Munnar in Kerala brings to my mind not the recent success of
the women led tea plantation laborers’ strike but its twin word ‘Thekkadi’. It
is the fixation of a mind that has been attuned to the slogans of tourism
advertisements. You cannot say Ooty in isolation; you have to complete it with the
word, Kodaikkanal. You cannot say inquilab in isolation, you have to say,
Zindabad. That’s the way we are. Munnar stands with Thekkadi however they are
apart from each other geographically. Those who travel to Kerala from other
parts of India, often tell others how interesting it is to be there at Munnar
and Thekkadi. Kochi has taken over by its organized sense of tourism. In the
run, Munnar has fallen behind but not its tourist industry. Munnar caught the
imagination of the people in the last decade for the aggressive stance taken by
the then Chief Minister of Kerala, V.S.Achuthanandan in demolishing the
unlawful structures that have come up by the activities of the land grabbing
mafia that included potential political leaders. V.S, as he is fondly called by
his friends and enemies as well, had received a lot of flak and appreciation
for his demolition man act.
Today Munnar once again is in focus. Women workers, who have
their origins in Tamil Nadu but now are natural citizens of Kerala, went on
strike against the subhuman conditions in the tea plantations, asking for bonus
and hike in salary, and in general all kinds of exploitation. Interestingly,
this strike was led by the women laborers themselves. They did not allow
anybody to take the credit of this uprising. They chased the MLAs of both the
ruling and the opposition parties. They said they would accept only V.S as
their leader though the strike was not initiated by the CPM to which
Achuthanandan is a die hard member and nonchalant critic. This strike which has
been called off within ten days of its commencement thanks to the government’s decision
to agree with most of the demands of the plantation workers, is one of the
success stories of people’s uprising against the oppressive governments in the
recent history of India. It is also a unique for its staunch refusal to come
under any party or flag. Those who went to declare their solidarity with the
strike went on their own and earned enough of contempt or partial attention.
(Women plantation workers on strike at Munnar)
The myth is already on; this is a women’s led protest which
has found success in ten days. When people wake up and take up arms even if it
is the arms of non-violent satyagraha, the mightiest of the governments would
relent. Is it so easy? Then why, Narmada people did not get their due? Why the
Adivasis in Wyanad get their demands fulfilled? Why the people in Orissa and
Chattisgarh did not get their due even if they are up in arms of various kinds
for more than two decades? Why this Jasmine Revolution in Munnar found a quick
success? Was the moral force so powerful that even the mountains had to move?
Why was it become so pertinent for one and all to accept that the women’s
strike in Munnar was so important? Why did the Chief Minister of Kerala, Mr.Oommen
Chandy, ironically say that the demands of the striking laborers are justified
and the government stands morally responsible to solve it? Why all the
opposition leaders had to rush to the spot and say that they too were with the
strikers, and pathetically spurned and ridiculed by the laborers? Why Aam Aadmi
Party had to rush there and say that the women were Aam Aadmis or Aurats?
The plot thickens. Yes, the strike is historical and the
demands are justifiable. Women in Munnar showed a way. But it is fallacious to
think that there was no leadership. Any strike of such massive scale needs some
kind of an ideological orientation amongst the strikers. Though there are
leaders who have come up from amongst the women who were striking, we should
say that they became leaders by default. It is not an effort to discount the
abilities of women to lead a strike into success nor do I want to suggest that
there were some invisible men who were back seat driving the protest far away
from the media glare. The case is different; though the forces behind this
strike need not necessarily be male by category, one should understand that
there is an ideological orientation behind this strike. Somebody had prepared these
women to rise up in confrontation with the management and the government. In a
male chauvinist society, women cannot have such an independent voice as we have
seen in Munnar. The men folk of these striking women were conspicuously absent
from the scene of strike. Where they have gone? Who have prepared them to keep
off and be patient with the strike of their women? Who did take up the home
front responsibilities when the women were striking? If it was so, it should be
their men? If the men had done that, who had prepared them to do so? It is not
that easy to prepare men who are prone to liquor abuse and are subservient to
the company’s persuasive tactics.
(Rajendran MLA, spurned and ridiculed by the women strikers)
This time men had stood by their women. It is a great
ideological feat as far as the Kerala society is concerned. Men accepting their
women to take the lead of a public protest are something new in Kerala society.
One may cite the examples of the two women led strikes in a couple of textile
outlets majors. There too we had seen women striking. But those strikes did not
go up in a big way though we could say that these strikes have inspired the
Munnar women. Chengara Resistance also had seen women coming to the forefront
but men were always there as fellow fighters. Munnar is different. There is a
large scale ideological preparation behind it and whatever be that it should be
lauded. There is something absolutely silent here. The extreme leftist
activists or the people who have been supporting morally and culturally such
moves remain silent on this. They do appreciate the women there in Munnar who
have led a historical protest but their restraint of voice seems to be a bit
deceptive. Mine would sound like a childish conspiracy theory saying that there
should be Maoists behind this.
My argument is not childish for the following reasons. First
of all, as I said before, a massive protest like this cannot go without a
theoretical adhesive. Pragmatic struggles needs concrete planning and well
founded theory that goes beyond mere demands for salary hike and bonus.
Secondly, the strike is not allowed to be taken over by any political parties.
The vehemence with which the leaders amongst these women protested against the
political parties shows that they are aware of the vileness of the politicians.
They did not align with any of the intellectuals or feminists in this case.
(the only one report that shows the trouble of these women laborers during
their periods is filed by a male reporter). Even if Sarah Joseph, the state
convener of the Aam Aadmi Party went to declare solidarity with the workers,
her presence seemed to have created no impact despite the media attention that
teacher had received for her presence. If the strikers have disparaged
political parties then there is no point in believing that the women in Munnar
were too fond of the AAP. The ruling party and opposition party went into
action quickly not because they have grown angelic overnight but because both
the parties are about to face two elections; local body elections and the
impending assembly election. Both the fronts, UDF and LDF need the support and
goodwill of the people in general and Munnar strike is one way to deliver it in
neat packets. Neither the claim of the Chief Minister nor that of the
opposition leader seems to be sincere and committed. Forget the other parties,
including the Aam Aadmi Party, to which I am a member.
(Opposition leader V.S.Achutanandan among the women strikers in Munnar)
Then what was that adhesive that kept these women together? Was
it the universal womanhood? Was it the subhuman condition of their lives? Was
it something beyond all these? I would say, they are primarily led by the
difficulties of their lives. But beyond that there is something more. They are
prepared and have been prepared very well by some groups that just do not want
to claim the credit of this uprising. Even they do not want to take political
or electoral advantage of it. This campaigning is not done by any NGO nor is it
done by any underground parties. Feminists in Kerala seem to have played no
role in it. Yet, the women in Munnar woke up to fight against their oppressors.
This is the silent revolution taking place all over the country. When time and
surroundings permit, those who make people dream a better life would sound very
convincing. They need not necessarily be coming from political outfits. Even if
they are coming from political outfits they may not be wanting to convert their
influence into electoral advantage. They may not want to take up arms and fight
against the mighty weapons of the state. They may not want their names to be
published. They can make use of the energy of the people for a better future.
Who are they? In my view, those people will never come out because they are
very much there amongst us, helping such ideas to percolate through hundred and
one different modes. They will never be identified. They are like the hero in
Wednseday, the movie of a common man’s revenge.
I dare not say the name of that outfit has something to do
with the Maoists. Even if they do, they do not make it a political statement.
May be you and I are there, yet not there. In our shame, we may be living the
legacy of this struggle only to forget the lessons of it along the way as the
middle class comforts are more soothing than the plights of a struggle that
demands various kinds of sacrifice. The women in Munnar were naïve enough to
praise the political leaders. They were happy that they could get their demands
met though still some are pending. But there is something that is still not bent
in the crowd. There are women who have assumed the role of leadership in this
struggle. They will be bargained to become leaders. They will be Selinas and
Janus. Will they relegate their roles as political leaders and become renegades
in their own class? Will the invisible one’s in the crowd help them to remain
innocent for long; innocent till they are provoked. Anyway, the political
discourse in Kerala has considerably changed with this Munnar strike. Political
parties including the AAP are rendered useless. But my doubt still remains, who
could be behind it? And shouldn’t I be with them? And shouldn’t the AAP with
them?
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