59th Conference-articles

AIDAEA (HQ) KOLKATA

RECEPTION COMMITTEE OF 59 NATIONAL CONFERENCE AT NAGPUR

CONVENOR

Com. R.Y. Sonkusare

JT. CONVENOR

Com. AnindasishNayak

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Com. S.P. Aich ,,        S.P. Mishra ,,        ParimalSengupta

Com  V. Sarvate ,,        T.K. Ganguly ,,        N.N Pal

Com. Asit Pal ,, Udayan Das Gupta ,, D.S.S Banerjee

RECEPTION COMMITTEE

Com. R.N. Mankar ,,        L.S. Lawankar ,,        G.M. Khadsan ,,        D.R. Munshi ,,        Bhagewar ,,        S. Sarkar

Com. D.J. Umredkar ,,        A.K. Kamble ,,        Jitendra Kale ,,        Biplob Kr. Mitra ,,        Bikash Biswas ,,        Nirmalya Nandy

Com.PradyutChakraborty Smt.   Lokare ,,        SurekhaHattimare ,,        Anita Sharma ,,        V.V. Rukmamgad

FINANCE COMMITTEE

B.N Malakar

Ankur Bose

V.P. Kalamkar

PranjalAdhikary

ACCOMODATION & VENUE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Com.  VinodAgatule

Com.  Akhilesh Kumar

Com.  Tarun Das

TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

Com. S.K. Biswas

Com. P.G. Ambade

Com. S.S. Ramteke

FOOD COMMITTEE

V.D. Suryawanshi Sibsankar Das  Manabendra Natta

Com. S.P. Singh ,,      SujitDutta ,, Nabarun Mukherjee

Com. TapanSarkar ,,    S.K. Das Ghosh ,,    S.K. Bayen

CULTURAL COMMITTEE

Com. K.S. Dutta

Com. SoumitraHaldar

PRINTING &PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

Com.  Sondeep Mukherjee ,,         S.K. Ghosh

Com. P.K. Gupta ,,        Chinmoy Roy

Com. T.K. Roy Choudhury ,,        S.K. Deb Roy

CLARION CALL FROM THE HELM OF A STAFF ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP

Com. G.P. Dutta, Secretary General

Since the dawn of industrial Revolution in Europe, the concept of Trade Unions came into being and had its greater and larger ramifications after the Bolshevik Revolution in Soviet Union.  With the gradual expansion and consolidation of Imperialism and Capitalism, the industrial labour Forces, in particular had been subjected to exploitation and injustice to such an extent that erupted not only rifts in the society and also let loose indiscriminate disharmony and confrontation in between the helpless labour and the powerful management or the owners and their agents of the industrial houses.

With the passage of time or more specifically- with the strengthening of socialistic ideas and ethos, the recognition of Trade Unions and Trade Union rights had the universal approval.  Staff-Associations of the white collar employees, be it of the Industrial houses- both belonging to private and public sector and the clerical cadres of the Government, originated in the aftermath of the aforesaid Trade Union Movements.  As time passed on Trade Unions and Staff Associations became complementary one another and finally gathered the potentiality and momentum as the platform of working class people and its movement.

In 1925 at a time when the British empire in India had been facing tremendous jolt from within after the far-reaching economic and potential impact of World War-I, AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata surfaced with its meager capacity and limited purpose in the then Military Accounts Service of British India.  Like any other organization seeking justice and demanding self-respect and rights, AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata had its modest beginning when militant associationist movements were a distant cry and when prayers, appeals and negotiations was the only way to approach the authorities.

After the World War-II things started to take reshape and there came down drastic changes in the sub-continent as a whole.  In fact, a sea-change in Labour front took place along with rapid Industrialization in the country which was on the threshold of Independence, the political sovereignty of India and the beginning of a new chapter Indian history.

In the larger sense of consolidation and nourishment of AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata had its true beginning from this post independent era when (MAD) Military Accounts Department became (DAD) Defence Accounts Department and the Republic of India under the overall guidance of her pro-people Constitution which bestowed democratic rights and aspiration on one and all.  In fact, Trade Union and Associational activities gathered greater momentum in such a Sovereign, Democratic, Secular and Socialistic environment  in India’s post-independence era and gradually transferred into a political force to reckon with.

During the last six decades of its post independent existence, AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata always rose up to the occasion whenever the Staff-Interest of DAD had been subjected to departmental injustice arising out of discriminatory, whimsical and arbitrary treatment of the administration towards the Staff for the satisfaction of their ulterior and malafide designs.  Through ceaseless and exhaustive associational activities, be in the form of mass deputation, picketing, slogans shouting, open demonstration, pay boycott and meetings besides representation through JCM fora  or otherwise, AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata has been striving tirelessly to safeguard and protect the rights and privileges bestowed on Government employees as enshrined in out constitution.

Undoubtedly there had been critical moments and crisis in the life of AIDAEA (HQ) Kolkata when inner contradictions arising out of conflicts of interests in between personal ambitions and aspirations and democratic conventions erupted much to the frustration and dismay of the rank and file.  But this is a passing phase of a vibrant organization like AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata which could easily and spontaneously got the better of such deficiencies and restored the life blood and aura traditionally associated with AIDAEA(HQ), Kolkata.

On the eve of the 59^th National Conference I am proud and confident to declare that right now our AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata has rejuvenated herself with her pristine glory and is well prepared to have a great leap forward.

It must be admitted that AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata had to participate or organize Strikes in protest against Government policies which are blatant violation of Staff interest and denial of benefits to staff as a whole.  However, it is the conviction of AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata that the Strike is the last resort on the part of the militant association activities of this Staff Association.  When all the avenues and channels of negotiations and consultations with the authority die down, and when natural justice as ensured by our constitution is trampled down and diluted by an unsympathetic and non-sensitive administration, the staff side cannot but give the Clarian-call of strike against the authority to snatch away the legitimate demands of them. There are more than one occasion when AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata was compelled to this militant associational stands to rest their legitimate demands from clutches of administration. However, there are failures, errors and shortage of far-sightedness on the part of leadership of AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata abut it never lacks sincerity, transparency, dedication and integrity.

During my tenure as the Secretary General of this Great Staff Association, I have experienced the hoary tradition of this Staff Association from within and without “ I have also calmly faced grave challenges and evil elements bent upon to demean, degrade and disintegrate out beloved association; I have also come across great, fearless  and dedicated associationists who put everything at stake to overcome the challenges faced by this association and left no stone unturned to restore the lost glory and pedigree of AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata. The future of AIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata obviously lies on the shoulders of these fearless souls who would definitely sustain the rich tradition and heritage of this institution of excellence for the days to come.

Long LiveAIDAEA(HQ) Kolkata

                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                           

Our Kolkata association
Com. S.K. Deb Roy, Addl. Secy. Genl.

Being one of the members of AIDAEA Kolkata association I feel myself fortunate to associate with welfare services in the DAD family. I can still recall the day I joined in the Department. On that very day I had the opportunity to witness speeches of the then senior leaders of the Kolkata Association. Soon after their campaign,one of the leaders asked me to join Kolkata Association. I did hesitate to assure the associationist about my membership but begged few days to think over it. They gently went away with a little comment ‘we would honor your decision’. After that interaction they never came to me with any further request to join the association. Initially it appears to me a good impression towards Kolkata association. Later, I thought and realised that myself alone may not survive if any justice denied to me ever in any official matter by the administration. So I must join a service association to strengthen myself. Then I became very much eager to join AIDAEA Kolkata Association, since I did not feel activity of any other association in my office except some useless and destructive critics of so called leaders. I could easily identified them by their pretended smiles. Now they are not with the Kolkata Association. However, as a fresher I was little bit shaky since I had just crossed the arena of university and joined the Department. So far I could remember I went to an associationist to convey my assent to join AIDAEA Kolkata. He helped me to have my membership after my one month service. In my thirty years of service, initially I was not so active in various functionary of the association. But, I was regularly participating as listener and viewer of all association programs. After victimization of some senior leaders of Kolkata and superannuation of a good number of high level dedicated leaders, I felt myself that HQr. of Kolkata Association extremely needed sincere services of many young members for its survival. Hence, I actively started my association involvements both in administrative job and campaign programs. Fortunately or unfortunately gradually I have been entrusted the Branch Secretary-Central Committee member-Office Secretary- Asstt. Secretary General and now Addl. Secretary General. Though I always feel comfort to serve my organisation as a general member.

During my long attachment with Secretary Generals I had and have been experiencing and witnessing lot of events. Some of our honourable members deserve instant solution of some burning issues or of their individual problems without providing any minimum and passive support to the association. Minimum support that I mean physical presence at any call of the association, GB meetings, gate meetings etc. But most of the members restrict their dedication by paying annual subscription only. A tree cannot survive by stem only rather needs strong branches, leafs to yield flowers and fruits. Growth of a strong association is not possible without active support of the members. If the members confine themselves only on their self interests and do not devote minimum time for the organisation, how an All India organisation be strong enough and able to solve individual or mass problems?

At least a dozen of active CEC members are needed to run the day to day HQr. association work smoothly. A considerable number of correspondences are required to dispose every day regarding individual grievances, persuasion with the respective administrations, to handle various Branch unit problems and issue of periodical circulars to Branch units around the country. Moreover, sometime instant decision is required to be taken on certain issues to solve immediately on emergent basis. As far as I know that present Secretary General never takes an emergent decision alone. He asks the local CEC members to discuss every pros and cons of any issue before arriving at a decision. In due course he placed the issue in a full  fledged central body meeting  for post-facto approval. I personally don’t think that there having any other alternative method to handle such problems instantly by the HQr. when the situation demands.

Last but not least I would like to mention that an alarming situation has come up to the effect of globalization. Decentralization, raising of work load, outstation transfer and other un-wanted anti staff measures are coming and would continue to come in the near future in all central govt. offices. Our young and dear colleagues, those who have long length of service should sincerely perform dual duties i.e. they need to be more active in daily office job to save the DAD organisation as well as have to play a vital role for strengthening the staff association they belong for combating against  all  anti-staff policies in forthcoming days. To build a strong association please don't keep yourself away from the association for your interest. Make yourself matured to utilize different forums of the association to establish your rights. You also need to be educating yourselves with all government rules and regulations. After all you have to achieve success of your demands under periphery of govt. rules by pens not by mussels. My little experience made me realised that most of the higher authorities are quite reasonable and considerate if we can efficiently and gently put our demands on the table, specifying the concerned govt. rules with analogy and rightly zooming the way of solution.

AIDAEA Kolkata zindabad.