Strikes! Are we not done with this mockery!

Numerous days and countless productive hours have been lost on this redundant and outdated way of staging the protest, innumerable people have lost their lives in the midst of these uncivilised way of dissent, immeasurable damage had caused to the nations exchequer, humungous destruction had happened in the productivity of the country but still no change had happened in the governance system of the nation and nothing good on account of that has transpired to this society. The most amazing fact is that those who are staging these impractical campaigns and causing monstrous loss to the public shall repeat the same mistakes, which they are presently objecting, when they are back in power and the history repeats. When few are preventing rest from carrying out business and profession under the guise of 'protest', it is not only affecting the exchequer of the nation but directly affecting the numerous institutions and the labourers who are working in those institutions.

On 28th and 29th of March, 2022 trade unions on India is conducting nationwide strike against the policies of the Central government in following four areas.

• Withdraw / Repeal the newly introduced labour codes.

• Withdraw / repeal The Essential Defence Services Act, 2021 , which prohibits strikes in the essential defense services.

• Stop the disinvestment of public sector undertakings

• Withdraw/repeal National Education policy.

The new labour codes, ie Code on Wages, Industrial Relations Code; Social Security Code, Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, are being introduced as replacement of 40 odd and redundant labour laws, are need of the hour and it contains numerous clauses to protect the interest of workers including those in unorganised sectors. The labour Codes are highly practical and have been introduced as law after several rounds of discussions with all the major trade unions on India and the same is evident from the parliamentary notes. All or majority of the said suggestions put forwarded by those unions had already been incorporated into those laws before introducing it before the both houses of parliament. After being part of those law-making process why are you making this mockery before the common man who is purely unaware about the good things about those laws? Are we not done with this mockery!

During the pre-liberalisation era, India was facing huge economic crisis and heavy employment loss throughout the country, due to the depletion of the foreign exchange reserves , which was mainly on account of the socialist / Nehuruviam way of operating the economy. The Narasimha Rao lead-Manmohan steered – Congress Ministry had opened the economic barriers of the nation to the rest of the World due to which Indians were able to see sophistication in all walks of life and the private sector had flourished to create more employment opportunities. Now , as a Nation, India had grown strong in the economic map of the World and we all should be very much proud about the same. Kerala- the left lead Government- who had raised capitalist funds of KIIFB, approached capitalist banks like ADB for funds, approached foreign nations for infrastructural development are taking a heavy double stand on disinvestment of PSUs by misinterpreting the laws and pulling the common man into deep trouble by creating congenial atmosphere for untoward strikes and state sponsored protests. Are we not done with this mockery!

The National education policy, which will help millions of students to get education is really a blessing to the nation. As per the said policy, approximately two crore school students will be able to come back to educational institutes where in the 5+3+3+4 structure will replace the existing 10+2 structure which will give great focus on student’s formative years of learning. The Trade unions are protesting against those policy without even properly explaining the proper grounds for their protests. Are we not done with this mockery!

India being a plural and secular society, every citizen has the freedom to express their feelings and act or protest against the ills and odds, which they feel as against them or any other person in the society. Right to protest is essentially not a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution of India but the said right is emanated from other fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution such as Right to free speech and expression which transforms into the right to freely express an opinion on the conduct of the government, Right to association which enables the formation of associations for political purposes to challenge government decisions and the Right to peaceably assemble to question and object the acts of the government by demonstrations, agitations and public meetings, to launch sustained protest movements.

However, such rights conferred or inferred by Article 19 does not permit or allows a person or a political party or parties or unions to restrict the right to carry out the business or profession of other fellow citizens of India, which is guaranteed under Article 19(1)(g).

Are we not done with this mockery! Live and let others live!

Bijoy P Pulipra