SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad Mar 21: The trade union was considered as a male bastion in the collieries of Dhanbad. Even after the nationalization of the coal industry in 1972-73, men continued to dominate till the 1990s.
But the former minister of Bihar and Jharia MLA Abo Devi broke this jinx in 1997 by forming Janata Shramik Sangh and becoming its general secretary. She dominated the Jharia coalfield, especially in the collieries of Bhaga and Bhowra area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) till the bifurcation of Bihar in 2000.
Later on, two-time former Jharia MLA Kunti Singh, wife of late Surdev Singh (six times Jharia MLA), took the helm of Janata Mazdoor Sangh (JMS) as the general secretary from her brother-in-law Bachha Singh in 2007. She became the president of the central committee of JMS in 2021. She still holds command of the majority of miners in Jharia.
JMS is an affiliated unit of the central trade union Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS).
Kunti Singh’s daughter-in-law Ragini Singh (wife of Sanjiv Singh, former Jharia MLA) is the vice–president of JMS while Mini Sidharth Gautam (wife of second son Sidharth Gautam) has been nominated as the vice–president of HMS state body in 2022.
Two-time Nirsa MLA Aparna Sengupta is the vice-president of JMS. She is a popular leader among the miners in Nirsa based mines of BCCL and Eastern Coalfield Limited.
Recently a family member of Shibu Soren has also entered the trade union politics after living aside from it for around 50 years.
Jama MLA Sita Soren (wife of late Durga Soren, elder son of Shibu Soren) became the vice-president of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in 2021. Notably, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s labour organization Jharkhand Colliery Mazdoor Union is affiliated with Central Industrial Trade Union (CITU).
On the other hand, Shobha Pandey and Jayasri Bara are seasoned trade union leaders of Akhil Bhartiya Khadan Mazdoor Sangh (ABKMS), an affiliated unit of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and are on senior posts.
“BMS always encourages the female force. Nita Choudhary, Nilima and Rekha Bose have dominated at the national level,” said Mahendra Singh, national working president of ABKMS.
In the Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Sangh (RCMS), an affiliated unit of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Kiran Singh, Sangita Tiwary, Samridha Chouhan and Gunjan Singh are the dominant force in the organization.
“There is a provision in RCMS constitution to nominate certain numbers of females in the working committee. So, they have been nominated and are discharging their responsibility,” said AK Jha, general secretary of RCMS.
Sankari Dev is the branch president of Bihar Colliery Karmchari Sangh (BCKU) of former MP AK Roy. She is also considered a leading force among male leaders.
“In the 10- member central committee of BCKU, not only a female has got a place but many of them are dominating at a branch level,” said Bharat Bhushan, a senior leader.
Jharia Cong MLA Purnima Neeraj Singh is the senior office-bearer of Janata Mazdoor Sangh (Bachha Singh faction). After winning the Jharia assembly seat in 2019, Purnima Neeraj Singh always takes an active part in union activities.
