With the slogan ?workers unite the world?, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) is successfully fighting the fissiparous tendentious raising their head in the name of region, language, etc.,? said Shri Mohan Bhagwat, Sarkaryavah of RSS. He was speaking at the first BMS conference in Manipur held recently at Imphal. Shri Bhagwat said the slogan ?workers of the world unite? raised by the leftist movement, ended in dividing the world into workers and non-workers and so on, which is detrimental to humanity as a whole. ?The success of BMS lies in the message of affection and its band of disciplined workers,? he said calling upon the workers to serve the motherland to make her great among the comity of nations.
Amidst the slogans of Bharatmata ki jai and Vande Mataram the conference began with hoisting the BMS flag by Shri Omprakash Aggi, national organising secretary. In the conference there was overwhelming participation of women delegates (2700) against the male delegates (250) and the colourful rally at noon defying scorching sun. Dr Sudhakar Kulkarni, BMS vice president was critical of the state government for not taking steps to reopen the textile mill, and for not providing yarn to the handloom weavers at the government-controlled rates and for not organising marketing facilities for the handloom products.
Km Suchitra Mahapatra, BMS, secretary called upon the Manipur government to grant its share of wage to the Anganwari workers as per the guidelines of Central government and to construct buildings for the Anganwadi centres. Shri R.V. Subba Rao, vice president, criticised the Manipur government for not implementing the welfare schemes for the construction workers as per the Building and Construction Workers Act 1996. Also, he expressed concern at the delay by the Central government in enacting laws for the workers of unorganised sector. The recent decision of the Central government to permit Foreign Direct Investment in retail trade would take away the livelihood of one crore urban street venders. He also urged the Manipur government to implement the national policy of February 2001 about urban street venders declared by the Central Government.
Shri Omprakash Aggi explained the policies of the Central and State Government, which resulted in loss of employment. He said in the name of viability of establishment wage rates are reduced, formal service is converted into informal service, like casual and contract service. Shri N. Thomba Singh, convenor of Manipur Pradesh, presented the annual report of the organisation. The conference also adopted several resolutions, which demanded reopening of the only spinning mill in the state and also payment to the Anganwadi workers by state government.
The conference elected Dr S.S. Kulkarni as new state president and R.K. Sanahambi Devi, Sumathi Devi, Kh. Bino Devi and Sanatumbi Devi as vice presidents. Shri N. Thomba Singh was elected general secretary and Meena Devi, S. Sairabati Devi as secretaries and L. Sanatombi Devi as treasurer.
