “In no other country is the division of labour
accompanied by this gradation of labourers. There is also a third point of
criticism against this view of the Caste System. This division of labour is not
spontaneous; it is not based on natural aptitudes. Social and individual
efficiency requires us to develop the capacity of an individual to the point of
competency to choose and to make his own career. This principle is violated in
the Caste System in so far as it involves an attempt to appoint tasks to
individuals in advance, selected not on the basis of trained original
capacities, but on that of the social status of the parents.
Looked at from another point of
view this stratification of occupations which is the result of the Caste System
is positively pernicious. Industry is never static. It undergoes rapid and
abrupt changes. With such changes an individual must be free to change his
occupation. Without such freedom to adjust him to changing circumstances it
would be impossible for him to gain his livelihood. Now the Caste System will
not allow Hindus to take to occupations where they are wanted if they do not
belong to them by heredity. If a Hindu is seen to starve rather than take to
new occupations not assigned to his Caste, the reason is to be found in the
Caste System. By not permitting readjustment of occupations, caste becomes a
direct cause of much of the unemployment we see in the country. As a form of
division of labour the Caste system suffers from another serious defect. The
division of labour brought about by the Caste System is not a division based on
choice. Individual sentiment, individual preference has no place in it. It is
based on the dogma of predestination.”
The speech delivered by
Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar, Member for Labour, at the first session of the Plenary
Labour Conference in New Delhi, Monday, September 6 1944:"It will not be
enough to make industrial development of India as our goal. We shall have to
agree that any such industrial development shall be maintained at a socially
desirable level. It will not be enough to bend our energies for the production
of more wealth in India. We shall have to agree not merely to recognise the
basic right of all Indians to share in that wealth as a means for a decent and
dignified existence but to devise ways and means to insure him against
insecurity."
It is my humble request to those
who read it all, please share to everyone. Again I hope it will change in the
minds of Indians soon and broad their knowledge about him.
Comments
Post a Comment