Imposing Hindi will destroy diversity of languages: Beedi workers' union office bearer

An attempt to impose Hindi will destroy the diversity of the languages, All India Beedi Workers Federation General Secretary Debasish Roy said at an event on Monday. According to Roy, all labourers, including beedi workers, should understand the fact this imposition was an attempt to divide the country along the lines of language.

Speaking at the 10th State Convention of Karnataka Beedi Workers Federation, under the aegis of Centre of Indian Trade Unions, in Mangaluru on Monday, Roy said that imposing Hindi and Hidutva were part of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s agenda.

“An attempt is being made to divert the attention of the people from genuine problems by raking up such issues. If Hindi is introduced as a communicative language in central universities, IITs and central schools, then the children studying in regional languages will have a setback,” he said.

“There is an attempt to divide the unity of the country,” he alleged.

South Canara Beedi Workers Federation President Vasanth Achari, in his address at the convention, said that communal forces were on rise, and labourers were divided on the lines of caste and religion which was a “dangerous trend”.

“The labourers should fight against such divisive forces,” he said.

National policy for beedi workers’ welfare needed

Stressing the need for a national policy for beedi workers, Roy said it chalk out rehabilitation and alternative jobs for lakhs of people engaged in the beedi industry. He also said that a national policy on tobacco control was also required to bring all beedi-related industries under one legal framework. He said this was necessitated as there were a few unbranded beedi sectors that have been exploiting labourers.

“Though 28 per cent Goods and Service Tax was levied on beedi, the collected tax is not passed on to the welfare of the beedi workers,” he said.

Minimum wages paid to beedi workers for every 1,000 beedis rolled are supposed to be Rs 230. However, according to Roy, there were several places where workers were only paid Rs 160 to Rs 180. “There is a need to fight this,” Roy said.

BJP government removed many welfare schemes

According to him, there were only 245 dispensaries catering to the healthcare needs of beedi makers in the country, and not all of them were functional. “The government is claiming that that beedi workers’ fund is being used to bring beedi workers under the network of ESI (employees’ state insurance) as part of the social security scheme,” he said. “Unfortunately, not all beedi workers will benefit from the ESI scheme, as many owners failed to recognise those working under them in the sector.”

“Through beedi welfare cess, earlier, scholarships for beedi workers’ children and other facilities were provided. After the BJP government came to power, several welfare schemes for the beedi workers have been removed,” he alleged.

Lauding the beedi workers movement in Mangaluru, Roy said it has a long history as even before independence, the beedi workers in Mangaluru, Kannur, Solapur and Murshidabad had fought for their rights.