Transcribed from the The Bombay Chronicle, located at the Maharashtra State Archives
1948 July 1st
The Central Strike Commitee met at the Union Office at Arthur Road, reviewed the situation in light of the Labour Minister’s assurance, but after an hour long debate came to the conclusion that it could not reverse the decision already taken by the General Body. On the other hand, the Committee immediately set about the work of the initiation and conduct of the strike. Leaflets printed in Marathi and Gujarati, were dispatched to the various colonies where conservancy workers dwell. Union circles felt that the strike would be more or less complete as far as the city was concerned while they said that the notices may not reach all the workers living in the suburbs.
The sweepers’ strike is likely to put the citizens as well as the Municipality in a tight corner. It will be remebered that Bombay sweepers precipitated a strike in April 1946, a day after the Congress Ministry assumed office. The strike lasted a week and brought substantial benefits to the workers.
WHAT DEMANDS COST
A spokesman of the Municipality said it would be financially impossible for the Municipality to bear the cost of the demands (put forward by the annual conference of the Presidency Sweepers’ Union). Namely,
A) basic bay of Rs. 40 rising by 1 rupee increments to Rs. 50.
B) Dearness allowance of the same scale as for industrial workers, and
C) increase in house allowance from Rs. 6 to Rs. 15 would involve the Municipality in an additional expenditure of half a crore or rupees.
LABOUR COMISSIONERS APPEAL
Fervent appeal of the Labour Commissioner to the Bombay Government on Wednesday night:
“The Union representatives and advisers fully consented to the offer of adjudication made by the Government. The assurance of speedy disposal of adjudication proceedings has also been given.
...
It is necessary to remind you that the city’s conservancy services are essential services involving the health and well-being of millions of people. The strike, if it is staged, would be illegal under the Industrial Disputes Act. It is besides covered by the provisions of the Public Security Measures Act and other Acts and the persons participating in the strike would be liable to the penalty of imprisonment prescribed in the law.
...
The workers are bound, moreover, to forfeit public sympathy as the public would be the victims of the consequences of dislocation of the public utility service that has such direct bearing on the health and freedom from disease of the city’s population. You would therefore be well-advised not to take resort to the extreme step of strike.”
1948 July 2nd
New Turn in City Sweepers’ Strike
This was the climax to a day of hectic activity both on the part of the strikers as well as the Government and Municipal Authorities.
Nearly 6000 workers mostly from the Conservancy Department joined in the strike. A few workers from the other departments also threw in their lot with the strikers.
Mr. B. R. Patel, Municipal Commissioner informed a representative of this paper that notices would be issued on the strikers calling upon them to join duty by 1-30 p.m. (Bombay Time) today (Friday). If they fail to do so their salary for the month of May will be withheld.
STRIKE TO END TODAY
There appears to be a distinct possibility of the strike terminating today, because the Central Strike Committee of the Bombay Presidency Sweepers’ Union which met in the evening passed a lengthy resolution in which they expressed their ‘resolve’ not to oppose the adjudication machinery set up by the Government.
...
The Committee further asserted that it had no political affiliations whatsoever, that the scavengers were fighting for a purely economic issue and requested the Government not to exercise force to make the workers accept the adjudication.
...
SEARCH FOR SUBSTITUTES
Possibility of recruiting sweepers from the refugee population --residing in Kalyan, Powai, Mulund and other places...
“The city has to do its own scavenging and not look on idly, until conditions become intolerable.” said Mr. Guzarilal Nanda in an interview on the strike situation.
“I am prepared to take the lead, if sufficient response is forthcoming from the public to form volunteer squads to meet the situation.” said Mr. B. R. Patel, Municipal Commissioner, as he emerged from a conference with the Ministers of Labour and Local Self-Government at the Secretariat.
Arrests and Processions
Following the arrest of 18 workers by the Delisle road Police, nearly 400 women marched in a procession from Arthur Road, where they went on a sit down strike demanding the release of their arrested comrades. Later in the day, however, they dispersed.
400 workers of the Kurla Municipality also joined the strike.
All the drivers of the 116 Municipal lorries took out their vehicles but nothing could be done as the “loaders” were absent. In certain cases the loaders utilised the occasion for a joy ride, got into the lorries and were seen holidaying gleefully in the trundling lorries.
Although the strike was initially sponsored by the Bombay Presideny Sweepers’ Union, large groups from the Municipal Kamgar Sangh also joined the strike. The Municipal Muzdoor and Municipal Workers’ Union and three other minor unions of their sympathy and support to the strikers.
Volunteers of various Unions went about on cycles in the localities inhabited by sweepers and distributed handbills calling them to stand together.
OTHERS JOIN
Mr. Danjbhai Jogadia, told a reporter of this paper: “Workers are very peaceful but police lorries are going about in the city accompanied by Municipal Head Supervisers, supervisers and the Labour officer. When the supervisers point out any person as a striker, he is arrested by the police.”
Mr. S. H. Jhabwala, adviser to the union said that the police were catching strikers by the scruff of the neck and dragging them to work. Government, he said, was unnecessarily interfering between the workers and the Municipality. He asserted that there was no intimidation but only a voluntary suspension of work.
FIGHTING FOR BREAD
He said that he did not object to the police intervening if there is violence, but when the workers were fighting for their bread, the police should keep off.
Early in the day the Municipal Commissioner went to the Secretariat for a series of conferences. After an hour and half’s discussion with Mr. Nanda the Labour Minister, he said that it was the duty of every citizen to organise volunteer corps in the various localities to keep the homes and streets clean. Otherwise a serious threat to the health of the city would develop.
NANDA MEETS PRESSMEN
Mr. Nanda told pressmen that the Government had left no stone unturned to avert the strike. He was even willing to appoint a special adjudicator to go into the demands of the workers immediately. It was unfortunate that the workers ignored the written assurances given to this effect by him. He assured that the Government will give all possible assistance to the Corporation. He also promised full protection to those workers who choose to come to work.
GARBAGE PILES UP
Meanwhile a rapid tour of the city discloses, that while the main streets are comparatively free from dirty thanks to the downpour of last night, the garbage heaps inside compounds have begun to accumulate. Similarly in the markets and by-lanes garbage has begun to pile up.
Bhuleshwar, Fanaswadi, Dongri and Kamatipura are the most affected areas.
85 ARRESTED
The total number of persons arrested on various charges of intimidation and violence till evening was 85.
The largest number of arrests were made by the Dongri police being as many as 45. It was to protest against the arrest of these persons and to demand their release that nearly a thousand persons staged a demonstration in front of the Dongri police station. It is stated that demonstration seen because violent and the crowd began to pelt stones at the police. A Deputy Inspector, a sub-Inspector and a constable were injured before the police decided to open fire and disperse the crowd. Ten rounds were fired in all. Five persons were injured and one of them--a woman--died on the way to hospital.
The Police Commissioner has banned all meetings for a period of a week.
GOVERNMENT PRESS NOTE
A Press Note issued in connection with the sweepers’ demonstrations says:
At 3-45 p.m. today (Thursday), a crowd of 500 to 1000 sweepers, including women, approached the Dongri police station from the direction of Noorbaug with the obvious intention of storming the police station and releasing 45 persons who had been arrested earlier in the day. Two officers outside the police station met the crowd at the gate and dispersed it with a ‘lathi’ charge. The crowd was chased back as far as Noorbaug, but there it reformed itself and started stoning the police.
... The situation is now quiet.
Saturday, JULY 3rd
SWEEPERS’ STRIKE CALLED OFF
Union Decision Follows Minister’s assurance.
ARRESTED WORKERS TO BE SET FREE: ARBITRATION WILL BE HONOURED
Bombay, Friday: The Bombay sweepers’ strike was called off at 7 p.m. this evening after the Sweepers’ Union and the Corporation-sponsored “Informal Committee” reached an understanding on the main points at issue.
All the arrived strikers are to be set free on Saturday according to an assurance given by Mr. Gulzarilal Nanda, Labour Minister, to Mr. S. H. Jhabwalla, adviser to the Sweepers’ Union, both of whom conferred informally as the crucial talks between the Union and the Corporation Committee were going on in the Municipal building.
All items in which the 12-point demand of the Union which involves Municipal finance are to be referred to adjudication which will start on July 7, while a definite understanding favouring the sweepers was arrived at on the other issues of privilege leave, provident fund, medical aid and the re-employment of hitherto age-barred sweepers.
UNION GENERAL BODY MEETS
The General Body meeting of the Sweepers’ Union, which was given up due to a police ban, was enabled to be held when certain members of the Corporation “Informal Committee”, which met at 3-30 p.m., asked the Municipal Commissioner to contact the Police Commissioner to grant a special permit for the Union meeting. Agreement was reached that no strings should be attached to the permit, though previously it was stated police were willing to allow the sweepers to meet, if they could give an assurance they would go back to work. Mr. K. N. Kajrolkar, a member of the Bombay Leg. Assembly, who was in the police headquarters, hastened to the Arthur Road Office of the Sweepers’ Union with the permit, followed soon by members of the “Informal Committee” and Mr. Jhabwalla. About 700 strikers attended the meeting which surprisingly enough registered even initially an atmosphere of great cordiality and calm.
The meeting was addressed by Mr. Ganapati Shankar Desai, chairman of the Municipal Standing Committee, Messrs. M. Harris, G. G. Mehta, Naushir Bharucha, Jhabwallam and Dhanjibhai Jogadia, General Secretary of the Union, all of whom counselled the strikers to accept adjudication and resume work. ....
CALL TO END STRIKE
Declaring that the “strike has slackened and the situation is delicate,” Mr. Jogodia said that it was best in the interests of the strikers that they should accept adjudication and call off the strike with honor and dignity. He explained the meaning of the agreement reached between the Union and the Corporation Committee.
ARRESTED STRIKERS TO BE RELEASED
Mr. S. H. Jhabwalla informed the meeting that Mr. Gulzarlal Nanda, Labour Minister, had assured him that all the arrested strikers would be release on Saturday after they resumed work. ...
VOTING
It was decided to take a vote and when the 700 strikers present were asked by Mr. Jhabwalla to demonstrate by a show of hands their attitude, only 12 persons were found to be in favour of continuing the strike. The vast majority supported the call to resume from tomorrow and expressed willingness to have the dispute referred to adjudication.
AWARD WILL BE HONOURED
Mr. Naushir C. Bharucha, Independent member of the corporation, said that the Municipality would without fail implement the adjudicator’s award and “prevent injustice being done to the sweepers”.
...
“If the Corporation has no money, we will go and beg if necessary. But under all circumstances the right thing will be done by the sweepers,” said Mr. Ganapathi Shankar Desai, Chairman of the Municipal Standing Committee, while Mr. M. Harris and Mr. G. G. Mehta, of the Socialist Party, called on the sweepers to close up their ranks.
Armed Police Guard Coroner’s Court
BOMBAY Friday, June 17, 2022
Sten-gun-bearing police constables guarded the Coroner’s Court as scores of Municipal sweepers, dwelling in Walpakhadi chawls, poured into the Court premises to see the body of Bhani Jethi, the 70-year-old woman who was hit by a stray bullet and killed as a result of firing.
After formal identification and recording of medical evidence as to the cause of death, the body was taken in a police lorry to the cremation ground at Worli. Mr. H. P. Patel, advocate, appearing on behalf of the relatives of the deceased objected to the police plea that the body be taken in a police lorry. He asked that it should be handed over to the grandson of the deceased to be cremated according to Hindu custom after being taken in a procession.
The Coroner ordered that the body should be handed over to the grandson who was present in court, but said that he had no jurisdiction to decide the the question of how it should be carried to the cremation ground.
It was later arranged that the body should be taken in a police lorry accompanied by the relatives of the deceased.
It is stated that the woman was hit by a stray bullet in the corridor of her chawl. It seems she was coming down from her room on the first floor to the ground floor for a bath. She heard a gun shot and found Sonabai Jiwa, a 13 year old girl, shot in the arm. She moved towards the spot when another bullet hit her and she collapsed. She died on the way to hospital. The other girl, 8-year-old Kallu Kala was also hit by a bullet was a resident of the chawl. The fourth injured person, Natu Govind (17), who was wounded in the thigh, was a loyal worker who happened to be in the road standing away from the main body of procession.
“SHE WAS DEMONSTRATING VIOLENTLY”
A press note issued by the director of Publicity, Bombay, says: “A report has appeared in the Press quoting the General Secretary of the Girni Camgar Union as saying that the woman who died as a result of the police firing on a violent mob of sweepers on Thursday, was hit by a bullet when she was standing on the verandah of a building nearby. This report is baseless, as a matter of fact the woman was one of the mob whuch moved on to the police station, and she was demonstrating violently before the police station all day till the firing took place.”
JULY 5th Monday
Enquiry Into Shooting of Sweeper Woman Demanded
Mr. M. R. Dandavate, Secretary of the Socialist Party says in course of statement: -- The Police firing on the Municipal sweepers on strike on 1st July, 1948, as a result of which one old woman was killed and three others were injured is most deplorable. The Government version of the incident given in the Press Note is not at all convincing. The incident needs to an independent investigation and the Socialist Party demands ,that an independent judicial inquiry should be held.
JULY 6th Tuesday
Sweepers’ Union Hurls “Bombshell”
Bombay, Monday
The Bombay Presidency Sweepers Union was hurled a “bombshell” at what was regarded by many as an informal agreement between the Bombay Municipality and that body, by which the Union would press only five items for adjudication, leaving the rest to amicable mutual settlement. The statement presented to the Industrial Tribunal Government of Bombay, by the Union this morning, does not comprise only five demands entailing additional finances, but all the 13 original demands put forth by the Union.
The 13 demands which now form the subject matter are:
1) Basic pay at 40-1-50.
2) Dearness Allowance at the rates paid to Textile Workers,
3) House Rent at Rs. 15 per person,
4) Retirement on only physical ground
5) 15 percent additional staff
6) Sunday and Public Holidays to be half holidays
7) Leave accumulation for three months,
8) Provident Funds and Gratuity,
9) Cheap Grain Shops,
10) Medical Dispensaries in Sweeper localities
11) Increase of about 20,000 staff commensurate with increased population,
12) Opportunities for defence when charged with any offence or breach, and
13) The total abolishment of fines.
...
JULY 7th
City Harijan Leader passes away
Bombay July 6, (U. P. I.):
Mr. Khodidas Somehand, a Harijan leader and ex-President of Bhangi Kamgar Mahajan died tonight in the Nair Hospital due to some severe stomach trouble.
E. Bengal M. L. A. resigns
Calcutta July 6, (API): Mr. P. R. Thakur has resigned his membership of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly as he considers it “useless to continue to be a member of this legislature under present circumstances”.
