Lack of vision led to lost glory of the Majdoor Mahajan Sangh

The Majdoor Mahajan Sangh (MMS) was set up on December 4, 1917 by Mahatma Gandhi to provide a platform to textile labourers to have a dialogue with the then textile mill owners. However, the organisation has now lost its past clout on both political and social fronts, believe people who had been associated closely with the MMS. Some of the major factors responsible for the decline of the organisation could be the decline of textile industry resulting into the loss of membership, lack of foresight on the part of leadership, corruption at various levels and discontinuation of creative activities.

After its founding, Ansuyaben Sarabhai, scion of one of the famous textile houses of Gujarat, the Sarabhais, was appointed as president for life because of her commitment to the fight against the injustices done to labourers. In later years, big names of political and social life like Gulzarilal Nanda, Shyamaprasad Vasavada, Khandubhai Desai, Navinchandra Barot led the Sangh and were associated with labourers on the professional front as well as political and personal levels. “The MMS was so powerful politically that no contestant could even dream to win any election — to civic bodies, assembly or parliament — from labour-dominated areas without its support,” said Ramanlal Shukla, who served for 40 years.

However, now the situation at MMS has undergone a tremendous change. It has lost its political clout. One of the major reasons for this could be the decline in its membership. At a point of time, the union had 1.35 lakh labourers as its members. However, the number has gone down to just around nine thousand at present. The union has failed in widening its vision beyond textile mills, like Self-Employed Women’s Association has done.

On the occasion of the Sangh’s 92nd foundation day, Shankersinh Vaghela, former Union textile minister, had said that the MMS must find new ways for labourers to retain their strength, respectability and credibility. The union leaders should widen the scope of activities so that labourers could relate to the union, he had said. “The union can be strong only by working with labourers in their own areas. Its former office-bearers used to visit the labour-dominated areas regularly to know and understand the problems faced by workers,” said Shukla. He also said that reaching the labourers and working with them in their areas is a must for the MMS to regain some of its past glory.

“The current office bearers are not dedicated to their work. As they lack insight and the capability to present labour issues in an effective way, the labourers could not accept them as their leaders,” said Pankaj Patel, who served the MMS for around 22 years as divisional officer.

However, Amthabhai Desai, general secretary of MMS, believes that not much is left for the union to do in the labour-dominated areas. Earlier, the union used to raise labourers’ complaints about civic amenities in the corporation through corporators. “At present, we do not have that type of political power, so nothing can be done in this regard,” said Desai.
Earlier, along with advocating labour-related issues, the union was closely associated with the personal and social lives of labourers through its creative activities such as running anganwadi centres, schools, libraries, clinics, stenography classes and sewing classes.

The aim of MMS was to provide better facilities to labourers and also enable them to generate additional income resources. At present, the union has stopped such creative activities as the present office-bearers think that these activities are not relevant in the current social and economic conditions. At present, the union is merely running a girls hostel for scheduled caste girls near CN Vidyalaya in Ambawadi area and associated with Employees State Insurance (ESI)-related work.