The Indian Working Class Movement: Colonial Impact, Swadeshi Movement & AITUC

Introduction

The latter half of the 19th century marked the advent of modern industry in India with the subsequent development of ancillary industries, particularly in coal, cotton, and jute, which laid the foundation for the emergence of the modern Indian working class.

Colonial Impact on Indian Working Class

• Industrial Exploitation

  • Indian working class faced familiar industrial policies of low wages, long hours, hazardous conditions, child labour, and inadequate amenities.
  • Exploitation mirrored the industrialization experiences of Europe and the West.

• Colonial Influence

• • Colonialism added a distinctive layer, exposing the Indian working class to both imperialist political rule and economic exploitation by foreign and native capitalists.
  • The movement became entwined with the broader political struggle for national emancipation.

Efforts and Attitude of Early Nationalists (Moderates)

• Moderates were indifferent to labour concerns.
• Distinctions in Labor Treatment: They differentiated between labour in Indian-owned and British-owned factories.
  • They favoured the competitive edge of Indian-owned industries over labour legislation.
  • They opposed division in the movement based on class.
  • They did not support the Factory Acts of 1881 and 1891.
• Early Efforts: Early attempts to improve worker conditions were sporadic, isolated, and philanthropic.

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Early Initiative to Improve the Working Conditions of Labourers

• Sasipada Banerjea (1870) initiated a workingmen’s club and started the newspaper Bharat Shramjeevi.
• Sorabjee Shapoorji Bengalee (1878) attempted to pass a bill for better working conditions in the Bombay Legislative Council.
• Narayan Meghajee Lokhande(1880)  founded the newspaper Deenbandhu and established the Bombay Mill and Millhands Association. [UPSC 2018]
• The Great Indian Peninsular Railways (1899) witnessed its first strike, supported by Tilak’s Kesari and Maharatta.

Rise During the Swadeshi Movement

• Political Mobilization of Workers: There was a political engagement of the Indian working class in wider political issues during the Swadeshi movement. 
  • The strikes were organized by Ashwini Coomar Banerjee, Prabhat Kumar Roy Chaudhuri, Premtosh Bose, and Apurba Kumar Ghosh in the government press, railways, and the jute industry. 
  • Attempts to form trade unions faced challenges and had limited success.
• Leadership in Labor Strikes: Subramaniya Siva and Chidambaram Pillai led strikes in Tuticorin and Tirunelveli, resulting in their arrests.
  • The biggest strike occurred after Tilak’s arrest and trial.

Evolution of the Working Class Movement 

• The First World War and Its Aftermath
• • Impact of the First World War: The First World War brought economic disparities, with rising exports and prices benefiting industrialists but resulting in low wages for the Indian working class.
  • Towards a Unified National Movement: The discontent among workers paved the way for the emergence of a broad-based national movement under Gandhi, emphasizing the mobilization of workers and peasants.
  • Rise of Socialist: The establishment of a socialist republic in the Soviet Union, the formation of the Comintern, and the setting up of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) lent a new dimension to the movement of the Indian working class. 

Birth of AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress) – 1920

• Origin: Founded on October 31, 1920, AITUC aimed to organize workers amid growing discontent for the Indian working class.
• Early Leadership: Lala Lajpat Rai, the Indian National Congress president, became its first president, emphasizing the link between capitalism and imperialism. 
  • Dewan Chaman Lal was serving as the first general secretary.

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• Advocacy for Congress Involvement: C.R. Das advocated Congress’s involvement in workers’ and peasants’ causes and welcomed the formation of AITUC during the Gaya Congress session (1922). 
  • He presided over the third and the fourth sessions of the AITUC.
  • Prominent leaders like Nehru, Subhas Bose, C.F. Andrews, J.M. Sengupta, Satyamurthy, V.V. Giri, and Sarojini Naidu maintained close ties with AITUC. 
• AITUC Ideology: In its initial years, the AITUC was influenced by the social democratic ideas of the British Labour Party. 
  • Later, the Gandhian philosophy of non-violence, trusteeship, and class collaboration had great influence on the movement.
• The Trade Union Act, 1926 
  • Recognized trade unions as legal associations.
  • Laid down conditions for registration and regulation of trade union activities.
  • Provided immunity, civil and criminal, for legitimate activities, with some restrictions on political activities.
• Communist Influence and Legislative Restrictions – Late 1920s
  • Communist Influence: The movement was heavily influenced by communism, which gave it a militant and revolutionary tone. 
    • The Girni Kamgar Union led a six-month-long strike at the Bombay Textile Mills in 1928.
  • Emergence of Organisation and Leaders: During this time, a number of communist organizations crystallized, led by people like Sohan Singh Joshi, P.C. Joshi, Muzaffar Ahmed, S.A. Dange, and others.
  • Government Response to Radicalization: Concerned about the growing power of the trade union movement due to radicalization, the government implemented legislative limitations. 
    • It enacted the Trade Disputes Act (TDA), 1929, and the Public Safety Ordinance (1929).

• Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929)
  • The government arrested 31 labor leaders in March 1929. 
  • The trial resulted in the conviction of Muzaffar Ahmed, S.A. Dange, Joglekar, Philip Spratt, BenBradley, Shaukat Usmani, and others. 
  • Though the trial got worldwide attention but weakened the working-class movement
• Post-1931 and Congress Ministries
  • All India Trade Union Federation: N.M. Joshi broke away from the AITUC to set up the All India Trade Union Federation in 1931. 
    • In 1935, the communists rejoined the AITUC.
  • Left Front: It now included communists, Congress socialists, and leftist nationalists like Jawahar Lal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose.
    • AITUC supported Congress candidates in the 1937 elections.
  • Congress Ministries’ Support for Workers: Congress ministries were generally sympathetic to workers’ demands, passing favourable labour legislation.
• Second World War and Post-Independence
• • Change in Communist Support: Initially, workers opposed the war, but communist support shifted after Russia’s involvement.
  • Opposition to Quit India Movement: The communists didn’t support the Quit India Movement and advocated the policy of industrial peace.
  • Post-War Worker Uprisings: Workers participated in the post-War national upsurges, and in 1945, the dock workers of Bombay and Calcutta refused to load ships taking supplies to the warring troops in Indonesia. They went on strikes in support of the Naval Ratings in 1946.

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Conclusion

• The Indian working class movement emerged during the colonial era, it has fought tirelessly for labour rights, better working conditions, and social justice. The movement has made a significant march from the struggles against exploitative British policies to post-independence efforts for fair wages and worker empowerment. 
• Despite fragmentation and political manipulation, the Indian working class stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of Indian workers in their quest for a more just and equitable society.

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