CALCUTTA LABOR UNIONS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005403539
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: June 23, 2015
• Document Release Date: November 20, 2009
• Case Number: F-2009-01036
• Publication Date: November 2, 1948

II'I'f
COUNTRY -lndia
SUBJECT " Gwl(iutta Labor Unions
PLACE
ACQUIRED
STATE
ARMY AIR
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APPROVED FOR RELEASED DATE:
18-Nov-2009
CONFIDENTIAL
(b) (1)
(b) (3)
NO. OF ENCLS.
kUSTEU G3ELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TIO
REPORT NO.
The All-India Trade Union Congress (ITUG) in Calcutta has its offices at
49 Bowbazar Street, Its president is 1`ririal itanti Doss, and Dr, Profulla
Chandra Ghose, extprenier of ;'nest Ben al, d^ras forrrrly closely associated
w1th this organization and is .sti.l.l. a patron.
The Tramway Worker's Union is a Cornmauni.st-d.ontnated union and is affiliated
with the AITUC. Its president is :.:oha:nraad Ismail, who was an ordinary
mechanic in the Nonapuku Trarna'ay ;dorkshop, but Vtho has given up this former
occupation since assuming the presidency, He is now wanted by the police
but has ;one underground, Ismail is poorly educated, but a man of corccr; sense
who possesses a large following. The secretary of the u:i.on is Dhiren l.zzundar,
who is also wanted by the police., :ozu:ndar is only slightly educated, was
formerly a ticket collector on a trash, ands like Ismail, has gone underground.
The union is now run by the assistant secretary, ICalipada Banerjee, a conductor,
Another trarway> union is the Tram `lozdur Panchayat, which corks in close
oonj?ascti.on with the Tramway Worker's Union, is sponsored by the socialists,
and was originally founded by the Tramway Authorities in an attempt to
undermine the power of the Tramway :';orkeras Union. The president of the
Tran "ozdur Panchayat is Bhudaneswar Tewari; the secretary, Daliraj; -the
principal adviser is Aswini Gupta. Gupta illegally impersonated a student
whom he was coaching for an examination at University Hall, and as a result
had his Master of Arts degree rescinded Gupta is a favorite of Dr, Profulla
Ghose, the expre:.^.ier of ';rest Bengal, is an intelligent san. of al-)on.zt forty
years of ag,, but is reputed to possess many bad habits.
The Imperial Bank of India Staff Association is headed by Soumendra :lath
Ta;;ore w The vice president is Eirendra Lath Banerjee who also acts as the
representative o2 the bank clerks, The secretary is Jyoti Chose, a bank clerk,
The Dipti Ilarrican !. nufacture Cotnparay '?iorlceras Union was originally formad
by the C? K, Ben family, proprietors of the Jabakusurn Hair Oil "ompany, The
union has since become a violent organization which has driven its original
employers out of business? committed crises of violence, and hired the
services of two local thugs who often work for the Coma 1.st iarty These
CLASSIFICATION C^?'TIJ"":TIAIOi;OIITROi U.S
 CONFIT ` TIA Q A~ ICJ4t~&a ONLY
Though the Anmrita Baaar Patr7 Wa Press Worker' a Union is affiliated with the
Indian National Trade Union Congress (IPTT G), it is reported tole strongly
influenced by Comrmanist elements. The president of the union is NO. Bina
Bhowmik, meter of the legislative Assembly, West Bengal Congress, Who
acquired her fame as a political worker during her student days as the first
woman student to agitate against British rule. At a meeting at Calcutta Unaver-
city, she brought a revolver and fixed several shots at the then governor of
Bengal, Sir Stanley Jacksong because of this, she w ,s deported for fourteen
years. She is presently playing a major part in the strikes and other
difficulties the Asrita Bazar Patrika has encountered for the past few months.
Though she has followed closely the Communist Party line, it is not known
whether or not she is a party member?
omsi_nt.. The Mor?ni ileac' New s on 4 September reported the arrest of
s. iz azad .theit 5 o hers under the %V st Bengal Security Act for
acts of violence in connection with Anzrita Bazar Patrika employees.:. The
Amrita Bazar Patrika carried an article on the same subject in which
a'id!t -Shanker Shukla, Premier of the Central Prn rances and Borer,
in commenting on the violence indulged in by the dismissed workers of the
Patrika, branded the leaders of those workers as Communists.)
Though most of the workers of the Bata Company in Calcutta. are Communists,,
their union, the Bata, Workers Union, is affiliated with the INTUC.
In addition to Communist influence, there is also a Socialist group active
in this union. The president is Dr. Suresh Chandra Bannerjee who was
recently. elected president of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee.
Bannerjee was formerly a member of Aphoy Ashram. The. vice president is
Moor Mohamaad, and the secretaries Are Tejon Bosu and Nikhi.l Bosu. The Bata
Company, though originally entia ly Czech-owned, is now two-thirds
Indian- owned. Among the Indian shareholders are the notable figures Khaitan
and Snehansu Abharya. The latter comes from the illustrious family of the
Maharaja of Piyrmmnsing. Snehansu has a brilliant academic career, but his
politics are far to the left, a far cry from the conservative leanings of
his family. lie was the leader of the last strike at the Bata Company.
Snehansu is very popular with the Communist workers at the Bata Company.
CONFIDEZ!TI.AL/GOMMOL - U.S. OFFICIALS QNLT
CONFIDENTIAL