The life that consists sweat, labor in the field
Photo: Noor A Alam
Dhaka: Hot sun overhead. Body wet with sweat. Sweat drops like pearls on old face. The sweat is falling on the ground in drops from cheek-spit with breaks. Such is the intensity of the sun; Open your eyes and look! A simple watcher standing with a smile on her face in such hostility of the weather! If you see her, you will think that she is saying 'I will not carry the wheel of exploitation on my shoulders / This is the fight, this is the fight.
This simple-looking woman standing on the banks of the Turag, defying the fierceness of the sun is a day laborer. She works in loading and unloading sand on the banks of Turag river near Amin Bazar Landing Station in Dhaka. She labors all day in the scorching heat, in return for a meager wage on her forehead. They are called working people those who lack in the family. Two days there was no good food. To remove the lack of family, she worked hard.
International Workers' Day is celebrated on May 1 to protect the rights of such working people. The day is also known as May Day. This day of international labor movement and realization of labor rights has been celebrated globally for years. About 80 countries of the world observe May Day and national holidays in honor of workers.
Before the 19th century, factory workers had to work 10 to 12 hours a day. In some cases more than that. But the pay was low in proportion to the work which was not suitable for their lifestyle. At one stage the workers started getting angry. In 1884, a group of workers in the city of Chicago in the United States demanded that the employers set an eight-hour working day. The workers set May 1, 1886 as the time to fulfill this demand. But the factory owners did not listen to the demands of the workers. As a result, on May 4, 1886, the workers started a movement again at the Hay Market in Chicago. There, 10 to 12 workers were killed when the police opened fire on the protesting workers.
Two years after this event, in 1889, the First Congress of the Second International, held in Paris on the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, proposed that Chicago Labor Day be observed from 1890. The proposal was formally adopted at the Second Congress held the following year. Later, in 1904, the International Conference of Socialists held in Amsterdam, Netherlands called on all socialist democratic parties and labor unions to organize marches and processions on the first day of May worldwide to demand an eight-hour daily working time and to establish peace. In response to this call, almost all the labor unions of the world decided not to do compulsory work on May 1. Workers in many countries demanded that May 1 be observed as a public holiday. May Day is celebrated as an official holiday in various countries. Gradually, the significance of this day spread in different parts of the world including Russia, China, Bangladesh and India. Establishments around the world demand workers to work eight hours a day.
May Day was celebrated in the camps of freedom fighters during the Great Liberation War in 1971 out of respect for the rights and demands of the workers. May Day got national recognition after independence. After the independence of Bangladesh in 1972 on the occasion of the great May Day, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared May Day as National Day in his address to the nation. Since then May Day is celebrated with due dignity.
But May Day is just another day for the workers. Many people are not aware of this because even on this day they have to go out in search of livelihood. Otherwise, two handfuls of rice will not be collected. Family members will starve. So for those for whom it is Labor Day, this day has no significance. For low-income workers, work is religion, work is work. Therefore, the same statement in the mouth of the workers, including the sand workers, 'All our days are equal. If you work, you don't get money, if you don't, you don't get any money. We don't even have holidays for this. Need to work. If you don't work, the family won't work.
The society and the government should come forward to wake up the working people. The hands of the workers must be strengthened by resisting the ugliness that income inequality has taken within the country. Then evil forces like injustice, torture, terrorism and communalism will be countered. Through this, the May Day wish will also be fulfilled. In anticipation of that day, everyone will tune in with Kazi Nazrul Islam – Jago anashano bandire joto / Jagater lanchito Bhagyahata! / Jata otyachae aji vajra hani' / Hanke -jana-mon-mathita bani, / Nava Janam lovi' abhinav dharani / Ore oi agata/Adi srinkhal Sanatan Shastra-Achar/Mool Sarbanesher, Ere Bhanib Aber!/Vedi' Daitya-Kara/Ai Sarbahara!/ Keu rahibena ar por pada-nata.
