The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-03-06
Heroic Struggle of the Indian
BY Fred Ellis

1.-THE Indian Daily Mail" (Dec. 1917,
wrote: "Violent counsel seems to be
gaining ground among the work
ers, and there has recently been an
outbreak which is unprecedented in
the history of Bombay industry"
But all these threats failed to
brighten the workers, who persis-
tently resisted the attack upon their
already very low standard of living.
Obviously, in consultation with the
government, the employers then
devised another means of fighting
the workers. Suddenly there ap-
peared iii Bombay swarms of strike
breakers from the distant northern
parts of the country. These men
have never had any connection with
modern industry. They are inhabi-
tants of very backward hilly tracts.
Consequently they are religious and
less susceptible to the revolutionary
propaganda of class-struggle. Com
ing from the regions of primitive
agriculture they arc used to a much
lower standard of living. Indus
trial wages, even at the reduced
rate, were a great inducement for
them. The introduction of this new
factor in the situation was a provo
cation for the workers. They bit
terly resented it; and, instead of
submitting, as was expected by the
government and the employers,
went ahead forging new weapons of
combat to meet the new situation.
Under Communist leadership the
trade unions began to organize
Workers Squads" which in few
days enrolled thousands of deter
mined fighters. The situation be-
came acute when the religious fan
atheism of the strikebreakers was
famed by hidden hand. The re-
suit is the outbreak which demon
strates what tremendous power
and determination to fight the Indian
proletariat has acquired during the
last two years Of incessant struggle.
IT demonstrates the immense poten-
tiality of mass action organized and
led by revolutionary vanguard. 1t
brings out the proletariat as the
only class capable of defying the
armed forces of the state. The out
break in Bombay may be crushed
by superior forces; but the spirit it
represents will spread, and it has
been demonstrated by it that when
such outbreak will take place
throughout the country there will
be no power to crush it. Their mar
tyrdoI will be another proof that
the proletariat is the only leader of
the revolution.
The historic significance of the
heroic struggle Of the Bombay pro-
letariat becomes evident, when it is
seen as the most characteristic in
dication Of the whole situation. This
struggle points out the driving force
behind the rehabilitation of the ma
tionalist movement. A month be-
fore the outbreak in Bombay, $4,000
workers of Calcutta marched into
and occupied the pandal of the Ma
tional Congress against the wishes
of the bourgeois leaders. That was
q symbolic demonstration which
augured the routing of the bour-
geoisie from the leadership of the
national revolution by the prole-
tariat. AS against the beggarly
program of self-government within
the British empire advocated by the
nationalist bourgeoisie, the revolu-
.ionary prolctariat raised the red
banner of "The Independent Social
list Republic Of India" The demon
'stration of Calcutta can be COM
pared with the Insurrection Of June
z. 1893, when the Partisan prole-
tariat forced the Jscobins to stiffen
up their backs, and assume firmly
the leadership Of the revolution.
What was accomplished in Paris has
not been done in Calcutta; but OBJ
jectively the demonstration had sim
liar significance. This is proved by
the heroic action Of the Bombay
rroletariat. The prolctariat is prov
ing its fitness for the leadership it
bid for through the Calcutta demon
stration.