[sacw] SACW Dispatch | 14-15 Aug. 00

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asia Citizens Web Dispatch
14-15 August 2000
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

#1. Pakistan: How can bodies remain free when minds are held hostage?
#2. Pakistan day celebrations or mourning
#3. India: VALUE EDUCATION: HINDUTVA IN ANOTHER GARB
#4. India: Communal historians mixing mythology with insanity: Irfan Habib
#5. India: Javed Akhtar on 53 Years of Indian Independence
#6. India: upcoming meet of Delhi Chapter of Pak-India peoples forum
#7. Pakistan: Cement workers fight for union rights

_____________________

#1.

The News International / The News on Sunday
13 August 2000

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM: OUR ROAD TO SALVATION
HOW CAN BODIES REMAIN FREE WHEN MINDS ARE HELD HOSTAGE?

Curricula at the school, college and university level must be revised,
history must be told as it was not as the rulers want it to be, and the
academia and intellectuals must organise themselves and speak
collectively to counter influences of extremism and obscurantism in
universities. A movement such as the Progressive Writers' Movement of
1936 needs to be started as freedom is not given just by law, it needs
to be earned....The obscurantists have -- done and are doing --
everything possible to annihilate what is good and beautiful in life.
They are making strong efforts to brutalise our senses and arouse the
savage in us. Resisting this dehumanisation, Political Economy upholds
reason, rationality and freedom

by Sobia Aslam

Ye have locked yerselves up in cages of fear and, behold, do ye now
complain that ye lack FREEDOM!

-- Robert Anton Wilson in
The Principia Discordia

=20
Intellectual freedom, the saying goes, is more than just your right to
say two plus two is five. It includes the ability to voice and defend
one's opinions as well as the right to question the actions and
statements of others, even those of the regime. Great societies have
always tolerated and even encouraged new ideas--where would the West be
today with Darwin run into the ground or Michelangelo scandalised?
Unfortunately, we need not look further than our own backyard to answer
this question. Lack of tolerance, rational analysis and frank public
debate is painfully evident in every sector of our society. From
textbooks that uphold monumental lies to state television that brazenly
toes the government line, Pakistan has truly become numb to change.
Freedom of thought was delivered a death blow with the emergence of
despotism in the Muslim world. Every leader, from the king, his pet dog
and the local feudal lord to the patriarch of a household became an
absolute, unquestionable authority. Even today, Pakistanis are
discouraged from questioning the ideas of their parents, teachers and
leaders. Worse, most rulers failed to foster an atmosphere which could
sustain questioning and skepticism--the foundations of scientific
progress.

There have been historical mistakes by rulers which have thrown nations
back hundreds of years. One such mistake was of Emperor Jehangir's when
he did not even blink as the Portuguese presented to him a copy of the
printed Gutenberg Bible, a veritable technological marvel of its time.
It simply did not occur to him to obtain a printing press--a development
which could have led to an educational and technological revival in the
subcontinent.

Consequently, after centuries of calculated follies, the intellectually
battered Muslims of India floated into physical freedom one day in 1947
on the golden parachute of intolerance, dogma and illiteracy. These
problems continue to exist till date.

One of the main causes of many problems in Pakistan is the virtual ban
on the freedom to speak out, take action or express indignation at any
cruelty or injustice. There is a silent sword of intimidation hanging
over the heads of all Pakistanis, which can lower itself anytime. The
masses have become used to not raising their voices because of this very
danger. This is why, even though there are many heated drawing-room
discussions on national affairs, very few individuals actually stand up
and do something when they feel their freedom has been violated or
breached.

Constitutionally, Pakistani citizens have been granted a number of
freedoms, including the freedom of expression, choice, belief, speech
and action. Article 2 (A) of the constitution and Section 123 of the
Penal Code, states: "Wherein shall be guaranteed fundamental rights
including: freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship and
association, subject to law and public morality."

Why, then, are these constitutional freedoms not exercised? One of the
main reasons is that the rights given in the constitution have been
curtailed in the constitution itself. In the above-quoted passage, it is
seen that there is a guarantee of a number of freedoms to people of
Pakistan but subject to conditions. Who decides these conditions and how
fairly are they put to use? The fact that these conditions, law and
public morality, are imposed only when the ruling elite feels threatened
by a community or an individual, is evidence that there is definite
partiality practiced when allowing certain freedoms and barring others.

Three renowned intellectuals of the country, Dr Mehdi Hasan, writer and
professor of Mass Communication, Prof Mira Phailbus, principal of
Kinnaird College, and I A Rehman, writer and human rights activist,
shared their views on what exactly intellectual freedom is and how it
can be achieved in Pakistan.

When asked to define the word 'intellectual', Dr Mehdi Hasan held the
view that "an intellectual is a person who is capable of using his
knowledge, experience and intellect to make a decision of what is right
or wrong for himself, and not just blindly follow the rules set by
society."

Dr Phailbus agreed with this definition and added that for a person to
become an intellectual, he or she must have the ability to think, which
is even more important than formal education. Sometimes a person is not
'literate' but is 'educated' because of his experiences and his ability
to critically analyse and debate. An intellectual is, thus, a person who
has this ability and utilises it.

Mr I A Rehman further added to the definition of an intellectual as
"anybody who applies his intellect to advance a concept, challenge it,
revise or demolish it. This requires the ability to explore the
frontiers of knowledge."

Intellectualism, or intellectual debate and critical analysis, is only
possible in a free society. Freedom, in the actual sense of the word,
has only been achieved by very few countries of the world.

Those who have achieved at least some degree of freedom, according to Dr
Hasan, are the western countries that practice democracy which is one of
the essentials of individual freedom and a secular society. Dr Phailbus
feels that Pakistanis do have the freedom of speech but don't use it.
She contends that this is mainly due to the fact that citizens feel
threatened and intimidated by those in the ruling elite who can suppress
them any time. Fear of being misquoted and misinterpreted and, as a
result, penalised, exists in the mind of all Pakistanis.

One of the main components of freedom is freedom of speech which can be
practiced extensively by the newspapers, magazines, television and radio
of Pakistan. The role of media in our society is constrained, especially
that of the electronic, state-controlled media. The press, on the other
hand, within its limited sphere, propagates intellectual freedom through
its editorials and columns. Here again, there is a major difference
between the English and the Urdu-language press. Where the former faces
social inhibitions, the latter frequently knuckles under them.

Mr I A Rehman, as a writer, feels that even though the mass media has
come a long way to create awareness among people, "it has a lot of
cultural, social and legal barriers to overcome before it can become
completely free. It does not have the right to know so it cannot
disperse information. Self-imposed censorship on the media is also a
problem but this arises out of threats from conservative parties. Also,
the media is not sure of the state's protection of its rights and also
because society as a whole is not free so the press, being a part of
society, cannot be completely free either."

After all is said, what can be done to open up our society?

Education is the answer to many a problem the country faces. It is one
area which requires immediate reform. Pakistani children continue to be
exposed to books approved by the government which routinely include a
healthy dose of paranoia mixed with dated, repetitive material. To
introduce our next generation to new ideas, the powers of the government
should be limited to simply recommending books, not prescribing its own.
This way, the present clique of antiquated books will be forced to
compete with local and foreign texts. Most importantly, a thorough
reform of the examination system should yield one similar to the
American APs or the British Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations,
which reward creativity and ingenuity.

Dr Mehdi Hasan strongly stresses that curricula at the school, college
and university level must be revised, history must be told as it was not
as the rulers want it to be, and the academia and intellectuals must
organise themselves and speak collectively to counter influences of
extremism and obscurantism in universities. He also feels that a
movement such as the Progressive Writers' Movement of 1936 needs to be
started as freedom is not given just by law, it needs to be earned.

Dr Phailbus suggests that institutions should allow open debate and
analysis of national and international events, thus fostering
intellectual freedom. She adds "Colleges, schools and universities in
Pakistan, to a large extent, believe in rote learning which consequently
kills the process of thought. This should be eliminated completely and
students should be encouraged to apply their minds."

"Teachers," adds Mr I A Rehman, "should not be burdened with undue
restrictions as they are the ones who can make a difference in a
student's life. If teachers are open-minded and encourage students to
think and form their own opinions, there will be much progress in the
field of education".

The media is another field which needs to be regulated but not by the
government. This task should be handled by the private sector. There
should be live, public debate between a diverse group of people on
political and social issues on TV. If social issues are not debated
openly and discussed frankly, there cannot be a consensus of opinion.
Unlike the discussions we see every day on PTV, these should be
televised to reach a national consensus, not to humiliate anyone or to
present a partisan view.

It could be made mandatory for all government officials and those
belonging to trade bodies to answer the populace's questions on
television. In fact, it would be even better if a television channel
solely dealing with politics and business similar to the USA's CSPAN
could be formed in the private sector so that other channels are freed
for the business of entertainment.

Another rather unexplored and ignored field is that of computer
technology. To quote Mr I A Rehman, "computers, the Internet and modern
technology, have made it impossible for a society to remain closed to
outside news and thoughts. They have provided the freedom to give and
receive information regardless of frontiers. I feel that this explosion
of information technology will contribute to human consciousness."

Information technology opens reservoirs of diverse, global knowledge to
everyone. Experts agree that it holds immense intellectual and financial
promise for Pakistan because the mostly middle-class people who will
lead the information revolution also form the vanguard of the new
economy and society. "Any form of modern communication such as satellite
TV, international Press, and the Internet has helped intellectual
freedom. We cannot remain isolated, we must open up and of course,
computer technology is what will bring about this revolution in our
country," says Dr Hasan.

Mr I A Rehman also suggests that what is most important at this point,
is the "need to establish a protocol of listening. Individuals speak if
the State listens and this speaking out is the exercise of freedom of
speech. If the state stops listening, then people stop speaking. If a
rapport between these two is developed, intellectual freedom will
automatically ensue. Healthy debate will take us towards the
intellectual freedom we so strive for."

A free state can exist without being godless, immoral or amoral, as is
so often despaired. A free state is not one where there are no rules and
regulations, or one without religion. It is a state where people have
the right to live, to ask for reforms, to be treated equally. If the
state guarantees and demonstrates through concrete actions that it will
do everything in its power to protect the life and honour of all its
citizens, even those in political and ideological opposition to the
mainstream or the ruling clique, there is no doubt that intellectual
freedom will flourish.

______

#2.

The News
Sunday August 13, 2000

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS IN US

by Dr Manzur Ejaz

American celebrate their independence day on July 4 with great fanfare.
Balloons go up in the air and fireworks brighten the skies over the
entire country at this occasion. This is a real expression of American
spirt which soars higher and higher because the country touches new
heights every year since its independence in 1776. Americans have every
reason to celebrate and express their gratitude towards their nation.
With the exception of brief recurring economic recessions and
depressions, Americans have been enjoying unprecedented prosperity,
political stability (despite a period of civil war), peace, liberty and
freedom of thought and expression.

We expatriates, wait for August 14, to celebrate our own independence
day. But, this momentous day leaves new doubts and increasingly
depressing thoughts by every passing year. We, the expatriates or our
folks back home, try our best to find reasons to celebrate this day but
end up going through government sponsored rituals of the day. Ironically,
everyone celebrates the day with mourning spirt which was best
characterized by Faiz Ahmad Faiz in the following verse:

Woh intizar tha jis ka yeh woh sahar to nahin

(This is not the morning that we had waited for)

On independence day, Americans honour their heroes who fought for
independence with no regrets or remorse. We remember this day with a
guilty conscience because of our own genocidal madness which resulted in
killing of millions of innocent people in the Punjab and the Bengal. And,
probably this is the only war on innocent people which remains
undocumented and no one guilty of genocide against innocent Muslims,
Hindus and Sikhs, has been brought to justice. The world did not care
about holding Nuremberg or Hague style war-crime trials of perpetrators
of heinous crimes against humanity in 1947. No Indian or Pakistani leader
has even dared to erect a memorial for those innocent people.

Americans venerate their leaders and thinkers with no embarrassment,
second thoughts or revisions of history while we discard our history and
present an imaginary chain of events that befits the ideological needs of
present ruling elite. The Muslim League was founded in Bengal and Muslim
Bengalis were in the forefront to bring Pakistan into being. Needless to
say that Bengali Muslims had to go their separate way after a torturous
struggle with West Pakistan based hegemonic ruling elites. The other
leading group of freedom seekers, Muslims from the UP, have also
developed reservation about their beloved creation, Pakistan. Sindhi
leader, GM Syed, without whom the resolution to join Pakistan could not
have passed in the Sindh assembly was disillusioned quickly and turned
against the nation he stove to create. No one has ever bothered to see if
the new nation betrayed him or he betrayed the nation. As a a matter of
fact the new generation of writers and columnist portray him as a born
traitor of Pakistan.

Not only have the unfolding political events of Pakistan's history
marginalized, disillusioned, disparaged and degraded its original
creators, they also gave the reins of the new nation in the hands of
those who were either against its creation or were indifferent to the
fate of Muslim Indians. The present guardians of Pakistan's territorial
and ideological boundaries, religious parties and the military, were
opposed to the very notion of creating a Muslim nation in the
subcontinent. While Jamait-e-Ulamai-Hind, Jamaat-i-Islami, Ahars and many
other religious formations fought pitched battles against Pakistan's
creation, the military remained indifferent fighting mercenary wars on
behalf of the British. This reminds one of a verse, Manzal unhin mili jo
sharik-i-safar neh. Ironically, religious parties have washed their dirty
laundry of history but no one has forgiven the most respected and beloved
leader of the Pakhtoons, Bacha Khan, who opposed the Pakistan movement
due to his own ideological considerations.

Americans celebrate their independence day because they continue to enjoy
the fruits of freedom guaranteed to them in their constitution ratified
two centuries back in 1791. This constitution came into being after much
debate between intellectual leaders of the day. In two hundred plus years
no one has tampered with the basic principles of the constitution except
the addition of a few amendments. On the contrary the constitution of our
beloved motherland has been written several times and subverted through
never-ending amendments. Furthermore, Americans honour their founding
fathers along with their weaknesses while we have solemnized our great
leaders like Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal, By giving them titles
of hazrats. We have made them utterly irrelevant as far as real politics
is concerned. We have tried to do everything that our great leaders were
opposed to.

One can argue that Americans usurped the Red Indian country and
prospered. However, the present guardians and proprietors of Pakistan
also occupied the entire cities of Punjab and Sindh when the dominating
urban classes of Hindus and Sikhs left everything behind. Residents of
mud houses became owners of big havelis and palaces overnight. Clerks and
lowly employees became officials and petty merchants were transformed
into industrialist in the new nation. Creation of Pakistan was a bonanza
for many. However, this new found wealth triggered insatiable greed
instead of a gratitude and humility among the new ruling classes of
Pakistan. Common people have been grinded to pieces of destitute in this
mill fueled by the infinite lust of our ruling classes.

Pakistan provided a great promise of a land where common Muslims (feudal
had no such problem in a united India) could not be treated as
untouchables and wretched of the earth. This nation came into being to
provide equality and justice to everyone irrespective of their religious
or political belief. However, the nation is facing nightmares after
nightmares.

Optimists can genuinely argue that great material achievements have been
attained. Per capita roads, electricity, radios, TV, VCR and cemented
houses have increased manifold. The quality of life has improved
substantially in the last 53 years. Nevertheless, the nation has achieved
this success despite the ruling elites and the majority is still living
below the poverty threshold. This nation has still a great potential to
better itself. In Allama Iqbal's words Zara nam ho to yeh mitti badhi
zarkhaiz hey saqi (Given a little moisture this land can prove to be very
fertile). No one knows if we should celebrate an uncertain bright future
or mourn lost opportunities.
______

#3.

The Times of India
14 august 2000

VALUE EDUCATION: HINDUTVA IN ANOTHER GARB?

By Anita Katyal

NEW DELHI: The debate on whether value education should be included in
school curricula has been revived again. An expert group is expected to
finalise its recommendations for restructuring the curricula to include
value and moral education. On the other hand, the National Council of
Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has set up a national resource
centre on value education.

Envisaged as a clearing house, the resource centre has started scouring
the countryside for literature, journals, manuscripts and articles on
the subject. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in this field are
being contacted for the purpose of collating and documenting their
experiences in value education.

The idea of setting up the centre, according to NCERT director J S
Rajput, emerged from a national expert group set up at the behest of HRD
minister Murli Manohar Joshi, a hardcore RSS member, known for his
keenness to push the Sangh's Hindutva agenda. It is also seen as yet
another move to bring religious teachings into the classroom.

This is, however, denied by Rajput, who says the intention is not to
talk of religion or religious teachings but to build ``a cohesive
society'' in view of the all-round erosion of values.

He says the effort is to draw upon the experiences of NGOs since a lot
of material is being put out by them on value education. A trip to
Sathya Sai Baba's Institute for Higher Learning at Puttapurthi was
undertaken to ``study how values and ethics have been integrated in its
management courses,'' while the Delhi-based Jeevan Vigyan Kendra was
invited to hold a camp to inculcate ``human values'' among its staff.

At the same time, materials collected by the centre will be used to
provide ``value education'' inputs for NCERT's counselling courses so
that these values can be infused among students and teachers.

The basic objective, says Rajput, is to analyse the various practices
and experiments being undertaken in value education both in the school
and the non-formal system and provide a focal point for those interested
in comparative studies in this area. ``For instance, if school
principals want to know how morning assemblies can be conducted... they
can learn from the innovative approaches adopted by some NGOs,'' he
says.

The debate is an old one, says eminent educationist Krishna Kumar.
``Whenever it has resurfaced, it has been an excuse for teaching
religious studies,'' he says. According to him, the idea has ``wide
middle class appeal'' but it is usually an attempt to push through the
backdoor knowledge ``not consistent with secular values''. In any case,
he says, value education cannot be taught in a classroom. ``It is
something a child picks up by seeing adult behaviour. What is the point
of teaching values in school when a student has to contend with corrupt
bureaucrats and politicians outside?'' he asks.

______

#4.

The Hindustan Times
Last updated 02:00 IST | Sunday, August 13, 2000, New Delhi
=09=20
COMMUNAL HISTORIANS MIXING MYTHOLOGY WITH INSANITY: HABIB

HT Correspondent
(New Delhi, August 12)
CRITICISING THE new breed of communal historians, renowned historian
Prof Irfan Habib remarked that they were "mixing mythology with
insanity" in the process of history writing.

Prof Habib, former chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research
(ICHR) was speaking on the occasion of the release of the volume "The
Making of History", published in his honour. The volume has been edited
by Professors K N Panikkar, Terence J Byres and Utsa Patnaik, and
published by Tulika. The IIC auditorium, where the function was held,
was packed with eminent theorists, including historians, economic
historians and political scientists among others.

Earlier, even communal historians debated within the confines of serious
history writing and with evidence, remarked Prof Habib adding that now
the very rational thought in history was being attacked.

Prof Panikkar, referring to Prof Habib as a person who has moulded
historical research said, "Historians have been at the forefront in the
fight against communalism. Prof Habib's contribution to the fight has
made it culturally rich and intellectually stimulating."

Prof Utsa Patnaik, in her speech, attacked fascist forces stating that
fascism was not an overnight phenomenon, but a slow acting insidious
poison, which acted on people's minds. She remarked that by felicitating
Prof Habib, they were condemning the dark forces of fascism and added
that several erstwhile liberals were changing their colours and joining
the government for their share in power.

Several other eminent speakers paid rich tributes to Prof Habib and
condemned the communal forces which were attacking the culture of Indian
society. They pleaded for the existence of a spirit of inquiry among
theorists and warned that the tradition of critical reasoning in the
academic circles as well as in the world outside the circles were under
attack by communal forces as well as certain international tendencies.

______

#5.

The Hindustan Times
13 August
HT Magazine

ON 53 YEARS OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE

By Javed Akhtar

In these 53 years of India's Independence, I feel, we have achieved a
lot. We have made some institutions, we have seen to it that democracy
takes root, we have made an extremely respectable Constitution, which is
among the finest in the world, we haveindustrialised ourselves and
education is definitely more easily available than it was 53 years ago.

But I am afraid, this is only the positive side. The other side is, we
could have done much more but for the apathy, corruption and
petty-mindedness of the politicians and their short-sightedness and
vested interests. It is a pity that after 53 years o fIndependence, and
now that we have entered the new millennium, we have almost 11 crore
children in this country who are not going to any school, five crore TB
patients, highest number of visually and physically handicapped people,
five crore unemployed youth and almost 12 crore women who don't have more
than two saris, rather more than one change, I should say. We have
people in bonded labour and the highest incidence of child labour in the
world. It is a sad situation.

We have achieved a lot and also lost a lot. We have come a long way but
still have a long way to go. But movement is not always linear. On the
whole, we have done fairly well but what is dangerous at this moment is
that we are slowly turning towards, maybe the worst is behind us, fascist
thinking, the extremely chauvinistic communal thinking that's disturbing
the society at the moment.

I believe that an average Indian has a very strong sense of survival and
he has an instinct that keeps him on course; he may not be very educated
or informed, but there is some kind of native intelligence in him.
Ultimately, sooner or later, quite often sooner than later, he realises
that it is a path to total self-destruction. That's why we, as a
society, are slightly embarrassed about it and are gradually retracing
our steps.

As of now, however, extreme right-wing forces have become very
effective, almost become a kind of law in some places. You can see what
is happening in Kashmir, the massacre. Equally disturbing and
significant is what has happened in Surat and Ahmedabad inreaction to
that. What does it mean? It is very disturbing. The kind of facilities
today that organisations like Bajrang Dal or Vishwa Hindu Parishad have,
no civilised society will permit it.

Having said that, I don't think we are taking our Independence for
granted. Most people in any society are generally at the recieving end.
And it is true of our society too. But some kind of morality has gone
out of the political life of this country. That has definitely happened.
But why and who is responsible for it, how did it start, that is another
question which merits another full-fledged article.

(As told to Seema Kumar)

______

#6.

August 10, 2000

To: All Members of the Delhi Chapter of PIPFPD

Dear Friends,

This is to inform you that a meeting of the members of the Delhi Chapter of
PIPFPD is being organised on Saturday the 26th August 2000 from 10 a.m. to
1.00 p.m. keeping in mind the present context of strained relationship
between Pakistan and India with regard to Kashmir and related developments.
We believe that the Delhi Chapter of the Forum has a very crucial role to
play at this juncture and hence we are calling this meeting.

The Venue of the meeting is:

CLASS ROOM
INDIAN SOCIAL INSTITUTE
10, INSTITUTIONAL AREA
LODHI ROAD
NEW DELHI 110 003

TEL: 4625015/4694602

We would also like to inform you that a two day conference on Kashmir is
also scheduled to be held on Saturday the 14th & Sunday the 15th October
2000 in Delhi. The Delhi Chapter would have to play an important role in
organising this two day programme. We request you to kindly come for the
meeting and inform other members too.
Looking forward to seeing you on 26th August.
With all good wishes,
Yours sincerely,

Gautam Navlakha

_______

#7.

The News International
13th August,2000

CEMENT WORKERS FIGHT FOR UNION RIGHTS
THE WORKERS HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF BEING BULLIED BY THE BOSSES

60 workers have lost their jobs at Dadabhoy cement factory. These workers h=
ave
been accused of collecting funds for the new union. Most of them have alrea=
dy
gone back to their villages. But 11 men chose to stay in Hyderabad and figh=
t
on till the union is formed. They have collected some funds and launched an
appeal against the decision of the local judge=D6The bosses should know bet=
ter
than to shape Pakistan in the image of 19th century England.

Efforts to do so will not go unresisted. It is the very mode of their
existence that drives the workers to fight a system that is inherently
exploitative. Political Economy feels the heat as the flames of resistance =
go
up

Farooq Tariq

Dadabhoy cement factory in Sindh's Dadu district has become the focus of
attention of the labour movement in Pakistan. So far, 60 factory workers ha=
ve
lost their jobs for the 'crime' of forming a labour union. The factory owne=
r
had successfully blocked the registration of the union with the Labour
Department. Leaders of the Progressive Workers Union appealed against the
decision at the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC). Some 15
workers' leaders were arrested for breaching the industrial peace, and amon=
g
those released on bail were workers who had been kicked out of the factory.

>From June 28 to July 7, police arrested 13 workers from Dadabhoy cement
factory Norrieabad. They dared to form a new union at the factory. But the
police held them on charges of disturbing the peace and framed other crimin=
al
charges against them. A local court in Hyderabad accepted the bail plea of =
the
workers and ordered their release. But the charges were not withdrawn.

Earlier the factory workers had applied to the National Industrial Relation=
s
Commission of Pakistan (NIRC) for registration of a union--the Progressive
Labour Union of Dadabhoy cement factory. In May 2000, Younas Rahoo was elec=
ted
to the post of general secretary at a meeting attended by scores of workers=
.

For the last 17 years Hasan Dadabhoy, the owner of the cement factory, has
resisted attempts to form a union at the factory. His family was once count=
ed
among the country's 22 wealthy families who exercised control over 70 per c=
ent
of the economy. Their family has neither lost its riches nor its influence
over the years.

Factory bosses argued in court against the workers' plea for a new union on
the grounds that Dadabhoy's industrial units already had a union. But the
existing union is one registered by the bosses and its function is to stall
the creation of a genuine labour union.

Advocates for the new union challenged the bosses' contention and submitted
proof that several officials of the existing body had gone out of the count=
ry.
More shockingly they proved that the votes of four deceased union members w=
ere
counted at a referendum in the factory. Still the NIRC judge in Hyderabad
decided in favour of the factory bosses and turned down the workers' reques=
t
for a new union.

The next day the police arrested nine workers, including the general secret=
ary
of the union Younas Rahoo. Earlier, factory officials visited the village h=
ome
of Younas Rahoo and offered his family 2 million rupees ($40,000). But the
offer was rejected by Rahoo's father.

In the meantime, the Progressive Labour Union affiliated itself with the Wa=
tan
Dost Mazdoor Federation (WDMF), one of the main components of the Pakistan
Workers Confederation.

Trade unionist Aziz Abbasi, the secretary-general of the Federation,
accompanied by Dost Mohammed Channa, chairman of the Labour Party in Sindh
province, went to jail with the bail papers for the release of the nine
workers. The two men were arrested on the instructions of a military office=
r.
Both were released on bail on July 3 after spending three days in prison.
There were two more arrests on July 4. Most of the union workers have gone
into hiding, as they fear more arrests. A few activists then resurfaced at =
a
July 5 press conference held at the Labour Party office in Karachi. They
reiterated their commitment to form the union--come what may. They railed
against the military officers in Hyderabad for acting on the instructions o=
f
the factory bosses and carrying out unjustified arrests.

Since then, 60 workers have lost their jobs at the factory. These workers h=
ave
been accused of collecting funds for the new union. Most of them have alrea=
dy
gone back to their villages. But 11 men chose to stay in Hyderabad and figh=
t
on till the union is formed. They have collected some funds and launched an
appeal against the decision of the local judge.

On July 29, 40 workers of the factory held a demonstration outside the
Hyderabad Press Club to demand the reinstatement of 60 ex-colleagues and
recognition of their union by the factory management. The next day over 300
people who had gathered at Karachi Press Club building to attend a conferen=
ce
organised by the Labour Party raised similar demands. The leaders of the
factory union also spoke on the occasion.

A week earlier in Rawalpindi Press Club some 300 participants at a meeting =
of
railway workers demanded the reinstatement of workers sacked by the cement
factory. Several meetings are scheduled to be held this month in different
districts of Sindh. These meetings are part of the preparations for a mass
meeting of workers at the factory gate during the month of September. On Ju=
ly
10, workers of a fertiliser factory in Mir Purr Mathelo blocked the Nationa=
l
Highway for an hour. Over 1,000 workers took part in the highway protest.

has been hit by

In recent weeks, a string of anti-labour measures have been taken by
industrialists in the province of Sindh and elsewhere. Over 700 sugar mill
workers lost their jobs in the month of July alone. The owner of Alnoor and
Shah Murad sugar mills, Z Ismail, decided to sack 240 workers after the two
industrial unit began suffering losses. However, union workers refute the
owner's claims, saying both factories are in fact making money as usual. Th=
ey
believe the factories' owner is merely trying to take advantage of the curr=
ent
ban on politically-motivated strikes and public rallies. The ban has been i=
n
place since October 1999 when the military took over power.

Despite clarifications by ministers that trade unions could function as
before, union workers are reluctant to organise strikes.At the same time,
factory bosses have turned this labour silence into opportunities to attack
the unions. Workers are finding it difficult to stretch their hard-earned
rupee any further, as inflation has soared and the prices of essential good=
s
have risen over the past few months. In all this time there has been no wag=
e
increase.

Actions like those taken by Dadabhoy cement factory reflect on how anti-lab=
our
feelings are being stirred across the country. Railway workers in workshops
have lost at least 30 per cent of their wages in the shape of a ban on
overtime and part-time work. Those trade union leaders who dared to fight
against the ban have been transferred to far-flung areas from Lahore where
they were stationed for more than 20 years.

Saifur Rehman, general secretary of Railway Workers Union Workshops Divisio=
n
and a resident of Lahore, led a campaign against appointments at the railwa=
y
administration. Rehman was transferred to the southern city of Hyderabad fo=
r
his indiscretion. The railway administration even refused to pay him his
wages.

Eight railway workers were arrested in Rawalpindi for a few days after they
organised a demonstration against the demolition of railway workers quarter=
s.

All those workers arrested in Rawalpindi or Hyderabad are members of the ne=
wly
established Labour Party of Pakistan. The party held its first congress in
April this year in Lahore--an event attended by most of those who have now
been arrested. The Labour Party opposes military rule even though some othe=
r
left-leaning parties have spoken in favour of the present regime.

Currently the government is studying plans for "right-sizing" the public
sector. More than 100,000 workers could lose their jobs as a result. Only t=
he
unions can stave off the possibility. Factory bosses may be able to stop th=
eir
workers from forming labour unions. But will the labour movement relent?

___________________________________
South Asia Citizens Web Dispatch (SACW) is an
informal, independent & non-profit citizens wire service
run by South Asia Citizens Web (http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex)
since 1996. Dispatch archive from 1998 can be accessed
by joining the ACT list run by SACW. To subscribe send
a message to <act-subscribe@egroups.com>
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[Disclaimer :
Opinions carried in the dispatches are not representative
of views of SACW compilers]