Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister releases commemorative stamp on Nayayan Lokhande

I feel deeply honoured to release a postal stamp honouring the memory of the Late Shri Narayan Meghaji Lokhande, hailed as the Father of the Trade Union Movement in our country.

Lokhandeji may have well regarded it a happy coincidence that the year of his birth, 1848, was also the year in which Karl Marx and Frederich Engels published the Communist Manifesto. He would have been equally proud of the fact that in that same year Mahatma Jyotiba Phule had established in Pune the first ever school in India for the education of our women. These happy coincidences have more than a symbolic value because Lokhandeji combined in himself Marx's and Engels' concern for the working class and Mahatma Phule's commitment to the cause of women.

Lokhandeji was a product of the awakenings of that era of our history, which altered the destiny of our Nation. The establishment of the Mill Hand Association in 1884 by Lokhandeji marked the institutionalization of the labour movement in India. Deeply moved by the inhuman working conditions and ruthless exploitation of workers, Lokhandeji spearheaded an agitation against millowners and demanded fair wages, a healthy working environment and the protection of the rights and liberties of labour. His struggle resulted in the constitution of the Factory Labour Commission, of which he was made a Member. The work of this Commission led to the enactment of the Factory Act of 1891, which regulated working conditions and gave some special rights to child and female labour.

What set Lokhandeji apart from many of his peers was his equal commitment to the welfare of non-working people who were also victims of discrimination. He championed the cause of women, especially widows, dalits, minorities and other weaker sections of society. His trade unionism represented the best of the social democratic and liberal consciousness of his times.

Lokhandeji's wider social commitment was reflected in the passion with which he edited the newspaper, 'Deenbandhu'. He was also deeply committed to communal harmony, having played a role in forging unity between the Hindu and Muslim Communities during the communal riots of 1893. He was an active participant in the strove hard struggle for social reform including through his involvement with the Satyoshodhak Samaj established by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. For these activities he was conferred the title of Rao Bahadur, a rare honour indeed for a labour leader!

I urge today's generation of leaders of the working class to adopt a similar approach to foster social change and enable the empowerment of our people. When Marx and Engels dubbed the working class as the 'vanguard of social revolution', they did so because they saw in the working class the most socially and politically aware section of the society of their times. I urge our working class leaders today to draw inspiration from great pioneers like Lokhandeji and make use of the power of the trade union movement to take our society forward, to inculcate in our people a sense of national pride and commitment to the welfare of all sections of our society. I therefore, express my great pleasure in being associated with today's function. It goes without saying that India cannot be a prosperous Nation if our people are not better off. When I speak of a more prosperous and more inclusive society, I speak of a more prosperous people, of all classes, all communities, all religions and regions. We want India to shine, and we want India to shine for all.

That is the commitment we have made through our National Common Minimum Programme and I reiterate this sacred commitment on the solemn occasion of paying homage to the memory of a great son of India, Narayan Meghaji Lokhande. I thank the Department of Posts for having taken the initiative to print this stamp in honour of a great Indian of his time.