Even before I had an occasion to meet Manoranjan Roy, I heard much about him in the central office of the AITUC when I joined it in the year 1958 in September. Dange himself had great regard for him and he used to speak about him highly, about his deep knowledge about the tea plantation industry. “There is not a single issue in tea plantation industry about which Manoranjan does not know with great authority”. I heard Dange saying this on several occasions. Comrades working in the office of the AITUC also use to refer to him with great respect.
However, as a General Secretary of the BPTUC he used to write to the AITUC centre on several current trade union problems. I read some of his letters and I could see that he used to write less words but was stating his views in a clear cut manner.
I met him for the first time at the early part of 1959 at the general Council meeting of the CITU held at Bangalore. Seeing his lean and unassuming personality, I was somewhat surprised in the beginning how people talk so highly about him. However, I saw he was firm about expressing his views and was insisting on defending his views till the last. However, he was also a keen listener to the views expressed by others and was accepting others, viewpoints he found correct according to his thinking.
However, my direct contact with him was during the AITUC conference at Coimbatore in 1960. I was incharge of issuing delegate cards after receiving affiliation fee. Manoranjan sat with me for over two hours for clearing the delegation from West Bengal. I was surprised to note that he was having in depth knowledge of almost every union in the state and could explain the issues involved in clearing of affiliation fees. He asked for exemption of fees for some unions due to their being victims of natural calamities. I had no authority to do so and hence I approached Dange about the issue. Hearing Manoranjan’s name Dange asked me to clear all the unions proposed by him. “He would never asked for a concession unless it is genuine” Dange told me. In some cases the papers of the union were not in order. Manoranjan snubbed the union leaders for their lapse and he told him that they would not get any relief for their shortcoming.
When the split in the Communist movement in India took place during 1964 Manoranjan and some of his colleagues were holding centrist views but his leanings were towards the left ideology within the Communist movement.
During 1965 I was in Kolkata at the underground party centre after the repressive measures and arrest of large number of CPI (M) leaders. At the instance of Jyoti Basu an underground meeting was arranged between myself and Manoranjan Roy, Md, Ismail and others at Kolkata. In that meeting it was agreed to work together in the trade union movement. Manorajan Roy was very keen to know about the position of relative strength of both the parties in the AITUC. He was happy to note the growing support the CPI (M) section was gaining within the AITUC. He suggested development of better co-ordination so that the all India strength is properly reflected in the organization. He informed me that overwhelming majority of the unions in West Bengal would be with the comrades of the CPI (M).
In 1966 Dange announced holding of AITUC conference in Mumbai. The union activists supporting CPI (M) had great difficulties to make arrangements to attend the Conference since several leaders were released from jail just on the eve of the conference while many were still underground. Manoranjan Roy had to make arrangements to send delegates to attend the conference by collecting affiliation fees and traveling expenses. However, due to his tireless efforts maximum number of delegation could be sent to the conference. He was active throughout the conference to guide Bengal delegation during its proceedings. Manoranjan Roy was elected as a member of the working committee of AITUC in the Conference while I was elected a secretary of the organization.
Manoranjan Roy was the leader of the largest state unit of AITUC and his views were largely respected by AITUC cadres all over India. Though Dange had personnel regard for him Manoranjan never minced words in criticizing his undemocratic policies in running the organization.
When attempt was made by Dange to enroll large number of unions for affiliating to AITUC on the eve of the conference of BPTUC Manoranjan Roy made out a detailed case by giving proof that the unions were nonexistent and I could place the facts before the AITUC Sectt. As a result, it was extremely difficult for Dange to inflate the delegation in West Bengal State Conference of AITUC. Manoranjan had good relations with AITUC activists in W. Bengal and effort to control the W. Bengal unit by Dange could not succeed due to vigilance shown by Manoranjan. This happened without adversely affecting the unity of the organization.
The crisis in the AITUC came to a boiling point when Manoranjan wrote a letter to Dange proposing to hold the next Conference of AITUC in 1970 in Calcutta. Dange did not agree with the proposal and decided to hold it at Guntur. Moreover 300 unions led by CPI (M) activists were kept out of AITUC by Dange to keep the CPI (M) group in minority in the AITUC. Rival unions were formed to several unions led by CPI (M) activists and they were affiliated to AITUC using the majority in the organization. It became extremely difficult to have joint functioning in AITUC despite making efforts for 6 years. We had to walkout from the AITUC meeting and give a call to hold national convention in Goa in March 1970 which decided to hold a national convention in Calcutta in May 1970.
To prepare for an All India Convention within 6 weeks time was not an early task. Manoranjan Roy took the responsibility despite difficulties but due to relentless efforts by him and his colleagues it was possible to hold the convention which was attended by more than four thousand delegates from all over India at Calcutta. Several inactive and frustrated Comrades enthusiastically attended the convention. Working class of West Bengal liberally contributed for the success of the convention. During the proceedings of the convention Manoranjan’s contribution was worth noting. After the convention there was a net saving of over Rs. One lakh which Manorajan graciously handed over to the newly formed CITU centre for its essential expenses. The CITU centre was greatly helped by this gesture of Manoranjan Roy.
After the formation of CITU centre at Kolkata, Manoranjan Roy took keen interest in strengthening CITU activities in other parts of the country. Though he visited some states he had a desire to visit more states which he could not do due to his pressing commitments in West Bengal.
Due to semi-fascist terror in West Bengal in early seventies CITU was under severe attack by the Congress led anti-social elements. Manoranjan led the CITU with courage and visited several centers to enhance the morale of the workers to fight these gangster attacks to destroy CITU. I had opportunity to travel with him on several occasions and experience leadership qualities of Manoranjan Roy.
In formation and development of UCTU - Manoranjan played an important role in building a united movement against the policies of the Congress Govt. During the Emergency period he mobilized workers against cut in bonus and emergency regulations despite repressive measures by Indira Gandhi Government.
When the CITU decided to hold the Convention of Plantation Workers in 1971 Manoranjan Roy took the responsibility of organizing it at Darjeeling. He was elected as General Secretary of All India Plantation Workers Federation and led it for several years.
He visited plantations outside Bengal and played an important role in strengthening its organization. We traveled together by car from Kolkata to Darjeeling. Manoranjan narrated his experience during freedom struggle in Tamluk when attempts were made to form a Govt. of Independent India. Manoranjan was a part at such a Government.
He also narrated his experiences in early stages of his trade union life. When he joined the AITUC office in Bow Bazar Street (which later came to know as B.B.G. Street) Nirode Chakraborty was doing the work of preparing annual returns of several unions. Manoranjan observed keenly how Nirodeda was doing this work. One day when he prepared the annual return of one union Nirode scolded him for doing the work. However, when he saw that Manoranjan did the work of preparing annual return correctly he appreciated his work and allowed him to write annual returns of other unions in future.
The CITU centre was in Kolkata till 1978. Without the help of Manoranjan Roy, Niren Ghosh and Kamal Sarkar the CITU centre would not have functioned effectively from Kolkata. Though CITU office was shifted to Delhi, I had an opportunity to meet his regularly due to his election as member of Rajya Sabha. He used to visit CITU central office regularly and enquire about its activities in various parts of the country. He exhibited his Parliamentary talents during his speeches in Parliament on problems of the working class. He used to prepare well for his speeches and consult CITU about the problems faced by the workers in different states.
Both of us were elected to the Central Committee of the CPI (M) in 1977 at Jallunder Party Congress. Manoranjan used to make short speeches but was clear in expressing his views. Though he was considered as soft speaking person, his views were expressed in a forthright manner.
Even at his advanced age I saw him referring to Marxist classics. He had a special liking for reading books on Chinese revolution, Vietnamese valiant struggle against U.S. imperialism and Cuba’s relentless struggle against U.S. blockade. At times he used to refer these struggles to inspite our T.U. cadres.
I do not know the origin why Manoranjan was affectionately called by his old colleagues as “Kablada”. However, I heard several comrades referring him with this pet name. Some comrades told me that Manoranjan’s simple style of living was the reason for giving this affectionate pet name for him by his old close colleagues. Even after becoming a Member of Parliament Manoranjan did not give up his simple habits. His simple living made him popular among the rank and file workers in the CITU.
When I heard the sad news of passing away of Manoranjan I could not attend his funeral since I was bed ridden at that time. I felt extremely sorry for my inability to say a adieu to a colleague in AITUC and CITU for several decades.
However, fond memories of working with him in trade union movement and the CPI (M) are till frash in my mind. His commitment of the working class and the toiling sections of the society was unquestionable. He was firmly committed to the Marxist-Leninist ideology and consistently opposed both rightist as well as leftist deviations.
The great legacy of Manoranjan Roy is still being cherished by thousands of CITU cadres in West Bengal who are engaged in continuously to carry forward the unfinished task of social change left by him for the next generation.
Source: www.citucentre.org/
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