Dear Editor,

It’s election time again, and the big parties are trying to come up with tricks to win the attention of the people. But I wish to share a real life drama which I witnessed in a meeting in Mumbai with the readers.

Some workers unions had organised a meeting on Monday 23rd March 2009. About two and a half thousand workers, enthusiastically holding red flags and banners aloft, shouting militant slogans, braved the afternoon heat to march from Dadar to the Kamgar Maidan in Parel. The purpose of the meeting there was to release the manifesto of the working people for the elections. This manifesto, prepared by many organisations together, was read out. Thereafter, many activists came forward to present their views.

A leader of the Congress Party, a veteran politician, was also present. This worthy, out of force of habit, rose up to render a speech. With a pasted artificial smile, he spent 10 minutes thanking various organisations for having organised the meeting. Quite naturally, the workers present were getting impatient and angry. No sooner did he begin to describe how the Congress Party had been working all along “for the poor” and had “helped make several laws upholding the interests of the workers”, a lean old worker seated in the front got up and furiously told the Congress leader to “stop spewing nonsense – the Congress party has brought more ruin upon the working people much more than anyone else!” This was a signal for workers from all over to shout slogans “Long live workers unity! Down with the Congress party!” The leader of the Congress party, which has been so loyally serving the capitalists for over a hundred years, was trembling with fear! He thought it best to ask their forgiveness and meekly sit down.

After this, another organiser of the meeting fired a salvo at the Congress party. I too participated in the slogan shouting very enthusiastically. Those who think that the workers of Mumbai have accepted defeat are totally wrong. I think it is necessary for working people all over the country to rebuff the leaders of the big parties of the rich in a similar manner.

Kailash, Mumbai